Local schools report spike in absences
Not all absenteeism is H1N1By ANGELA BURCH, Messenger staff writer
Schools throughout the region have noticed a spike in absences during this year's flu season - especially in the past week.
While most of the schools hovered around 10 percent absenteeism this week, officials said the Clarion-Goldfield High School hit its peak at 22 percent.
"The absenteeism may not all be with H1N1, but we don't want to take any chance," said Dr. Robert Olson, Clarion-Goldfield superintendent. "We're telling everyone, if you're sick stay home, and unless you're gravely sick - stay away from the hospital."
The rates for Clarion-Goldfield's elementary and middle schools were slightly lower: their peak of students missing school were 17 1/2 and 19 percent, respectively, Olson said.
However, Olson said the number of students staying home subsided as the week went on.
The school districts in Algona, Eagle Grove, Gowrie, Southern Cal, Stratford and Webster City each reported student absences at about 10 percent.
Manson-Northwest Webster school district's superintendent, Mark Egli, said they are noticing considerably higher absenteeism rates in the district.
In Humboldt, absenteeism has increased slightly, but Humboldt Community Schools Superintendent Greg Darling, said it was "nothing astronomical."
In the Pocahontas and Pomeroy-Palmer district, they are not seeing anything too out of the ordinary, according to Joseph Kramer, superintendent and curriculum coordinator for Pocahontas Area School District.
If a school has more than a 10 percent absence rate, it is required to report the numbers to state health officials, according Kari Prescott, director of the Webster County Health Department.
"We need to monitor the illness and sicknesses and check the signs and symptoms," Prescott said. "We have to make sure it really is the flu and can't just assume it is."
In Fort Dodge, only Duncombe Elementary School has reported an absence rate higher than 10 percent in two consecutive days, according to Marcy Harms, director of student services for the Fort Dodge Community School District.
Prescott said their major concern this year is that the flu-like symptoms are showing up much earlier than the normal peak flu season in January and February.
As far as preventive measures, Prescott and all the schools echoed the same practices - hand washing, coughing into a sleeve or tissue and staying home if you're sick.
"People have a heightened awareness (with the new strain)," Prescott said. "It's not an airborne illness, so just because somebody coughs doesn't mean the whole room will get it. It is droplet-based, so there has to be direct contact with the germs. We can prevent some of that with good handwashing. covering your mouth and the biggest thing is we need to stay home when we're sick."
Many school officials said they are providing additional means of disinfection in the schools.
"We are using a lot of hand sanitizer, a lot of sprays, Chlorox wipes," said Judy Stilwell, school nurse for St. Edmond Catholic Schools. "Teachers wipe down their classrooms at least once a day and everyone is asked to use sanitizer coming in and going out of classrooms and offices."
As for fevers, health and education officials want students to be fever-free - without any medicine - for 24 hours, before they return to school.
Contact Angela Burch at (515) 573-2141 or aburch@messengernews.net
