Hundreds still home sick from school

Marisa O’Neil

Hundreds of students continue to call in sick to local schools, and

health officials have reported one confirmed case of influenza A, the

severest type of flu, at Corona del Mar High School.

Last Friday, about 400 students stayed home from Corona del Mar,

and 11 schools reported that at least 10% of their students had

called in or gone home sick. Schools are still reporting high absence

rates this week and have sent letters home to parents, said Marcia

BMarthaler in the district’s health office.

“There is usually an increase in absences in the winter months,

but this is exceptionally high,” she said.

The confirmed case of the flu came from five test swabs taken at

Corona del Mar High School last week. The other four did not test

positive, said Pat Markley, spokeswoman for the Orange County Health

Agency.

Newport-Mesa Unified School District officials have reported

schools with absentee rates higher than 10% to the health agency to

help them track the illness. But because there is no requirement to

report such data, Markley said, getting definite numbers of people

affected countywide proves difficult.

Some Huntington Beach schools have also reported high numbers of

absences to the agency, she said. So far, no one has died from the

flu in Orange County.

Last week, Newport Harbor and Costa Mesa high schools and

Mariners, Wilson, Rea, Sonora and Pomona elementary schools also had

more than 10% of their students home sick.

Harper Preschool reported high numbers of sick children last week

and this week. Health officials may take throat cultures at that

school to test for the flu, BMarthaler said.

“The numbers [of ill students] seem to be coming down,” she said.

“But last week at Harper, they went down and went right back up.

We’re really hoping winter break will help resolve this. I think

we’re seeing the bulk [of cases] right now.”

Flu symptoms can include a fever, headache, extreme tiredness, dry

cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose and muscle aches, according

to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Patients may also

experience nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, which are more common in

children.

Taking general precautions -- washing hands frequently, covering

the mouth when coughing or sneezing -- can help stem the spread of

the flu.

Supt. Robert Barbot said at Tuesday’s school board meeting that

although they want children in school as much as possible, the

district is encouraging parents to keep ill children home to reduce

the chance of spreading the illness.