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School absentees seem to be leveling off
by Rob Schmidt
Tuesday, October 27, 2009

The high rates of absenteeism due to illness at St Joseph School District schools appear to be leveling off. As of Monday, no SJSD school has reported more than 8 percent of its students as out with illness, according to Eileen Duty, school district coordinator of health services.

Ten days ago, several district elementary schools reported over 20 percent of the student body were staying home due to illness. Those numbers have been steadily declining since last Monday.

In an average year, the school district sees a 5 percent per day average of students out with illness. This year has been notably higher and Ms. Duty believes it will stay between eight and 12 percent for at least the next few weeks.

It’s not just the flu that’s keeping kids at home. Ms. Duty says there have been a lot of cases of strep throat, vomiting, and diarrhea moving through the district. A few cases of seasonal flu are also being reported.

Ms. Duty says the best way to keep absentee numbers down is for parents to keep their sick children at home to avoid spreading illness.

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G2MBG October 27, 2009 at 7:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)

A total of 20 specimens were received by the State Public Health Laboratory for viral testing during week 41.
Seventeen of the twenty, or 85%, were positive for Influenza A. All seventeen, or 100%, were 2009 H1N1 Influenza. There was 16 pos samples for influenza B in the state. another 320 pos for A or B , 2,200 pos A & 107 pH1N1. http://www.dhss.mo.gov/Influenza/Week410910.pdf For those that dont follow this that close. The CDC says that unknow influenza samples & pos for A on futher testing are coming back as 2009 Pandemic H1N1. H1N1 also causes all of those same syptoms. 35% of the people tested last spring didnt have a fever.•All subtyped influenza A viruses being reported to CDC were 2009 influenza A (H1N1) viruses Week 41 ending October 17, 2009 http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/
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 G2MBG October 27, 2009 at 10:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)

http://www.dhss.mo.gov/Influenza/Week410910.pdf Buchanan County week 41 Type A = 4 Type B = 0 Unknown = 239 total = 243 All subtyped influenza A viruses being reported to CDC were 2009 influenza A (H1N1) viruses Week 41 ending October 17, 2009 http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/
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