Schools see H1N1 spike

More than 300 Stuarts Draft High School students missed classes this week in what district health officials called an upswing of suspected H1N1 virus cases.

In recent weeks, students across the county missed school, complaining about flu-like symptoms, Augusta County Schools Superintendent Gary McQuain said Thursday.

Stuarts Draft High School counted about 100 absent students Tuesday, and 60 more absences Thursday, according to school officials. More specific numbers were not available.

“This is an earlier flu than normal,” McQuain said. “The numbers have gone down in the past couple of days and my guess is that it will pop up elsewhere.”

Sue Schuldt, Augusta County School Health Services coordinator, said people shouldn’t worry about the virus sweeping through schools.

“Unless someone is severley ill in the hospital, doctors are not testing for H1N1,” Schuldt said. “The assumption is that it is H1N1, but it’s not more severe than the regular flu.”

McQuain said the division takes cues from Douglas Larsen, health director for the Central Shenendoah Health District.

Commonplace rules apply when it comes to preventing contraction of the virus, Larsen said. During the past month schools placed hundreds of hand sanitizer units across school grounds, targeting spots where students share equipment.

“The pattern of the disease has been similar to seasonal flu,” Larsen said. “You may feel well one hour, and then the next hour feel terrible. When the fall comes and the schools return, we have a large number of young people come back and a variety of illnesses occur.

The U.S. government ordered 195 million doses of the H1N1 vaccine, with the promise of supplying the medicine to communities by mid-October, Larsen said. However, the vaccine will arrive later than expected, he said. Augusta County won’t see any until late-October at the earliest.

H1N1 virus cases grew in Virginia last month. The health district calls the spike in cases “regional activity,” Larsen said.

“The state is divided into five regions, and when you have cases in three or more we call it regional activity,” he said.

McQuain said reports of flu-like symptoms came from Stuarts Draft Middle School, Stuarts Draft High School, Stewart Middle School and Fort Defiance High School.

The virus hasn’t struck at county elementary schools, he said.

Eight starters on the Stuarts Draft varsity football team suffered from the symptoms this week, prompting Athletic Director Steve Hartley to cancel practice Monday. The volleyball team also suffered, losing two of their starting players this week, he added.

“We’re still chugging right along,” Hartley said. “It’s not like we’ve had to cancel a game or anything.”

The number of absent students decreased as the school week progressed, Schuldt said, and there isn’t reason for families to fear sending their children to school. Good hygiene and awareness will help curb the virus, she said.

Reported symptoms of the virus include fever, sore throat and clammy skin. School officials recommend families not send their children to school if they’re suffering from those flu-like symptoms.