Phil Riddle
editor@weatherforddemocrat.com
Weatherford Independent School District dodged a bullet last spring when several local districts closed at the peak of the swine flu outbreak.
This year, even with new guidelines for school closures from the Centers for Disease Control, WISD officials have upgraded their communication process to keep parents apprised of any health issues on campus.
Nita Ellis, executive director of student services for the district, reports WISD has formulated a “stepped process” to deal with issues similar to flu concerns last year.
“The main thing in these cases is having accurate information so we can move forward in a way that protects the health and safety of our students, parents, employees, partners and our community,” Ellis said.
She reported, in the event of a health threat, WISD representatives would meet with the Parker County Office of Emergency Management, followed by a briefing of the district nursing coordinator to discuss “probables” before deciding how to proceed.
Ellis added maintenance, bus and nursing staffs could also be quickly mobilized to perform any additional sanitizing.
The Associated Press reported in early August school districts across the state are stocking up on hand sanitizers and hanging posters to remind students and staff alike to wash their hands often, cough into their sleeves and stay home if they’re sick.
“I think swine flu is on everybody’s mind because of predictions that there will be a heavy flu season this fall,” said Debbie Ratcliffe, a spokesperson for the Texas Education Agency.
More than 5,200 cases of H1N1 flu were confirmed in Texas from April through July, resulting in 28 deaths. About 65 percent of those catching the strain of the flu were between the ages of 5 and 18, according to statistics from the Texas Department of State Health Services.
About a half-million students were kept home during the height of the spring flu fears. More than 850 Texas schools shuttered, most for just a few days.
Fort Worth schools, educating more than 80,000 students, were shut down for almost two weeks. In addition, outdoor festivals, University Interscholastic League competitions and Texas’ Special Olympics were canceled because of the outbreak.
Since that time, however, the CDC has revised its guidelines for school closure, now suggesting buildings should be closed only in “drastic cases,” and allowing sick students to return as soon as 24 hours after the flu’s accompanying fever breaks.
The Centers for Disease Control also recommends students get vaccinated against the swine flu. Vaccines are expected to be ready by early fall.
Projections for the severity of the next round of the swine flu say this year could be worse than last spring.
The CDC anticipates between 20 and 40 percent of the population of the country could get the disease within the next two years. Globally, the World Health Organization says H1N1 flu could infect 2 billion people as the expected pandemic takes its course.
