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While the H1N1 virus may have sickened thousands of New Yorkers, but the results were mostly mild.

But on Sunday night, Mitchell Wiener, an assistant principal at I.S. 238 in Hollis, Queens, became the first fatality in the city's outbreak of H1N1 flu, otherwise known as "swine flu."

It is believed he contracted the H1N1 virus at the school.

Mary Megaerditch, whose husband is in the same intensive care unit as Wiener, got to know the assistant principal's family over the last five days.

"I heard all the doctors run to the [intensive care unit], they said, 'Room 101, something is wrong,' and I knew something was wrong," said Megaerditch. "When I went out, [Wiener's wife] said, 'You see, he died. my husband died,' .... I feel very bad, I know it's extremely hard for his wife and his kids."

Wiener, 55, was an educator for more than 30 years. He became so ill that he was on a ventilator, his kidneys collapsed and he was in and out of consciousness.

I.S. 238 has been closed since last week, as the list of schools shut down for sick students and staff continues to grow.

"Now it seems like it's really spreading more than they thought it would. I don't know what's going on," said parent Maria Robinson.

Three other Queens schools were ordered closed on Sunday - M.S. 158 in Bayside, Our Lady of Lourdes in Queens Village and I.S. 25 in Flushing. They are not expected to reopen until after Memorial Day.

With more and more people complaining of flu-like symptoms, school for some has become a scary place.

"If I was going back to school, I would be really scared because of what's happening," said Steven Robinson, an eighth-grader from M.S. 158.

Valerie Santos were alerted last week that her daughter Ashley was one of the sick.

"She had these uncontrollable shakes, she was a mess," said Santos.

Ashley Santos is doing better, but doctors will not test her for the H1N1 virus because she does not have any underlying health conditions.

Valerie Santos hopes closing these schools will stop the virus in its tracks.

"Hopefully this virus will not spread any further," said Valerie Santos.

"I think it's a good idea to close all the schools and disinfect it and then start afresh," said Mary Robinson.

As of Sunday night, nine school buildings were closed, and eight were in Queens, not far from St. Francis Prep, the epicenter for the outbreak in the city.