Updated 05/20/2009 11:26 PM
Two More Queens Schools To Close Over Flu Concerns
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City officials have added two more Queens schools to a growing list of those being closed due to the spread of a flu-like illness, while confirmed cases of the H1N1 virus remain minimal.
Beginning Thursday, P.S. 242 in Flushing and P.S. 130, which includes part of P.S. 993, in Bayside will close for at least five days.
See NY1's full list of the city's flu-related closings.
Of the 28 schools that are now closed, only I.S. 238 in Hollis, Queens has currently diagnosed cases of H1N1, otherwise known as swine flu.
I.S. 238, which was closed last Thursday and scheduled to reopen this Friday will reopen to staff only Friday. Students are scheduled to return Tuesday.
Currently there are more than 200 confirmed cases of H1N1 in the city, but city health officials say most of the confirmed cases have been mild.
The United Federation of Teachers has set up 11 hotlines in the five boroughs to gather information on school flu outbreaks and school closings.
The Department of Education has also begun posting daily attendance rates for every public school in New York City which can be viewed by clicking here.
The large numbers of student absences in many schools are due to illness and concerned families who are keeping their children home in fear of infection.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg said that the Department of Education's decisions on school closings were not based on the number of student absences, but rather the number of severe flu-like cases in each student body.
"City officials, I think, are exercising good judgment and restraint," said the mayor. "Every step we’ve taken and will take has been carefully weighed and the best ways to fight anxiety is with facts. That’s what we’ve done and that’s what we’ll continue to do, and the best thing that we can all do is follow the common-sense precautions and go about our lives."
At J.H.S. 189 in Flushing, a third of the school's 743 students were absent Wednesday, and 31 of 52 teachers called in sick.
Due to the teacher shortage, Queens Councilman and city comptroller candidate John Liu taught math to a class in J.H.S. 189 today.
Officials said they needed to keep the middle school open so their students could continue learning.
“Anybody who’s had breathing difficulty, or any other conditions doesn't want to be here,” said JHS Principal Cindy Diaz-Burgos. “And I don't blame them, but at the same time we have to provide instruction."
Liu said that 16 percent of students and 18 percent of staff in his council district were absent this week.
Parents of students at P.S. 121 in South Ozone Park, Queens also held a protest outside the school Wednesday morning, saying officials should shut the school down.
Teachers said more than 200 students were either absent or sent home from the school so far this week.
Many parents said their children got sick over the last several days with flu-like symptoms, and claim it all could have been prevented.
"My daughter came to school on Monday, she came to school very healthy and when she went home, she was crying for her throat and her head. And then an hour later, she had a high fever," said one parent.
"We've been calling, they won't answer the phone, they're switching us to different places," said another.
Staff said the school nurses see an average of 10 students a day, but this week that number has been closer to 60 to 70.
Funeral Held For Queens Assistant Principal
Funeral services were held Wednesday afternoon for the assistant principal who died from the H1N1 virus.
Hundreds of friends and family, along with students and faculty members from I.S. 238 gathered at Sinai Chapels in Fresh Meadows to say goodbye to 55-year-old Mitchell Wiener.
"When I was in trouble, he helped get me out of it, when I needed help in class, he gave me a tutor and stuff like that. He was a very nice generous man to me," said one student.
Wiener passed away Sunday, four days after being hospitalized at Flushing Hospital Medical Center.
Meantime, preliminary tests indicate the 16-month-old Queens boy who died Monday night did not have the H1N1 virus.
The Centers for Disease Control will make a final determination of the cause of the boy's death later this week.
Utah Reports First H1N1-Linked Fatality
On Wednesday, health officials in Utah reported the state's first death associated with H1N1.
They say a 21-year-old man infected with the virus died at a hospital in Salt Lake City.
They say the man had pre-existing health conditions including respiratory problems.
In Arizona, health officials say a 13-year-old boy from Tucson died from the virus -- becoming the third in that state.
The latest H1N1-related deaths bring the nation's total to 10.
The following is a letter to school parents that Mayor Michael Bloomberg referenced during his briefing earlier today:
May 20, 2009
Dear School Community,
Since the H1N1 flu, or "swine flu," first came to New York City in April, officials at the Department of Education and the Department of Health have been intensively monitoring the health of students and other members of the
school community. We have been working closely with principals and school nurses to keep students and other members of our school community healthy. Today, I would like to update you on this situation.
WHAT IS THE SWINE FLU?
This flu is caused by a newly identified virus called H1N1. Since April, it has caused outbreaks of flu-like illness in New York City and around the world. The symptoms are similar to regular seasonal flu symptoms. Most people who
become infected have fever, which is accompanied by cough, sore throat, fatigue, headache, and body ache. H1N1 spreads from person to person the same way seasonal flu spreads: when someone coughs or sneezes, he or she can infect someone else in close proximity. Shaking hands or other types of direct contact may also transfer the virus. So far, the symptoms of the new H1N1 flu have closely resembled those of seasonal flu and most people who become sick are recovering, but any influenza virus can cause severe illness, so we are taking aggressive precautions.
HOW ARE SCHOOLS MONITORING THIS SITUATION?
Principals and school nurses are on alert and are working with the Department of Education and the Department of Health to keep students and staff safe and healthy.
We have instructed schools to:
· Immediately separate students with flu-like illness.
· Send students who have symptoms to be evaluated by the school nurse
or school-based health center and then sent home if the nurse confirms
the presence of an influenza like illness.
· Inform parents that children with these symptoms should stay home
until they have been symptom-free for 24 hours. (Students with
persistent coughs but no other symptoms may return to school one
week after their symptoms started.)
If an unusually high number of students at a school become ill, the school's
nurse will contact our central School Health Office, which will work with the
Health Department to develop a plan for the school.
WHAT IS THE CITY DOING TO KEEP STUDENTS SAFE?
We are monitoring the situation closely and are looking for "clusters" of illness at particular schools. Sometimes, when a lot of children are sick, closing a school, keeping children home, and preventing them from interacting with each other can reduce further infection. Since April, we have decided to close more than a dozen schools. The Chancellor is responsible for
deciding when to close schools, based on the recommendation of the Health Commissioner. I want to make it clear that this is not currently a citywide problem and there is no need for a citywide solution. What we need is to monitor individual schools and take appropriate steps based on specific circumstances. Most of our schools remain relatively unaffected by H1N1.
HOW DO WE DECIDE TO CLOSE A SCHOOL?
The Health Commissioner is evaluating a range of factors as it considers whether it makes sense to recommend closing a school. Most importantly, he looks for "clusters" of illness, and determines whether closing a school could help to reduce the spread of infection. The number of students who are absent is not a trigger to recommend closing a school. We do
look for spikes in the number of absent students at a school. Most importantly, we look at the number of students who are visiting the nurse's office, and we keep track of the number of students with fevers over 100.4 degrees and another influenza symptom such as a sore throat or cough. A high absentee rate alone does not mean a school should close. If all the children who are sick are already home and the students in school are healthy, closing will not reduce the transmission of infection. We also take into account the severity of H1N1 flu in the community. The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene monitors all New York City emergency rooms and intensive care units to evaluate the severity of swine flu infections in the community. The Health Department is visiting many schools each day and making recommendations to the Schools Chancellor about how to handle individual situations.
WHAT CAN YOU DO AT HOME?
The best way to prevent the flu is to ensure that people with symptoms stay home. If your child has a fever, accompanied by cough or sore throat, please do not send him or her back to school until 24 hours after the symptoms are gone. Most people who get the flu do not need to seek medical care and do not need to be tested for H1N1 flu. The Health Department recommends testing only for people who are in the hospital. Most people who get the flu should stay home. However, those in high risk groups should seek medical advice immediately, if they have had close contact with someone who has the flu during the past week or they develop flu symptoms Those in high risk groups include:
· People over 65 or under 2 years of age;
· People with chronic lung, heart, kidney, liver or blood disorders;
· People with immune systems that are compromised (either due to
illness or medicines);
· Pregnant women; and
· People on long-term aspirin therapy.
HOW CAN YOU FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION?
We are keeping up to date information about this flu on the homepage of the DOE Web site at www.nyc.gov/schools. At this site, we have been listing schools that are closed and posting frequently asked questions and other important updates. We also have links to learning guides that can help students remain on track, even if their schools are closed. You can also pick
up one of these learning guides at the following locations:
· Brooklyn: 131 Livingston Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201
· Queens: 30-48 Linden Place, Queens, NY 11354; 28-11 Queens Plaza
North, Long Island City, NY 11101; or 90-27 Sutphin Boulevard,
Jamaica, NY 11435
CONCLUSION
We have taken-and will continue to take-the necessary steps to protect members of our community. I urge you to remain calm and continue working as our partners in keeping members of the school community safe and healthy.
Sincerely,
Joel I. Klein
The Centers for Disease Control and city officials urge anyone who feels sick or has flu-like symptoms to stay home.
Symptoms include fever, cough, headache, fatigue, and in many H1N1 cases, nausea and other gastrointestinal symptoms.
As always, the best ways to prevent illness are by covering your cough and sneeze, washing your hands and using hand sanitizer.
HELPFUL LINKS:
NY1 report on how the H1N1 virus spreads.
City Department of Health page for H1N1 information, tips for health care professionals and educational materials.