May 22, 2009 8:23 am US/Eastern
Few NYC Schools Reopen Friday Amid H1N1 Fears
QUEENS (CBS) ―
-
-
A young girl wears a mask outside New York City's Elmhurst Hospital, where the emergency room was flooded by patients with flu-like symptoms on May 18, 2009.
CBS
Some city schools shut by the swine flu outbreak have reopened their doors Friday, while dozens of other area schools are staying closed.
Three schools that have reopened are in Queens: P.S. 16 in Corona, P.S. 255 in Corona, and I.S. 5 in Elmhurst.
Although most of the swine flu cases in the city are considered minor,
the Health Department said at least 56 people have been hospitalized.
City officials also said there will be a scrub down of Rikers Island after 10 inmates have come down with the flu.
Inmates will be moved to another part of the facility while that cleaning is being done.
As a precaution, visiting hours have been restricted this week and correction officers have been given permission to wear masks.
Heading into the Memorial Day weekend, there are 35 schools in the five boroughs that remain closed, 15 others in New Jersey and on Long Island.
More schools are shutting their doors over swine flu or simply the fear of it.
Four schools in Queens announced they'd be closed Wednesday. St. Demetrios School in Astoria, PS 242 in Flushing, and PS 130 and 993 in Bayside.
On Long Island, Valley Stream Memorial Junior High closed for confirmed cases of swine flu, and the Levittown School District shut down Thursday as a precaution, which parents said was a good idea.
"I do. I have five kids and I don't want it spreading around any further," said parent Robin Ayers.
"I think it's a good idea. They need to clean up the school and do the best they can," said parent Dean Knox.
While the kids were elated at having a sudden day off, the more thoughtful ones understood why.
"If the swine flu does come here to Wisdom, then it's gonna become a major problem," said Brian Klapak, a student at Wisdom Lane.
Symptoms of the swine flu include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people have reported diarrhea and vomiting as well. Anyone experiencing severe symptoms, such as difficulty breathing, should seek health care and treatment. The best way to prevent additional cases of flu in schools is to stay home when sick, cover your mouth when coughing and sneezing, and wash hands frequently.
For those who are ill, the recommendation is to stay home until they are symptom-free for at least 24 hours.
Eating pork or pork products cannot spread the swine flu.
Q&A: What Is Swine Flu?
CDC Swine Flu Facts Sheet
Learn At Home Student Guides
CBS News Interactive: Fighting The Flu
CDC Emergency Updates Via Twitter
Swine Flu Twitter Live Search Results
David Burnia's Swine Flu Watch On Twitter
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
World's Most Useless Facts
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
Comments