Flu activity at a minimum in area schools

Fourth grade Central Elementary students T.J. Renner, from left, Cherokee Sandmann, Carson Tuxhorn and Curtis Tallent, know how important a tissue is when you have a cold. (Lorri Sughroue/McCook Daily Gazette)

McCOOK, Nebraska -- School kids in the area seem be battling the cold and flu season better than usual this year, with not a lot of activity reported.

According to the Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department's school surveillance report, compiled from weekly reports sent in from area schools, absences from school due to an illness is less than five percent. Of that, less than 2 percent is flu-related illnesses.

Myra Stoney,director of the Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department, said when illness activity reaches 10 percent, it's considered an outbreak. At 8 percent, the department starts to watch the school more closely.

The most important things parents can do is keep from spreading the flu or flu-like illness is to keep a child home if there is a fever, Stoney said.

Telling the school what kind of symptoms your child has also helps the school monitor what kind of activity is occurring.

State-reported flu activity in Nebraska is at the "sporadic" level, one level higher than "no activity." Sporadic means small numbers of laboratory confirmed influenza cases have been reported, or a single reported case of influenza.

School absences due to illness in McCook schools has been minimal, said Dawn Garcia, McCook Public Schools health nurse,

Of reported illnesses, "We're seeing a wide variety. not just the flu,' Garcia said. "It may be a different kind of virus other than the flu."

School secretaries are reporting symptoms that include sore throats, fever, or gastrointestinal symptoms.

Typically, there is a little bit of increase this time of the year, she said. But this can vary, with spikes in illnesses seen later or earlier than usual.

Garcia reiterated the most important thing to do this time of the year to keep flu activity from spreading is for kids to stay home if they have a fever.