Some schools throughout Franklin County are dealing with increased absences due to the flu or flu-like symptoms, but the impact is typical of most flu seasons.
“It’s not been to the point that I’m getting reports from principals of anything out of the ordinary,” said Tuscarora School District Superintendent Rod Benedick.
Just at the high school, Benedick said there have been a larger number of absences in recent weeks, as is expected during flu season.
Twenty-five students in Greencastle-Antrim School District were confirmed to have had the flu as of late last week, according to Bob Crider, chief education officer.
"Absence reports have risen in each building over the past few weeks but not to a dramatic level," he said.
Chambersburg Area School District spokesperson Brian Miller said nurses have had more parents/guardians reporting flu diagnoses than in previous years.
The flu is widespread in Pennsylvania, with 72,460 confirmed cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Of those, 512 have been in Franklin County.
The number of cases reported statewide last week was down a bit from the season's peak the week before.
More: Coronavirus is deadly, but flu has claimed over 8,000 lives this season
How are schools preventing the flu?
There is still plenty of time left to catch the flu, as the season lasts through spring. In hopes of preventing cases of the flu and other illnesses, schools around the county are encouraging students and staff to follow traditional protocol: Wash hands frequently. Cover your face with the inside of your elbow or shoulder to sneeze or cough. Eat a healthy, balanced diet.
"Nurses continually remind students how to cover their cough," Miller said.
Chambersburg, Greencastle and Tuscarora school districts said they send home students who have a fever and ask that they stay home until they have been fever-free, without medication, for 24 hours. In Tuscarora, this applies to students with a temperature of 100 or more.
The buildings and staff crew in Chambersburg have been using an electrostatic sprayer to kill germs around the campus. Called Protexus, chlorinated water is positively charged as it is sprayed from a bottle.
“Everything on the cleaning area would be negatively charged, so it attracts to whatever is on the surface. With a 10-minute dwell time, it should kill anything,” said Charlie Caratozzola, buildings and grounds assistant supervisor.
It is a "proactive approach" to cleaning and does not replace replace traditional cleaning methods.
More: He got a flu shot to get a job. Now, rare disorder has left him sick and unemployed
Are schools worried about coronavirus?
In short, no.
"Like when there is any worldwide alert, we have to be aware. But we have no immediate concerns," Benedick said.
Other school representatives shared similar views of the headline-grabbing illness, which has infected more than 10,000 people, most of them in China.
According to the CDC, there are 13 confirmed cases in the U.S. and almost 70 cases pending confirmation. More than 300 cases turned out to be negative.
A fact sheet for schools from the Pennsylvania Department of Health states that people in the U.S. have a "very low" risk of contracting coronavirus. The risk is higher for people who recently traveled to China or have been in close proximity to a person who was showing symptoms.
But the spread of coronavirus does not appear to be slowing down. Fortunately, many of the same methods that schools are already incorporating to prevent the flu are also effective to prevent coronavirus.
Amber South can be reached at asouth@publicopinionnews.com.
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February 12, 2020 at 06:00PM
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Franklin County schools see typical impact from flu as coronavirus lurks - Public Opinion
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