Northwest Iowa — If it seems like more people are sick with the flu, your impression is spot on, according to the Iowa Department of Public Health.
State Epidemiologist Dr. Patricia Quinlisk tells us that more people seem to be getting the flu this year.
One of our listeners wondered what percentage of students would have to be absent due to the flu for a school district to cancel school. We contacted several northwest Iowa school districts and got several responses, but it seemed to range from 25 to 50 percent of students. Many superintendents told us that the decision to close school due to illness is often caused by too many ill teachers, and not being able to find enough substitutes, rather than having too many ill students. In a number of cases, we were told that they depend on guidance from the school nurse and the Iowa Department of Public Health.
Dr. Quinlisk says while the IDPH does ask school districts to call them for statistical purposes when they have over ten percent of their students out with the flu, they do not mandate that a school close their doors due to too many cases of the flu. She says that decision is up to the school district. But she says they do give advice.
Quinlisk says that the other virus that causes large numbers of students to be out at the same time is norovirus — which causes stomach upset, vomiting, and nausea. She says if those are the symptoms that are reported, that’s not influenza. In that case, she says they have the school do a deep cleaning with bleach solutions to eliminate the virus on surfaces so kids don’t get sick when they return to school.
Dr. Quinlisk is a big advocate of the flu shot. She says we’re probably only a third of the way through the flu season and getting a flu shot now will still protect you for most of the flu season.
