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Health Concerns Close Wolcott School

H1N1, Seasonal Flu Reported Among Students

POSTED: 10:32 am EDT June 3, 2009
UPDATED: 8:41 pm EDT June 3, 2009

Wolcott school officials announced that the Tyrrell Middle School would be closed for two days because of health concerns.

The school will be closed on Thursday and Friday because of illnesses, Superintendent Tom Smyth said.

Smyth said four confirmed cases of H1N1 influenza A had been reported at the school as well as 10 cases of seasonal type A flu. Two of the cases of H1N1 were found in students who were part of a trip to Washington, D.C., school officials said. The other two cases were seventh-graders who were not on the trip.

Wolcott School Closes After 4 Students Develop H1N1

About 20 students, some teachers and the assistant principal started developing flu-like symptoms halfway through the four-day trip, school officials said, prompting the decision to cut the trip short by one day.

School officials said some of the students on the trip were so sick while in Washington, D.C., that they were brought to the emergency room.

The superintendent said a seventh-grader reported similar symptoms the week before the trip. He said a student who has also tested positive for H1N1 may have gotten other students sick, including some of the students who went on the trip.

"People were exposed to the swine prior to going on the Washington trip, and when they got on the bus, with 44 kids per bus, they spread it around," Smyth said.

The school shut down at 4 p.m. pm Wednesday and is scheduled to reopen Monday morning.

School officials said custodial staff would be disinfecting the school over the next two days and weekend.

"What we'll do is go through the entire school and wipe down everything: tables, door handles," Smyth said.


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