Thursday, July 2, 2009

Flu that downed 51 kids in Bacolod not A(H1N1) – principal

Map of Negros Occidental showing the location ...Image via Wikipedia

07/01/2009 | 12:06 PM

MANILA, Philippines – A school in Bacolod City in Negros Occidental has suspended its classes in Grade 3 this week after flu downed 51 students, its principal said Wednesday.

However, St. John Institute's elementary-level principal Marilou Heraldoy said that what struck the students was "just an ordinary flu" and not the Influenza A(H1N1).

"Some were brought to the hospital, and no one was tested positive for A(H1N1). Some of them were hospitalized last Friday. But all were cleared," Heraldoy said in an interview on dzBB radio.

Heraldoy said that last week, they sent the students home after they complained of fever and flu-like symptoms. To contain the spread of the illness, the administration then decided to suspend the classes.

"We are afraid na mag-spread pa [that the sickness would spread], so we decided to call off our classes for Grade 3," Heraldoy added.

The suspension is from June 29 (Monday) to July 4 (Friday). Classes would resume on July 6 (Monday).

The Department of Health's latest tally of A(H1N1) cases in the country was placed at 861 last Friday. Of the number, 634 have recovered, yielding a 74-percent recovery rate.

The DOH last week eased up its control measures against the mutant virus and scrapped mandatory policies like the 10-day self quarantine for travelers and mandatory hospital confinement for all confirmed and suspected cases.

The department likewise recommended "voluntary home confinement in general" for those with flu symptoms.

Also last week, the Department of Education warned against the suspension of classes of schools with confirmed A(H1N1) cases. - Sophia Dedace, GMANews.TV
 

From GMANews.tv; see the source article here.

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