You can’t run and you can’t hide from the flu. The flu is everywhere. It is in doctor’s offices, post offices, supermarkets and even more. The worst of this flu sickness is in the public schools.
The flu is something that I’m sure everybody has heard of. The flu is an infectious disease that is caused by RNA viruses. According to flu.com an RNA virus is a virus that has ribonucleic acid as its genetic material. This nucleic acid is usually single-stranded RNA but may be double-stranded. The disease caused from RNA viruses includes most cases of the flu. This virus is very brutal.
Many people in public schools are enduring and feeling the effects of this miserable disease. The flu may cause symptoms ranging from mild to life threatening. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, every year in United States public schools, on average 5 to 20 percent of the population gets the flu; more than 150,000 kids are hospitalized from flu complications and 20,000 students and teachers combined have died from related flu symptoms all over the United States. As of this year flu season started early, causing more deaths.
Massapequa High School nurse, Mrs. Nolan, said, “lots of sick kids have been coming into my office with a cold or a cough. Most students were coming in with flu symptoms.” Mrs. Nolan said every year she has to use disinfectant sprays to wash student desks, and use them to spray windows. “I also open the windows in my office to circulate the air, and so I don’t get sick as well.”
The United States is definitely having an early flu season with most of the country now experiencing high levels of flu illnesses. According to flusickness.com, as of last month most cases of flu, everywhere, especially public schools, have started. The update contains data for the month between December 19th 2012 and January 10th, 2013 of how long kids and adults have been contagious with the virus.
Sophomore Anthony Parisi said, “I had the flu for about a week straight, probably the worst comfort I have ever been in.”
The flu is a broad term for several types of contagious upper respiratory infections caused by different viruses. Seasonal flu is usually the most common strain. Seasonal flu is an infection of the nose, throat and lungs. The flu usually spreads from person to person when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks and expels the virus into the air. You can also contract the virus by handling an object touched by an infected person.
Someone with the flu is usually contagious from a day before feeling sick until the fever is gone. The flu may cause symptoms ranging from mild to life threatening. According to cdc.gov the student rate from the flu this year has caused them to see their doctors more regularly.
Local Massapequa doctor, Dr. Kalenscher said “the student rate from age six has been coming in my office to get flu shots, many of those kids that come see me have already been infected with the flu virus.”