The Houston ISD has closed a Northeast area elementary school after one of the students tested positive for the H1N1 influenza (also known as swine flu) strain.
Lyons Elementary, 800 Roxella closed on April 30 after a 10-year old boy was confirmed to have the illness. School officials say that the school will be closed indefinitely, and will not reopen until they are given the “all clear” from health department officials.
The Lyons student is the first confirmed case in Houston, Houston Health and Human Services spokeswoman Kathy Barton said.
Lyons is the third HISD to close because of the Swine Flu. The Hamilton Middle School and Harvard Elementary School campuses also closed last week after two probable cases were reported. Officials say that a nine-year old girl and a 14-year old girl.
All three students are reportedly at home, suffering minor symptoms.
State Representative Armando Walle, whose district includes Lyons Elementary, said that he is “in close contact with our state leaders and the Houston ISD to address this situation. Our state leaders have been working around the clock to minimize the public health risk to Texans.”
Walle said that if parents or students have questions about H1N1 influenza or school closures in Houston ISD, they should call the HISD hotline at 713-556-6005, between 7 AM and 7 PM.
Effect on TAKS?
The closures come at a normally stressful time for schools. Last week the TAKS test was administered statewide. “I will also be working closely with HISD and the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to deal with the rescheduling of the TAKS test,” Walle said. “Be assured that arrangements will be made so that students can complete the test after the schools re-open.”
The TEA sent a memo to schools last week telling them that they are expected to complete the TAKS testing within the first week after students return to class.
Statewide, 26 district has seen closures because of Swine Flu (as of May 1), of these 11 complete districts have closed. The first closure came at the Children of the Sun school in Rio Grande City on April 28.
Precautionary measures
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC), regarding the H1N1 (Swine) flu, offers the following precautions:
Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it. Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.
Try to avoid close contact with sick people. If you get sick with influenza, CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.
If you become ill and experience any of the following warning signs, seek emergency medical care. In children emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include: fast breathing or trouble breathing; bluish skin color; not drinking enough fluids; not waking up or not interacting; being so irritable that the child does not want to be held; flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough and Fever with a rash.
In adults, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include: difficulty breathing or shortness of breath; pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen; sudden dizziness confusion and severe or persistent vomiting.
