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International Schools Hit by H1N1; But Few Closures Reported

by Forrest Broman
03-Nov-09


In a survey completed by TIE on October 28, 132 international school heads reported on whether and to what extent their schools have been impacted since this school year began. The good news is that 78 (59%) of the schools reporting had suffered no confirmed H1N1 cases so far this year.
Of the 54 schools that have experienced H1N1 cases, just under half (26) have had only one to five cases; and nine schools have had between 6 and 10 H1N1 cases.
In contrast, 17 schools reported between 11 and 90 cases this year. A preponderance of these have occurred in schools within Asia, but every continent is represented in this group. The total number of cases in this group are 649 infected students. However, in Japan where 192 international school cases have been reported, testing is done only for Influenza A, so the number of reported cases are only"suspected" to be H1N1. The largest number (90) of confirmed cases occurred within a school located in the United States.
International schools are strongly resisting the call to close their schools even in the face of significant flu reports. Of the 50 schools reporting H1N1 cases, only 8 (16%) have closed their schools, or at least one division, most of them from one to seven days. Several have closed specific classes for a few days, when the number of infected has grown quickly. In Egypt and Saudi Arabia, school openings were uniformly delayed for approximately three weeks.
The decision to keep schools open in the face of mild numbers of H1N1 cases has taken root both in the USA, the UK and the commonwealth nations. This is because so far H1N1 has not been a deadly virus for school children in most countries. Indeed, most reports indicate that after 2-3 days of fever and discomfort, children are emerging from this flu's grip.
Having said this, reports indicate that nationwide in the USA over 100 students have died this school year from H1N1 or a related flu, 27 of them in Louisiana. And in Michigan, 194 public schools have closed for a few days or more because of H1N1 infections. The degree of infection in US schools is now described as "widespread" in 47 states. The epidemic is expected to peak early in November.




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