A Chillicothe Junior High student was confirmed to have the first reported case of the H1N1 flu virus in Peoria County.
Illinois Valley Central District 321 superintendent Dr. Nick Polyak said he received a phone call the night of Sept. 28 about the child, who had been hospitalized with the flu.
Polyak said by the time the test results came back positive, the student was already back in school. Testing takes one week, or longer, he said, to confirm the flu strain.
On Sept. 29, Polyak sent a letter to IVC District 321 parents, about the incident, which they should have received Wednesday.
The school, as well as the others in the district, remained open.
“We are trying to reassure people there is no imminent danger,” said Polyak.
When school started, he explained, cleaning personnel already were nightly disinfecting desktops, chairback, doorknobs and any other high-traffic touch surfaces throughout district schools.
Aramark, the district’s contracted lunch service, also has its own guidelines for disinfecting the lunch-line area.
Hand sanitizers are in place for the computer labs, as well as teachers having them in the classrooms.
Though other rumors are circulating around town, Polyak said school officials only are aware of the one student who had the H1N1 virus.
Others have tested positive for the Type A flu virus, Polyak said. Testing is not done for the H1N1 flu virus unless hospitalization is required, he added.
“If kids are sick, especially in the flu season, keep them home,” said Polyak. He also noted students need to be fever-free for 24 hours, without using fever-reducing medicine.
District officials are encouraging parents to keep their children at home if they show flu symptoms, including fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headaches, chills and fatigue. They also encourage contacting the school and their doctor.
District staff also will evaluate students who come to school with flu symptoms. Students may be sent home, if needed.
“Let me assure you that the health and well-being of our students is my top priority, and we are doing everything possible to address the situation,” said Polyak in the letter.
He added that parents are welcome to contact him with questions or concerns.
Polyak and the district are working with local and state health officials who are monitoring the situation.
Attendance figures for the district are better than normal for this time of year, Polyak said Tuesday.
For prevention tips, visit www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu, www.flu.gov or the Illinois Department of Public Health’s Web site, www.idph.state.il.us/h1n1_flu/index.htm.
