Flu plagues local elementary schools

In case you haven't noticed, the flu is here. And this year, it's hitting the Bloomington community hard.\nSeveral local public schools have reported that attendance is the lowest it has been in years. \n"The elementary schools have been hit harder than middle or high schools," said Debbie Quimby, director of health services for the Monroe County Community School Corporation. \nLast week, Marlin Elementary saw absences soar to about 40 percent of the student body. \n"My secretary has been here about 10 years, and we've never had that many," said Marlin Principal Karen Adams. \nHealthy students are returning to school at Marlin. \n"We are getting back to normal this week," Adams said. \nSchool secretary Pam Burton said Childs Elementary has seen several days with more than 70 absent kids per day.\n"We've had more kids out this week and last than the whole year," Burton said. \nClear Creek Elementary secretary Sara Anderson said this is the worst flu outbreak she has seen in the three years she has been there. Clear Creek has also had an average of about 75 students absent per day this week, according to Anderson. That is about 13 percent of the student body. \nQuimby says that school officials are advising students to stay home if they have a fever and to "practice good hand washing" at home. \nBut this doesn't take care of the whole problem, as many students are coming to school before they have a fever and infecting others. \n"Kids are having headaches, congestion, but not running a fever so they think they're OK and come to school."\nThe IU Health Center has not seen a surge in flu cases, said director Dr. Hugh Jessop. Jessop said they have accurate numbers of cases because the center does on-the-spot lab testing of sick patients. \n"There have been about 15 to 18 cases of influenza so far," Jessop said. Numerous other patients who have complained of respiratory and digestive problems are most likely infected with other viruses, he said. \nOther illnesses are often wrongly referred to as the flu, said both Jessop and Dr. Charlie McCalla of Bloomington Hospital. \n"There are a myriad of viral infections that go around in these months," McCalla said.\nMcCalla said although he has seen people with a "large number of viral illnesses" in recent weeks at Prompt Care Health Clinic, he does not think that this year is worse than others he has seen in his nearly 25 years as a physician.\n"We're having a typical flu season, if that's what you want to call it," McCalla said.\nJessop advised students to keep up their immune system to avoid catching the flu or other viruses. He recommends getting enough sleep and eating well. "If your immune system is strong, then you'll be in better shape," Jessop said.