Deseret News | Utah districts gear up to fight swine flu

Reader comments
Utah districts gear up to fight swine flu

Sikeli | 5:57 a.m. Oct. 8, 2009

Parent, please keep feverish and vomiting children home! It is not fair to infect the school because you don't want to use a sick day!

Best way to blow virus around | 7:31 a.m. Oct. 8, 2009

"Many are being replaced with either electric hand blow dryers..."

In Atlanta | 7:49 a.m. Oct. 8, 2009

We've already had two daughters that caught the swine flu, neither from the other, instead from friends. Handwashing is the best defense. The swine flu seems to hit the Middle Schools first since High schoolers tend to know that they need to wash their hands and elementary school kids have teachers constantly making them wash their hands. Our son did not catch the swine flu from his sisters.

Comments continue below

Utah Teacher | 8:43 a.m. Oct. 8, 2009

I am averaging 7 sick kids per class right now. Those are the ones that are staying home. I would say about half the kids at our school are sick in one form or another.

Please keep your kids home when they are sick.

Anonymous | 8:43 a.m. Oct. 8, 2009

The best solution is to not take the vaccine at all.

Saintly Gent | 9:07 a.m. Oct. 8, 2009

Forget not the power of prayer.

dj | 9:12 a.m. Oct. 8, 2009

My daughter reports that at her high school the kids have taken the hand hygiene challenge seriously - singing their school fight song as they wash! I am pleased they are making this fun and popular.

Fran Farny | 9:45 a.m. Oct. 8, 2009

What is up with the photo? I would be creeped out if a photographer was in the restroom with camera in hand.

Amen to Stay at Home!!!! | 9:51 a.m. Oct. 8, 2009

The middle and high school in our area have cases -- the homework pick-up box was full to bulging!

Sadly a lot of the spreading is happening because kids AREN'T staying home when they're sick!

What kind of society makes people feel more obligated to work than to their children? And that it's okay to send sick kids to school so they spread it to others?!!!

If you've got the cough/stuffy nose/major fever, STAY HOME!!! Please!

Tough Spot | 10:01 a.m. Oct. 8, 2009

When I was in school (Junior/ High school) Missing a day, maybe a couple days put me behind for weeks because teachers are less than understanding, and fill our time with busy work. So fix that, and maybe more will stay home...

Utah Teacher | 10:21 a.m. Oct. 8, 2009

I just had a kid in my first period hacking and coughing. I suggested he needed to go home and stay home until he was better. His answer, "My Mom knows I am sick but she would have to take off work if I stay home so she sends me to school."

Nice.

Get the vaccine | 11:24 a.m. Oct. 8, 2009

I'm very disturbed by the number of parents who don't want their kids to get this vaccine. Kids are one of the highest risk groups. I encourage parents to let their kids get this to keep our school safer.

leaving kids home | 12:19 p.m. Oct. 8, 2009

it's legal to let 12 and over stay home alone, right? So junior high and high school students should be able to stay home sick without their parents taking off work?

momof7 | 12:23 p.m. Oct. 8, 2009

My children all seven of them have the swine flu. The school they are attending their are reported 22 cases confirmed since Tuesday. A problem is that we were the first case to come in that school, when the principal called me, he stated that they weren't going to tell the parents, that it would create a problem on its own.

The problem is no one knows that is it here, I know that the school will be over half infected. It should close. The vaccine is not a good choice. Too many risks, and the swine flu isn't that bad, like the regular flu. It seems like this story is going no where. Why? Because Utah kids will all have it before December.

Proceed with Caution | 12:57 p.m. Oct. 8, 2009

Everyone should YouTube this video (and others) before getting the vaccine:
"Doctor Admits Vaccine Is More Deadly Than Swine Flu Itself & Will Not Give It To His Kids"

Watch the 60 Minutes interview of 1976, it's the same now as it was back then.

"If there is any one time or reason that the government needs to be 100% transparent to the country, it is now and it should be about everything related to swine flu. Everybody seems to be saying TRUST THE GOVERNMENT but it's hard to trust the H1N1 vaccination campaign if all swine flu information is not fully disclosed to the public. Given the full information, I believe people will make the right decisions for themselves and their families."

To: Tough Spot | 1:23 p.m. Oct. 8, 2009

Part of me hopes this outbreak of the flu helps teachers see the problem with their inflexibility -- it is unreasonable to expect someone home with a 104 degree fever for 7 days to do a whole lot of homework.
Our school counselor said to tell my middle schooler that her most important homework is getting well!
I hope they all catch that vision, 'cuz so many kids are catching the flu!

Not testing for swine flu | 1:23 p.m. Oct. 8, 2009

Most of you don't know for sure if you have the swine flu. No one is testing for it except in extreme situations. That's right. Your doctors and hospitals are not testing for swine flu. The flu is the fly. You probably just have the flu...

Anonymous | 3:48 p.m. Oct. 8, 2009

parents, keep your sick kids at home. kids, keep your sick parents home. My kids' middle and high schools have installed sanitizing gel dispensers which are never filled and there are no paper towels in the bathrooms (also no hand dryers). I send them with their own Purel and paper towels.

To: To: Tough Spot | 4:45 p.m. Oct. 8, 2009

If your child has a fever of 104 for part of one day, I would hope that you would take the child to the doctor! Any fever of 103 or more should be taken to the doctor, ER or urgent care facility.

jefejivaro | 8:20 p.m. Oct. 8, 2009

@ Not testing for swine flu:

I beg to differ with you. I began to feel a little off during the day on Monday, had fever with the shakes by midnight, saw the doctor the next day and was tested on the spot after they eliminated strep and pneumonia. I got my seasonal flu shot on the first day they were available.

The test results came back positive yesterday and I began taking Tamiflu. The onset of symptoms for this bout came on much more rapidly than any other case of flu or respiratory infection I've had.

I agree with others that December is going to be too late to vaccinate anyone. November is too late. This is moving through our population much faster than is being reported. I assume the details are being withheld so as not to create panic, but that's counterproductive.

In addition to hand-washing, each individual should carry their own bottle of hand sanitizer and use it before touching your face and after shaking hands. Children who show up sick should be issued a mask and held in a safe space until Mom or Dad arrive. The workplace should have similar policies.

high school student | 9:55 p.m. Oct. 8, 2009

it is way to hard to stay caught up in school. I was not felling good for about 3 weeks. if i was to stay home that long, there is no way i could have caught up. and missing 3 weeks of football practice would help either.

Mom | 4:40 p.m. Oct. 12, 2009

My junior high school student came home after school today and said that NEVER have there EVER been that many students absent from school. Students were lining up in the office to call home. In a class of 30, only about 14 students were even there. I called our administration (both school and district) to see what is being done and to ask WHEN and IF they would close the school. The response I got is that there are no plans to close any school! I cannot believe this! Kids are dying of this particular type of flu, yet no one is going to consider closing a public school with such an outbreak??

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