Another school closing about 30 miles North of the prior mentioned Pocono school closing. 196 out of 515 students
2/6/09.




Illness strikes Holy Cross High School


BY DAVID SINGLETON
STAFF WRITER
Published: Friday, February 06, 2009
Updated: Friday, February 6, 2009 8:32 AM EST
Holy Cross High School will be closed today as school officials try to rein in an illness that kept nearly 200 students out of classes one day earlier this week.

Principal James Marcks said Thursday the unplanned holiday came in response to unusually high absenteeism at the Diocese of Scranton school in Dunmore that peaked Wednesday when 196 of the 515 students either stayed home or left school ill.

On Thursday, Holy Cross had 172 students absent, he said.

Mr. Marcks said the school nurse identified the main culprit as an upper respiratory ailment that produces flu-like symptoms, although no cases of influenza have been diagnosed. State Department of Health officials do not believe influenza is to blame, spokeswoman Stacy Kriedeman said.

“Hopefully, it is starting to pass,” Mr. Marcks said.

Ms. Kriedeman said Department of Health officials consulted with the school, which is required to advise the state any time there is an unusually large number of students out sick.

While the department cannot order the school to shut down, and Holy Cross officials made the ultimate decision, closing for the day was a prudent choice, she said.

“Obviously, when people are sick, one of the things we recommend is that they stay home from work or school,” Ms. Kriedeman said.

She said the department also emphasized the school should encourage students and staff to practice good hand-washing techniques and “good coughing etiquette,” or covering a cough tightly with the crook of the elbow — as opposed to the hands — to lessen the spread of germs.

Ms. Kriedeman said she was unaware of similar outbreaks at other schools in Pennsylvania.

Doctors at Community Medical Center reported they have not seen “anything out of the ordinary” as far as the number of upper respiratory conditions this winter, spokeswoman Jane Gaul said. It was a similar story at Mercy Hospital, spokesman Jack Coyle said.

Mr. Marcks said the maintenance staff will thoroughly sanitize the school before students return. In the meantime, he is recommending students use their time off to stay home and rest.

Classes will resume Monday, he said.
[link to www.scrantontimes.com]