SDSU Children's Center Closed:
The SDSU Children's Center has been closed until May 18 after reports of 20 children and staff experiencing flu-like symptoms.
“At this time, we are not aware of any confirmed cases of (swine) H1N1 flu with any of our children. However, on Thursday and Friday a higher-than normal percentage of children reported flu-like symptoms,” SDSU President Stephen L. Weber said.
Three Children's Center staff members reported similar symptoms.
Weber says children under five years old are considered "high risk" for complications due to the flu.
“We know this closure represents a major inconvenience for the 200+ families with children at our day care center, most of whom are students, faculty and/or staff, but we believe an abundance of caution is warranted until more information is available,” he said.
If tests show no indication of swine flu, the Children's Center may reopen sooner than May 18, officials said.
The SDSU campus will remain open. Health officials are also investigating another case of possible swine flu in a student who went to health services Tuesday with a fever, cough and body aches and tested positive for type A influenza.
“We are in close consultation with the San Diego County Health Department; they are recommending that we isolate those with flu-like symptoms but not close the campus,” Weber said.
School officials say they're cautioning students to use good health practices -- and if they feel sick -- go to student health services. Student Health Services will be open Sunday between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Four More Cases of Swine Flu Confirmed in San Diego County:
The County’s Health and Human Services Agency is reporting four additional confirmed cases of swine influenza, including a 3-year-old girl and a 17-year-old boy.
The other two cases, a 35-year-old female and a 33-year-old male, were previously reported by the military.
Local
"There are now 15 confirmed cases of H1N1 Influenza in San Diego County," San Diego County Public Health Officer Dr. Wilma Wooten said.
Three Schools Closed in San Diego County:
Kearny High, Mission Hills High, and the San Diego School for Creative and Performing Arts were closed this week after a suspected case of swine flu at each school. If the cases are confirmed, the schools would stay closed for two weeks. Nationwide, more than 400 schools have been closed.
"People ask why we are dismissing students," said Dr. Wilma Wooten on Saturday.
It's a common question, especially for parents of a few thousand students.
Kevin Holt, the superintendent for the San Marcos Unified School District, said if the school stays open for two weeks, it's likely that time would not be made up at a later date. Holt is urging parents of students at Mission Hills to keep their kids at home.
"This isn't just a free holiday."
Doctor Wooten said she's aware of the burden this puts on parents, and the problems associated with missed time in the classroom. However, she responds to critics of the decision by saying that kids are shown to spread this virus more easily.
"We find that children harbor the virus much longer," said Wooten.
Wooten said there is no way of knowing how many suspected cases there are in the county right now.
So far, doctors admit the virus has been no more dangerous than the common seasonal flu. When asked why there is so much attention, and hype around this outbreak Wooten said it's because humans have no immunity to this never-before-seen strain of flu.
She adds that influenza has the ability to mutate at any time and become more deadly.
