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Students not worried about virus at their school (complain Swine Flu "overexaggerated")
GazetteExtra ^ | May 5, 2009 | STACY VOGEL

Posted on 05/05/2009 11:16:47 AM PDT by GodGunsGuts

Students not worried about virus at their school

May 5, 2009

MILTON — Monday was a perfect day for basketball: sunny and warm with a slight breeze.

And junior Adam Johnson wasn't about to let a case of swine flu at Milton High School bring him down—especially when that case got him two unexpected days off school.

"I think (the flu threat) is over exaggerated," Johnson said as he played basketball at Schilberg Park, defying the school's recommendation to avoid public places.

Across the street, the parking lot at Milton High School was deserted but for a TV news crew. Someone had painted "Welcome to Swine Flu High" in bold black letters on the large rock facing High Street.

The Rock County Health Department ordered the school closed Monday and today after finding a student has a probable case of H1N1, commonly known as swine flu, over the weekend. It's the second probable case in Rock County.

Schools must be closed for one to two weeks after an infected student last attends school, said Karen Cain, Rock County health officer. Officials believe the student last attended school Tuesday, April 28, so the school must be closed until at least this Wednesday.

The school probably will reopen Wednesday unless the county discovers more students with the virus, Superintendent Bernie Nikolay said.

Schools won't have to make up days that were cancelled because of swine flu, according to the state Department of Public Instruction.

The health department is revealing little about the infected student to protect her identity. Cain declined to say whether the student lives in Janesville or Milton, but she did say the student has no school-age siblings and recently traveled to an "affected area."

Nikolay doesn't even know who the student is, he said.

The district kept elementary, intermediate and middle schools open but said students whose parents chose to keep them home would be excused.

That was the situation for Kevin Van Acker, 11. His older sister, Brooke, is a sophomore at Milton High School, and his mother kept him home today.

"My mom's worried about getting (swine flu)," Brooke said.

Brooke, Kevin and Brooke's friend Alicia Tessman, a senior, were at the Janesville Mall around lunchtime Monday to buy hand sanitizer from Bath & Body Works.

They were concerned about the outbreak and planned to spend the rest of the day inside, Brooke said.

"We're going to go get some food and probably go back to my house, play some Xbox," she said.

Other students weren't so worried. Students passed through Milton Public Library all morning, mostly to use the Internet, said Lisa Brooks, library director.

The city would consider closing the library if the entire school district closed, Brooks said.

"We're trying to be reasonable about it and wait and see what happens," she said.

Cain said she expects more Wisconsin schools to close in the coming days. There were 100 probable cases in Wisconsin as of Monday morning, up from 66 probable cases Sunday, she said.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: economy; education; flu; influenza; science; swineflu; wereallgonnadie

1 posted on 05/05/2009 11:16:47 AM PDT by GodGunsGuts
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To: Stentor; Marty; Fractal Trader; metmom; John Valentine; editor-surveyor; Mr Ramsbotham; Chode; ...

Ping!


2 posted on 05/05/2009 11:17:16 AM PDT by GodGunsGuts
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To: GodGunsGuts

From the mouths of babes.


3 posted on 05/05/2009 11:22:01 AM PDT by goodwithagun (My gun has killed less people than Ted Kennedy's car.)
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To: GodGunsGuts

But but but don’t these kids realise HOW MUCH PERIL their lives were in from the Swine Flu because the GOP held up Napolitano’s confirmation for a few days??????


4 posted on 05/05/2009 11:24:09 AM PDT by Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus (Third Parties are for the weak, fearful, and ineffectual among us.)
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To: goodwithagun

:o)


5 posted on 05/05/2009 11:28:05 AM PDT by GodGunsGuts
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To: GodGunsGuts

The media’s cried “wolf” too many times.


6 posted on 05/05/2009 11:28:47 AM PDT by Renderofveils (My loathings are simple: stupidity, oppression, crime, cruelty, soft music. - Nabokov)
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To: GodGunsGuts

Non-communicable, lifestyle related diseases are much more a threat to health now than viral disease.


7 posted on 05/05/2009 11:29:11 AM PDT by Rennes Templar
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To: Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus

I actually have some hope for the future.


8 posted on 05/05/2009 11:29:23 AM PDT by dfwgator (1996 2006 2008 - Good Things Come in Threes)
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To: Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus

There is one upside...just think about all the left-wing indoctrination the kids are missing as a result of the epic swine flu pandemic :o)

PS Make that two upsides...these students are also developing a very healthy distrust of the government at a very young age!


9 posted on 05/05/2009 11:30:47 AM PDT by GodGunsGuts
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To: Renderofveils

Not just the media...let’s not forget our own public health authorities (CDC, EIS, etc), not to mention the World “Health” Mafia...err...Organization.


10 posted on 05/05/2009 11:32:25 AM PDT by GodGunsGuts
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To: Rennes Templar

You and my profile page obviously have a lot in common :o)


11 posted on 05/05/2009 11:32:55 AM PDT by GodGunsGuts
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To: GodGunsGuts

Atlanta already ordering all schools to reopen. This has been so overblown.


12 posted on 05/05/2009 11:34:49 AM PDT by icwhatudo
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To: dfwgator; Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus; Rennes Templar; goodwithagun; metmom

Kind of reminds me of that scene from Caddyshack where they empty the whole pool over a candybar.


13 posted on 05/05/2009 11:35:50 AM PDT by GodGunsGuts
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To: GodGunsGuts

Doody!

14 posted on 05/05/2009 11:37:53 AM PDT by dfwgator (1996 2006 2008 - Good Things Come in Threes)
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To: dfwgator

LOL!!!


15 posted on 05/05/2009 11:40:05 AM PDT by GodGunsGuts
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To: GodGunsGuts
I heard today that here in Florida they are recommending that a school be shut down for TWO WEEKS if a case of flu is found at that school.

But the virus only takes 3 days to manifest itself. So, there is no justification for a school being closed more than 3 days, with all sick kids then told to stay home until they are well.

Laughable.

16 posted on 05/05/2009 11:53:19 AM PDT by The Duke (I have met the enemy, and he is named 'Apathy'!)
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To: GodGunsGuts

That can only be a good thing.


17 posted on 05/05/2009 12:31:23 PM PDT by metmom (Welfare was never meant to be a career choice.)
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To: The Duke

The problem is that children are likely communicable and shedding the virus for a day or two BEFORE they show any symptoms at all.

So you can have apparently uninfecting kids spreading the virus all around the school.


18 posted on 05/05/2009 1:09:19 PM PDT by john in springfield
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