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MN - 4 St. Cloud students have been hospitalized with flu
By Dave Aeikens • daeikens@stcloudtimes.com • October 13, 2009

The number of St. Cloud school students who have been hospitalized with the flu rose to four today, school officials said.

Two high school students were hospitalized — one today and one Friday, according to Elisabeth Lodge Rogers, director of special services.

Both students who have been hospitalized had underlying health conditions making their case of the flu potentially more dangerous, Rogers said.

At the same time, the number of students coming down with influenzalike symptoms continues to shoot up in St. Cloud and other school districts.
The first St. Cloud student hospitalized was reported Oct. 6.
North Junior High School and Technical High School have been added to the list of schools in St. Cloud and increasing the number of schools reporting outbreaks to the state in the region to 21.

Only Apollo High School, South Junior High School and the Area Learning Center, or three of the 12 St. Cloud public schools, have not had enough students come down with flu symptoms to have to report. Schools that have 5 percent of the student population or three students in one class showing flu symptoms are required to report to the Minnesota Department of Health. Rocori, Sauk Rapids-Rice and Sartell-St. Stephen have also had schools report outbreaks this week and previously.

St. Cloud school district is also asking parents to make sure they have an accurate emergency phone number at their children’s schools so school staff can reach them if a child gets sick during the school day.
“We really need to have good emergency numbers. We have had a few situations where we have little kids that are really sick and we can’t get a hold of parents,” Rogers said.

St. Cloud, which has more than 9,400 students, reported today that 442 have influenzalike symptoms. On Monday, 324 students were reported ill. Those numbers are only students who are suffering from influenza, school total absentee rates are higher. Numbers are rocketing up at Clearview Elementary School in Clear Lake, which has 420 students and 76 are out with flu symptoms.

A family fun night at Roosevelt Early Childhood Center was postponed today to reduce chances of spreading the virus and Rocori Middle School canceled a dance on Friday.

So far, seven people have died in Minnesota from H1N1 novel influenza. The most recent was a 6-year-old Corcoran boy who was otherwise healthy. Schools are expecting to host H1N1 vaccine clinics no sooner than Nov. 9. Vaccines for seasonal flu, which has similar symptoms and dangers as H1N1, are running short in St. Cloud and other parts of the state.

Wednesday is the last day of school in Minnesota before the Education Minnesota convention break Thursday and Friday. School officials hope that might help slow the spread of the virus.
“We are hoping the four-day break from school might help a bit,” Rogers said.

http://www.sctimes.com/article/20091013/NEWS01/110130046/1009