Seattle KIng County....No More School Closings For Flu

[rsmith6621]

In a major change in county health policy, King County health officials announced this afternoon they will no longer recommend that schools close when swine flu is suspected because the illness is proving to be relatively mild.

Instead of routinely ordering schools closed, the Seattle-King County health department will instead ask any student with flu-like symptoms to stay home for at least seven days.

One school in Snohomish County, and five in King County, are currently closed due to swine flu. At least one of those schools, Midway Elementary in the Highline School District, plans to remain closed Monday; it was not immediately clear how soon the other King County schools might reopen.

At a news conference this afternoon, Dr. David Fleming, director and health officer of Public Health-Seattle and King County, said the county would work with school officials to determine when they should reopen.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009167313_webswinelocal03m.html

[Catshrink]

1. Arizona has concluded the same -- no more closures.

[wickerwoman]

2. Poor kids are going to be going to school until August.

They had a couple weeks worth of snow days this year too. Totally sucks! We never had snow or swine flu when I was in school.

[MercutioATC]

3. That should increase transmission rates significantly.

True, it's not looking like mortality rates are high, but decisions like this will really help the spread of the virus.

[MADem]

4. Gee, common sense taking over? How refreshing.

They'd have to stay open all summer if they closed for a week anytime someone got a sniffle.

[uppityperson]

5. I was wondering when they would figure this out.