Students from Sacred Heart High School in San Ignacio have been sent home for the rest of the week because of a swine flu scare. The Ministry of Education has confirmed that public health officials were called in when 40 students started displaying flu symptoms. As we understand it, the health inspectors used the school’s public address system to ask students who had any flu-like symptoms to step forward.
Over 200 students responded showing a variety of symptoms. With that overwhelming showing, the health personnel decided that school should be closed for the rest of the week while they sanitize the school. The Director of Health Services tells us that the closure will also have the effect of breaking the cycle of infection and stopping the spread of the flu.
At this time, no other school in Cayo has been closed but the Ministry of Health is ordering health inspectors to go to schools countywide seek out persons showing symptoms – and send them home for the purpose of stopping the spread. If the number of persons showing symptoms pass a threshold where carrying on with classes becomes too difficult due to absences of schools and teachers.
According to the Director of Health Services Michael Pitts they accept that they cannot stop the spread of the H1N1 but they plan to limit the rate of the spread. To that end, tomorrow all the regional officers for the Ministry of Health will meet with the Chief Education Officer since the high rate of infection so far has been noted mostly in schools.
Similarly, last week Caye Caulker schools were shut down – but those have all been re-opened. DHS Michael Pitts also told us that the results of three of those Caye Caulker tests are back from CAREC; one was positive for H1n1 and two others are another kind of flu. 7 results are still pending.
