H1N1 case reported at elementary school

KENT — The first case in the Region One School District of the H1N1 virus, also known as the swine flu, has been reported, at Kent Center School.

The six towns in the district are Kent, Sharon, Salisbury, Cornwall, Falls Village and North Canaan. Each town has its own elementary school; high school students attend Housatonic Valley Regional High School in Falls Village.

On Saturday, Oct. 10, Kent Center School Principal Rima McGeehan and school nurse Betsey Levesque sent a mass e-mail to parents confirming that a member of the school community had contracted the virus.

However, the e-mail did not specify whether it was a staff member or a student. Region One Superintendent Patricia Chamberlain said it is her understanding that it is a student.

The Torrington Area Health District had said earlier in the school year that it is not testing specifically for H1N1, and is assuming that all flu cases at this time of year are the virus. The regular flu season starts in January.

Chamberlain said it’s unclear why this particular student was tested specifically for H1N1.

She and Torrington Area Health District (TAHD) Director James Rokos stressed that this is not cause for alarm.

Rokos said he is not surprised by reports of residents in the Northwest Corner contracting the virus. TAHD provides health services for 19 towns in the state, and serves most of the towns in Region One.

“We know we have cases in the state and most of them are not being confirmed,� Rokos said. “From a public health standpoint, this does not change anything. It’s too early for a seasonable flu virus. So if someone has flu-like symptoms right now, then it’s the H1N1 virus.�

Rokos said the district does not plan to conduct tests in schools in the district unless there is an outbreak.

“If there were 10 to 15 people in a school that contracted H1N1 then we might,� he said, adding that one or two isolated cases are not cause for undue concern.

Rokos said the district has obtained a limited amount of H1N1 vaccine from the state.

However, the vaccines are not available to the general public and are only for high-risk groups.

“We will be going to these specific groups ourselves. If they want the vaccine, they should not contact us, we will contact them first.�

Rokos would not specify how many vaccines the district received from the state.

He did say that the district hopes to receive more vaccines in late November — but they may not arrive until as late as January.

“We might hold public clinics then for people to receive vaccines,� he said.

In the meantime, Chamberlain said that the regional school administrators are reminding parents to keep children at home if they have a fever or flu-like symptoms. Anyone who is unsure whether their child’s symptoms are severe enough should consult their pediatrician.

Faculty and staff are also being encouraged to stay home if they have a fever or flu-like symptoms.

“We are reviewing good handwashing techniques with students,� she said, “and we are putting hand sanitizer in all common areas.�

The schools are also reviewing their cleaning procedures. It is believed that the virus does not live long, and will not survive on surfaces from one day to the  next.

For a list of area flu clinics, turn to Health, Page A11.

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