Школы округа Сирси возобновили работу после закрытия из-за вспышки норовируса

Searcy County schools to reopen after norovirus-related closure SEARCY COUNTY, Ark. (KATV) — Searcy County School District students are expected to return to class Tuesday after the district closed schools and canceled sporting events because of a stomach illness outbreak. District officials closed school buildings for cleaning after students and staff became sick. Two elementary school students tested positive for norovirus, according to the district. Officials said most cases were centered at one campus. Superintendent Valerie Young urged parents to keep children home if they are vomiting, have diarrhea or are showing flu-like symptoms to help prevent illness from spreading to other students and staff. The district said it consulted with the Arkansas Department of Health before deciding students could return to class. As cold and flu season approaches, health professionals say parents should watch for more than a fever when deciding whether a child should stay home. Dr. Josh Lyon with All Children’s Pediatric Clinic said children who cannot eat, digest food or stay hydrated should recover at home. “If we’re not maintaining the ability to eat, to digest and to hydrate, those are things that are better taken care of at home than they’re going to be at school,” Lyon said. A temperature of 100.4 degrees is often a sign a child should stay home, Lyon said. But he said older children may feel sick without developing a fever. “By the time you’ve seen a common cold 14 times, you may feel a little rundown and a little bit crummy, but you may not run a fever with it,” Lyon said. He encouraged parents to consider whether a child’s symptoms are getting worse and whether the child feels well enough to make it through a school day. Health experts also recommend good hand hygiene, adequate sleep and hydration to help limit the spread of illnesses in classrooms. Pharmacist Anne Pace said families should consider getting flu shots in late September or early October for protection through the height of flu season. She said the vaccine cannot give someone the flu, though it is not 100% effective. “The point of getting the flu shot is to hopefully decrease your symptoms,” Pace said. Pace said childhood vaccinations can also help prevent the spread of communicable diseases. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 4% of kindergarteners nationwide had at least one vaccine exemption during the latest school year, nearly double the rate from five years earlier.