194 Michigan Schools Closed As Swine Flu Spreads Through The State

[Purveyor]

LANSING, Mich. (WXYZ) - Michigan officials say 194 schools with 71,666 students have closed because of illness as swine flu spreads through the state.

The Michigan Department of Community Health figures for Thursday don't indicate that the H1N1 virus has been confirmed in the closings.

The largest district to close is Mount Pleasant, with 11 schools and 3,895 students. The Hastings district has closed seven schools with 3,155 students, and the Thornapple Kellogg district has closed six schools with 3,045 students.

http://www.wxyz.com/mostpopular/story/194-MI-Schools-Closed-Due-to-Illness/hZ5K3k9u80uEYemEsWup7g.cspx

[havocmom]

1. Am curious about why we are not hearing of elimination of sports contests during this

Seems if schools are serious about halting the spread, they might just tell the kids & parents: look, we hate to do this, but sports events are just not as important as classes. We are gonna just stop the sports stuff this year and see if that will slow things. Perhaps we won't have to close schools as often if people aren't packed in crowds, swapping cooties.

Yeah, in my dreams.

[MichiganVote]

3. Most of them have. The schools are closed per a formula from the health dept.

That formula does not translate re: sporting events. But its raining like crazy here in west michigan this weekend so it really doesn't matter.

There is a choice people can make btw...to go or not to go to a sporting venue. Seems pretty self explanatory to me.

[havocmom]

6. Meant before it reaches the point of having to close schools down.

Seems the sports thing should have been canceled right off. Yeah, spectators can go or stay home, but teams would forfeit and for some reason, that is too horrible to consider for most schools. Just cancel the whole thing for the year and there would be less mixing, exp especially in smaller, rural communities. Why go to the next town over if you don't have too? Wait out the run of the virus.

Always noticed there seemed to be more illness of all kinds in years with milder winters. Figured in bad years, it was not that the 'cold killed the bugs' but that people didn't get out and swap cooties nearly as much. Just makes more sense to cut down on people mixing during bad flu years.

[MichiganVote]

7. Watchign the eve. news...most games cancelled. This yr. the respiratory influenza has hit

very, very fast. Its also the two week window for the State mandated testing. Lot of considerations for administrators and public health. At a clinic set up near a high school in Kalamazoo Mi. thousands of people showed up for shots. Should they stay away? People go to stores, to churches and to Dr.'s offices. Should they stay in? Its not the plague, its influenza.

The majority of people, well over the majority, are not dying from these viruses. Most do not even have an in-patient stay in the hospital.

Edited to add we don't have enough vaccine for either seasonal flu or H1N1.

[dysfunctional press]

12. there is one potential downside to that...

kids that were hoping/counting on an athletic scholarship to college might not get to demonstrate their abilities.

[MercutioATC]

2. ...but the "Swine Flu scare" is just a hoax....

:eyes:

[MichiganVote]

4. These closures are due to both seasonal flu and H1N1.

[MercutioATC]

5. 85% of what's going around now is H1N1.

If people had actually listened, they'd know that H1N1 has a case fatality ratio of less than one half of one percent...but it's significantly more communicable than the average seasonable flu.

Therefore, more people will be sick this year, and there'll probably be more "flu" deaths this year...but the chance of an individual dying from H1N1 will still be less than one half of one percent.

It's a serious anomalous influenza that deserves attention. It's neither a killer bug nor something to be laughed off.

[MichiganVote]

8. H1N1 has been confirmed in W. Mich. but no figures released re: percentages

Where did you get your figure from?

[MercutioATC]

9. Over 85% of cases now are "A" viruses...

...and there's no current seasonal "A" virus making the rounds.

[Liberal_in_LA]

10. +1

[dysfunctional press]

11. damn, damn, damn!...

i'm planning on going to get my shot monday at a free immunization by our county health department, and i'm hoping that the hype doesn't get too crazy until after that.

i HATE long lines.