Precautions urged as flu cases rise in Madison City schools

MADISON – Some school districts throughout the Tennessee Valley have decided to close due to flu-like illnesses. Schools in Lincoln County and Fayetteville, TN closed Friday, and East Lawrence Elementary closed after 16% of students were absent on Thursday due to being sick.

In Madison City Schools, the lead nurse for the school district says they are starting to see an increase in flu cases too.

Bonnie Davis, RN said last week the district is fighting the spread of illnesses by cleaning the schools and urging parents to help slow the spread by keeping their children home if they are sick.

“If your child is diagnosed with the flu or has flu-like symptoms, please keep them home from school,” Davis said in a note to parents last week. “Do not be tempted to send your child back to school too soon. Children with the flu need time to recover.”

Davis said symptoms of the flu can include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills, fatigue, and sometimes vomiting and diarrhea. “Some people with the flu will not have a fever,” she added.

People with the flu are contagious one day before getting sick to 5-7 days after, Davis said. “The flu virus is spread by tiny droplets emitted on others when infected people cough. The germs can spread by touching a surface that the droplets landed on and then touching their own mouth, eyes or nose.”

“If a child has a fever, they must be fever-free for 24 hours, without the use of fever-reducing medicine, before returning to school. Students must also be free of vomiting or diarrhea for 24 hours before returning to school.”

Davis said if parents have any questions they can contact the nurse at their child’s school.

FIGHTING GERMS – Bob Jones High School SGA, Science National Honor Society and ROTC got together over the weekend to give back to the school by cleaning surfaces.