May 4, 2009 4:50 pm US/Central
Chicago Schools Take Strict Stance On H1N1 Cases
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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A Chicago Public Schools student uses hand sanitizer at Murray Language Academy. The district is stepping up efforts to reduce the spread the H1N1 virus.
CBS
More than 400,000 Chicago school children were met with a new set of rules when they stepped into school Monday.
As CBS 2's Dorothy Tucker reports, there are
new efforts to keep students from getting sick.
In the main office at Murray Language Academy, 6-year-old Brandon has a stuffy nose, and a little cough.
If his flu-like symptoms are accompanied by a fever over 100, Brandon will be sent home for seven days. The
mandatory sick days are part of the new policy at Chicago schools to protect the students from the H1N1 flu.
"It's a virus that we all have to live with you can never err on the side of caution enough," said Murray Principal Greg Mason.
The district is also instructing schools like Murray to take other cautious measures; hand sanitizers are in every classroom, at the entrance of the schools and on the walls of the lunch room.
And during an assembly students passed the torch to celebrate Olympic week, then passed out the hand sanitizer before heading back to class.
Brandon missed the assembly, but the good news is that he didn't have a fever. With a temperature of 98.8, his mom still came to pick him up and she'll keep an eye on his temperature in case it goes up and he's required to stay out more than a week.
"I think that's most appropriate, but I'm a single mom and it's a little tough on me, but we do what we have to do," Pilar McKinney said. "He'll stay with grandma."
"Seven to 10 days is a lot of school work, but we're talking now is the safety of the children," Mason said of the potential absences for sick children. "We'll also provide a package of homework information so that child does not miss homework and will be equipped to get back into school."
There are no suspected cases of H1N1 at Murray Language Academy. Officials say any school with a probable case of the virus will be closed immediately.
One question some parents have is, what happens if a school closes for several days? Will students have to make up those days at the end of the year?
The answer according to CPS is no. School will end in mid June for everyone.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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