The flu is here in Lubbock and according to school nurses, it is here to stay for awhile.
“I don’t think it’s the total peak, I think it’s on the rise,” said Paulett Rozneck, Lubbock ISD Student Health Services coordinator.
Schools across Lubbock are gearing up for more frequency of the common winter time sicknesses, with flu being one of the hardest to prevent in schools.
“We always say, if you feel like they have a fever, they need to be ‘fever-free’ before they come back to class,” said Rozneck.
This year’s flu virus is one of the worst strains in recent years, and Lubbock schools are definitely seeing its effects. LISD saw 730 more absences across the district this year compared to the same day last year. Although it is only a 3 percent difference in attendance totals, any severe absences can disturb a classroom or school.
To prevent more absences, school nurses are encouraging good-hygiene practices.
“Don’t sneeze or cough into your hands because you’re going to touch something again and spread that germ around,” said Rozneck.
It is something you have heard a thousand times, but hand washing is the best way to prevent the flu getting into your home.
“It’s an airborne, so we try to teach the kids, especially in elementary but it’s in all grades, hand washing is the No. 1 thing to stop any kind of virus or bacteria. Just wash your hands consistently,” said Rozneck.
LISD is monitoring the increase in absences, but it does not believe it will have to close a campus due to sickness anytime soon.
