Class is out early for one Kansas school this holiday season.
Dexter Schools USD #471 announced Monday that they dismissed students and staff three days early for winter break due to widespread illness. Classes are scheduled to resume Monday, Jan. 5.
"We are going through a tremendous amount of sickness right now and it seems to be spreading at a very high rate," the Facebook announcement reads, in part.
"Not only are we concerned with student and staff sickness now we don't want to continue to spread the sickness and end up with students taking it to their extended families (grandma and grandpa) over the holiday break," the post adds.
FDA expands approval of Moderna's RSV vaccine to some adults under age 60
K.B. Criss, the school's superintendent and principal, told ABC News that the rural K-12 school has between 250 and 300 students, and he believed around 25% to 35% of students were absent within the first hour of school Monday morning.
"The phone was ringing off the wall of kids being sick," he said. "I think by nine o'clock, we had between 40 and 50 families call, and that's a large percent of our student body."
Criss added that most of the illnesses seemed to be respiratory, but staff and students were experiencing a wide variety of symptoms.
"The symptoms were ranging from all over the place. We had staff that was not only throwing up, but had diarrhea. We had body aches, fevers, bronchitis, strep throat, and the one common thing with all of it was terrible headaches," Criss said, adding that other leading symptoms included congestion, coughs, and fever.
Some students and staff were diagnosed with RSV and the flu, according to Criss.
According to the school's website, free testing is available for Flu A/B, RSV, Strep A and COVID.
Kansas currently has a low level of respiratory illness across the state, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nationally, "the amount of acute respiratory illness causing people to seek health care is low," according to the CDC, as is COVID-19 activity.
"Seasonal influenza activity continues to increase in most areas of the country," according to the CDC, while RSV activity is increasing "in many Southeastern, Southern, and mid-Atlantic states."
Dexter Schools USD #471 is located about 70 miles southeast of Wichita, near the Oklahoma border.
LATEST POSTS
- 1
FDA official discusses potential link between COVID-19 vaccines and pediatric deaths - 2Hezbollah uses ambulances, paramedic uniforms, as disguise for terrorist activity, IDF says
- 3At 72, Kathie Lee Gifford says aging isn’t what she expected. 'The golden years? It’s a lie.’
- 4How a Snake That Eats Cobras Redefined the Meaning of ‘King’
- 5South African army arrive in crime hotspots to help tackle gangs
- Unpaid caregiving work can feel small and personal, but that doesn’t take away its ethical value
- The most effective method to Guarantee Simple Availability in Seniors' SUVs
- Italy's Beloved Trevi Fountain Hides A Unique Secret That Can Be Explored Underground
- Flu cases spiking this holiday season, CDC data shows
- Tickets for 'Stranger Things' Season 5 finale, to be shown in movie theaters on New Year's Eve, go on sale today. Here's how you can save your seat.
- Why are NASA's Artemis astronauts wearing orange? What are they bringing to space? What to know about the preparation for their moon mission.
- JFK's granddaughter reveals terminal cancer diagnosis, criticizes cousin RFK Jr.
- Believe Should Unwind? Look at These Scaled down Games
- The most effective method to Stay away from Normal Traps While Recruiting a Material Organization
