So far, just one area school district has announced an early end to its fall semester due to illness — but an increasing number of students and staff areawide are getting sick and having to stay home.
Originally, USD 420 Osage City was planning to end the semester after classes Friday. However, the district made the decision to end the semester effective Wednesday after a 40-percent student absentee rate Tuesday.
Local trends aren’t immediately available, but Lyon County Health Officer Dr. Ladun Oyenuga tells KVOE News illness levels are all on the rise.
Dr. Oyenuga says an unspecified number of patients have needed to be hospitalized, especially with RSV.
For USD 253 Emporia, separate dashboards indicate varying trends when it comes to influenza, COVID-19 and RSV. Specific data by school is not available for flu or RSV, but Community Relations Director Lyndel Landgren says the district is noting a “high level of illness,” especially flu and RSV. Tthe district says flu now accounts for almost six percent of visits to emergency departments across the state — up dramatically from two weeks ago, when the percentage was zero. There has been good news on the RSV front, where visits to emergency departments have dipped from 3.5 to just over 2 percent over the last week, and on the COVID-19 front, with the percentage of student absences dropping from 0.33 percent districtwide the week of Nov. 23 to 0.21 percent the week of Dec. 2.
Dr. Oyenuga says everybody eligible for flu and COVID vaccines should get them as soon as possible if they haven’t already done so. She also recommends mask use, frequent handwashing and steps to improve indoor ventilation.
