Flu season arrives weeks ahead of schedule as hundreds of students catch the virus. So many students reporting to the nurse’s office, going home early, or getting called in sick has put added strain on the nurse and attendance office staff.

Tracye Franks, school nurse, has attended to over 80 to 100 students per day, every day this week; two to three times the average for this time of year. She believes H1N1, also known as the Swine flu, to be responsible for the heightened number of sick students.

“It kind of hit us when we didn’t expect it. We have been extremely busy the past two weeks. It’s really bad,” Franks said.

Seasonal flu usually hits from October through February, but swine flu can hit year round. Both strains have similar symptoms, making them difficult to distinguish from each other. Symptoms can include sore throat, fever, headache, dizziness, nausea, and fatigue.

“I think there’s going to be a real crossover,” Mrs. Franks said. “I think the flu we have now will last another two to three weeks, then people will get better, and then seasonal flu will hit and the numbers will go back up again.”

According to Pam Patterson, PEIMS clerk, attendance has been down about six percent since September 15. The attendance office has averaged about 300 calls per day since September 15, and each absent student must be filed individually. Number of absences peaked on Tuesday, Sept 22, with 361 students absent. The number has since declined steadily.

“For the attendance clerks it has been unreal,” Mrs. Patterson said. “I feel that if a student feels sick or has a fever they shouldn’t come to school. I think what happened was students got sick over the weekend last week, but kept coming to school, and that’s why we got hit so hard.”

Some students keep coming to school even when they feel sick because they are worried about their grades dropping or missing work. Junior Alison Peterson missed three days last week after catching the flu, and even lost her exemptions for it.

“I really missed math, because I’ve gotten behind in math and physics,” Peterson said. “The worst part was that I was basically locked in my room for three days. My mom would literally just leave food at the door.”

As this wave of the flu passes, the seasonal flu approaches in a few short weeks. According to the Mrs. Franks, the best thing students and staff can do to keep from getting sick is get enough rest, include Vitamin C and D in their diet, and use good hand washing. The custodial staff has also been working to keep desks, tables and water fountains sanitized every day.

“Do the preventative things,” Mrs. Franks said. “And just try to take care of yourself to begin with.”