by Matt Hampton
The students, whose names were not released, apparently contracted mild cases of the flu that has kept much of the country on alert for the past few weeks. They are currently recovering. Both attend St. Francis Preparatory School in Fresh Meadows, Queens, which has been ground zero for the flu in New York. The school had 59 confirmed cases before it was closed for more than a week and thoroughly sanitized.
It is believed that the outbreak at St. Francis Prep started with a group of eight students who traveled to Mexico. In a letter to parents on the school’s Web site, Brother Leonard Conway, its principal, wrote that the school had been “completely sanitized.”
“The air in the building has been purged with 100 percent fresh air,” Conway added. “Both state and city departments of health confirm that the germ does not survive in air or on anything — the virus is transmitted only person to person.” He urged students who thought they might be infected to stay home for at least seven days after the onset of symptoms, or two days after the last symptoms had subsided, to make sure that the school stayed virus-free after what he described as an intense scrubbing.
The Franklin Square cases were among five new cases in Nassau County, with others cropping up in Hempstead, Woodmere and East Massapequa. That brought the total number of confirmed Nassau County cases to 11. Residents of Long Beach, Oceanside and Great Neck had also developed the flu, and many of the cases were connected in some way to St. Francis Prep. Thus far, every case has been mild.
As of Sunday, there were 190 confirmed cases of the flu in New York state, and more than 2,532 across 43 states, with three deaths reported.
“We are urging all residents to be prepared, not scared,” Suozzi said in a statement.” Residents who think they may have been in contact with someone who is infected are advised to be on the lookout for symptoms, which include fever, body aches, runny or stuffy nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. To protect themselves from infection, people are advised to wash their hands frequently or use alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
The Centers for Disease Control also advocate covering your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, disposing of tissues immediately and washing your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. People are also advised not to touch their eyes, nose or mouth. Above all, they are urged to use common sense and stay away from those displaying symptoms.
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