Attendance at Wadena-Deer Creek schools has returned to normal after absences, most due to illness, more than doubled last month.
Before the numbers returned to normal, some kids were sick for up to three weeks at a time.
Sometimes the kids were sick two to three weeks at a time because, after they were recovering from one illness, they caught another, said Sue Seip, school nurse.
When a person is already weak, its easier to pick up other illnesses, she said.
The numbers were the highest around March 21. The absences were twice as high as they usually are for three days at both the elementary and high schools.
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Usually about 2 percent to 3 percent of the kids are absent at the Wadena-Deer Creek Elementary Schools on any given day. Around March 21, the absences were at 7 percent, Seip said. Currently, 559 kids are enrolled in the Wadena-Deer Creek Elementary Schools.
In the high school, 4 percent of the 645 students are absent on average. Around March 21, from 8 1/2 percent to 9 percent of the students were absent.
Numbers continued to be high for about a week. They have since returned to about average.
Many of those absences could be attributed to illness.
The symptoms at Wadena-Deer Creek included respiratory pneumonia, body aches, sinus infections, gastro-intestinal symptoms and upper respiratory symptoms with sore throats, Seip said.
Because the numbers of absences were so high, Seip needed to fill out an influenza report for the Minnesota Department of Health. Schools are required to fill out the influenza report if the absences are more than double what they normally are, even if the absent cases arent caused by influenza. The report includes number of absences, common systems and if staff have symptoms.
For many conditions, kids should stay home 24 hours before returning back to school, she said.
They should be temperature-free 24 hours before returning back to school, vomiting- and diarrhea-free for 24 hours before coming back to school and wait at least 24 hours after first taking antibiotics, Seip said.
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The 24 hours are for the kids comfort and to avoid accidents and to help the children become before acquiring another illness, Seip said.
Germs are spread through different ways.
They can be spread through coughing, with some being airborne and some spreading through droplets, Seip said.
Germs need different types of conditions to survive, depending on the germ.
Some like heat, some dark and some oxygen, Seip said.
Hepatitis, for example, can live for several days.
Hepatitis B can live in a blood drop, even if its dried, for seven days, Seip said.
As for preventing the spread of illness, Seip advises hand washing.
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Hand washing is the single most effective way to prevent the spread of germs, Seip said.
People should wash their hands after coughing, sneezing, before meals and after using the toilet.
Hand washing is always encouraged, Seip said.
Most important is the friction when washing, she said.
Seip said people should wash their hands for one minute, about the time it takes to sing the ABC song or Happy Birthday.
