The year may be new; but some concerns aren’t — and neither is the advice. Wash your hands, cover your mouth when you cough, practice good hygiene, and stay home if you feel sick.
According to the Butler County Health Department, the growing number of influenza cases took an interesting turn in December — particularly with flu type B.
The reported numbers for flu type A stood at 97 for the month of December, while the number of reported cases of flu type B exploded from 52 cases in November to 607 cases in December.
“I had to check the math a couple of times to make sure,” said Holly Kelly with the Butler County Health Department. “That’s a very significant jump in just 30 days. And, those are the reported cases. One has to figure there are more cases that don’t get reported.”
Nationally, there appears to be an increase of many respiratory diseases as several states have seen an increase in reported cases of RSV and COVID-19. Combined with flu season, the number of reported respiratory illnesses has hit alarming highs, especially among the younger population. But, at a local level, Poplar Bluff School District Superintendent Aaron Cornman believes the size of the district and how it is managed deserve credit for relatively low sick numbers.
“We had one school building that had some sickness run through it leading up to Christmas break,” Cornman explained. “At the O’Neil elementary building we had some students and staff who were sick. Our lowest attendance rate for both students and staff combined was maybe around 77%.”
Cornman went on to explain the attendance for the other buildings in the district was solidly at 90%, or possibly a little higher.
“I think it says a lot about the professionalism of our staff and the fact that good hygienic practices are observed as well as taught to our students,” Cornman stated. “At this time of year, we expect to see higher numbers of sickness within the school. Hopefully we will continue to see encouraging numbers as we progress into this new year.”
According to Bailey Hester, the director of health services for the Poplar Bluff School District, the only increased illness numbers were attributed to the flu with no cases of RSV being reported in the district.
“We don’t want any students to get sick, so these numbers are encouraging because they could be much worse,” Hester said. “We just want parents to know that if their child feels sick and has any symptoms of illness, we really want them to stay home.”
Kelly echoed that sentiment.
“Seek treatment if you’re sick, but also do what you can to stop the spread,” Kelly said. “Fortunately the preventive practices for these illnesses are all very similar.”
Kelly went on to explain that regular hand washing, covering of the mouth and/or nose while coughing/sneezing, and avoiding unnecessary contact with other people and/or objects are all good guidelines for a person to follow to help prevent spreading the respiratory illnesses. Kelly also went on to explain that the Butler County Health Department does still have flu vaccines available for the community.
“These flu vaccines are available on a walk-in basis,” Kelly explained. “And Friday is typically our vaccination day in the office.”
Kelly said she encourages everyone to consider getting the flue vaccine due to the fact that it is flu season, and because Butler County saw such a significant increase in reported cases of Type B Flu.
Anyone interested in obtaining flu vaccines are encouraged to contact the Butler County Health Department in Poplar Bluff. The health department hours are 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
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