Flu has hit our building. Our school was at 82% today. Just in my classes 23 of my 90 kids were absent, and several checked out during the day. We have been making the kids wash their hands at every opportunity, and when my last class was leaving, I had them wipe the desks and other touchable surfaces with Clorox wipes. I encouraged them to clean their phones and Chromebooks. I sprayed Lysol before I left today. Last year I got flu A and B at the same time and ended up with pneumonia. I’m hoping to miss it this year. Some districts have cancelled classes due to illness. Anyone else seeing flu or other illnesses right now?
They say that type B is early, and the one that is hitting the kids hard. Apparently it is a bad match to what is in the vaccine.
I just looked up our attendance. We hit 89% today, which is the lowest we've been to date. We had an awards assembly today and so many of the awardees were absent. Both of my nephews are so incredibly sick right now. Both got a flu shot in November. Must be viral; doctor didn't prescribe antibiotics.
Currently have strep. Was out Friday. Had something else on Monday, but managed to get over that. Now this. At home missing an important conference because of it. Had to go to ER last night. I don't get it! I have worked with the public for 17 years prior to becoming a teacher and I NEVER got sick! What is the deal? Any way to avoid it?
I used to get sick a lot. ( 2-4x a yr.) I chalked it up to working so closely w/ kids. Then I got more serious about taking better care of myself. I really think our bodies need more sleep than what we normally allow ourselves. For a few yrs now, I have forced myself to go to bed at a time that allows me 9 hours of sleep a night . I try to eat low carbs, but am not always as successful at that. Also, it is hard for me to eat breakfast because I drink coffee which fills me up in the morning. I am not OCD w/ the handwashing, but I am careful to let students open doors or to use a paper towel or the side of my shirt or jacket to open germy door knobs... I know you can't avoid every germ, but I think getting enough sleep has played a key role in having gone yrs w/out catching crap. Last yr, I felt like something might be coming on, and I started taking Airborne like a madwoman. I didn't get sick. I know sleep is not the answer to everything, but it has sure helped me. Oh, I hope you get to feeling better soon. I used to get strep ( yrs ago) every single yr for prob 5 yrs in a row. No fun, I know! I am not sure if I built an immunity for it or if it was caused by having real small kids at home.
I used to get frequent ear and sinus infections. I started taking allergy shots in 2012, and I've had ONE sinus infection and no ear infections since. It's amazing. I always take a flu shot in September or October. I've had the flu twice. Once was in October, just a couple of weeks after I'd had my shot. They said it probably didn't have time to be effective. Last year they said the shot wasn't effective on the common strains. I even got Flu B which was not common at all in adults, but kids had it. Since I worked with kids, they said it wasn't surprising.
I haven't gotten the flu, but I've been battling head/ear congestion after a cold for a couple weeks now. Went on antibiotics for what the doc said was an ear infection, but still have the fullness/pressure going on and I think it's just sinus congestion that is being stubborn ugh. I have had quite a few students out ill ,though.
I’ve always had an extremely good immune system and my doctors are even baffled at the efficiency of it. For example, the last time I was majorly sick was when I started teaching (back in 2014) — I got a pretty serious bacterial infection and my doctor was quite concerned and was contemplating hospitalizing me because of it. Yet, when I revisited him two days later I was as right as rain. He was absolutely stunned as he said there was no excess mucous like before and all of my symptoms had practically vanished. He still monitored me a few days after that, but he eventually gave me a clean bill of health. He just couldn’t believe it and I couldn’t stop laughing at his expression when he would read my charts, then at me, and then back at my charts. Anyway, short story long: I recently got the flu (lucky me). It took a total of two days for me to get over it and now I feel great; plus, I have no runny or stuffy nose anymore, nor do I have any headaches, no other aches or pains, no drowsiness or lethargy, no dehydration, no cough, no congestion, no sneezing, no upset stomach, no anything. I’m back to my normal self and I am sleeping great, eating everything without issue, etc. I usually get the comment, “Weren’t you sick?” or “I thought you were sick.” when I seldomly am sick; to which I respond, “I got over it, lol!” It truly does amaze me when some of my students or colleagues are sick for a week or more as I cannot relate. Wishing everyone here well and best wishes.
Not trying to argue at all, but I think I would find 9 hours sleep hard to do? I don't think I've gotten that much, maybe ever! Also, how do you have time to do anything!
M My DH has one of those good immune systems. He has been sick with a sinus infection once in the four years we have been together. He couldn’t remember the last time he had gone to the doctor before that. The only day he has been absent from work was when I was sick one day. He took me to the doctor. I’m on the other end. I have some autoimmune issues, so I’ve had to take some meds that make me susceptible to illness. I missed two weeks with the flu (A & B) last year because I got pneumonia with it. Being sick always worries me because I help my mom who has cancer. I have to be extra careful to avoid having her catch bugs going around at work.
A few kids at our school had it. I've personally never had it nor have gotten the flu shot. The kids who had the flu last week had gotten the flu shot so who knows what strain it was. I'll take my chances.
If you went to bed by 9pm and got up at 6am that's 9 hours. Seems like it can certainly be done if you don't have to be at school incredibly early.
This. I tell my students all the time how they can get more sleep and they never do it. They would rather stay up and go to bed late then to go to sleep at a decent hour. It’s because of their phones and video games and social media.
The latter part of last year I had a bad year with being sick. It was one thing after another. I had a cold and whilst my immune system was down I caught a bacterial infection in my lungs. As I was recovering from that infection I caught another cold. I was pretty annoyed at my own immune system for letting me down so badly. I’m usually not the type to fall sick easily but stress really got to me and I guess that didn’t help. I try to get my 8 hours sleep every night and eat my vitamins religiously. I think this generally helps but when stress can really run the immune system down.
I'm too blessed with a pretty good immune system. I also don't understand when people are sick for a week. I mean, I believe they're sick, but it's foreign to me.
Most are probably legitimately sick if they say they are but some I find that will stay home at the slightest sniffle and are out for days. One of my former TAs would be out constantly for anywhere between 3 and 5 days and she was totally shocked and bewildered when she was told she had run out of sick time LOL
Yeah if I'm actually sick I'll stay out a day or two but I'd have to be not able to get out of bed to be out for a week. The only time I was out for any length of time was when I had surgery and had to stay home per a doctor's note.
Well, we are off Friday and Monday because district attendance dropped below 90% for two days in a row. All extracurricular activities have been cancelled, and only administrators and custodians are allowed in the buildings until Tuesday.
All missed days are added to the end of the school year. So far, we have missed one day for snow and two days for flooding, and now these two for illness. It is still more than we usually miss for snow, so we are good.
I do not allow myself to watch TV or get on the internet after work on Mon- Thurs. It is amazing how much time that gives me.
Some students had the flu. To combat this, some kids have been tasked to spray doorknobs and lockers with disinfectant.
