School’s been back in session only a week, and the number of suspected cases of the H1N1 virus, also known as swine flu, are growing.

The latest suspected cases are in Orangeburg Consolidated School District 3 and Bamberg School District 1.

A total of 18 Bamberg-Ehrhardt High School students have been sent home with possible cases of swine flu, Superintendent Phyllis Schwarting reported at Monday’s Bamberg 1 Board of Trustees meeting.

“I’m not sure that all of those children actually had the swine flu,” she said. “I know that one of them had a sinus infection. We are certainly not overly alarmed. We are not to be alarmed till we send 30 or 40 home from one school.”

Schwarting said the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control is working on getting both students and staff immunized as soon as possible, but she said the vaccine is not scheduled to arrive until October or possibly November.

The district’s principals have been alerted, and letters from DHEC have been sent home with the students, she said.

In OCSD 3, two students from different schools are undergoing medical treatment for the H1N1 virus, Superintendent Dr. Cynthia Cash-Greene reported Tuesday. She said there are no other suspected cases of the virus in the school district at this time.

Fannie L. Johnson, health service supervisor for OCSD 3, said one case of swine flu was reported over the weekend and another case was reported Monday around 4 p.m.

During the first week of school, OCSD 3 officials sent parents a letter written by C. Earl Hunter, S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control commissioner, about the spread of swine flu during the summer break.

“We believe that this flu virus might spread more now that schools are back in session. We need your help to prevent the spread of flu among our children,” Hunter wrote.

Johnson said district Associate Superintendent Gerald Wright and custodial staff members met Tuesday to discuss various disinfecting procedures to prevent the spread of the swine flu.

As a result, custodians are following detailed procedures of wiping desks, doorknobs and other areas prone to frequent contact.

While several parents have contacted the district office and at least two schools to inquire about school closings and other concerns, Cash-Greene maintains there is “no reason to cause any alarm … and no plans to shut down any schools.”

She said administrators and staff are “following the practices and procedures outlined by DHEC” and encouraging students to abide by “simple hygiene practices,” such as proper hand washing, covering one’s mouth when coughing or sneezing and avoiding the sharing of food or drinks during lunch or snack time.

In addition, the superintendent noted, each school has a nurse on hand and the nurses are carefully monitoring students who display the onset of common symptoms associated with the virus: high fever, sore throat and coughing.

Most of the time such symptoms are due to other infections such as a cold, strep throat, or a more common strain of flu, she said.

Once the two students with swine flu “complete their medication regimen prescribed by their physicians,” they may return to school, Johnson said.

T&D Correspondent Martha Rose Brown can be reached by e-mail at marfawose@aol.com.

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