1K Virginia High School Students Sick in Outbreak

That's nearly half the student body
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 24, 2022 2:45 AM CDT
1K Virginia High School Students Sick in Outbreak
Stock photo   (Getty Images / smolaw11)

Nearly half of the students at a Virginia high school are out sick in what the school is calling an "illness outbreak." It's not clear what the ailment is, but in a letter sent to families, the principal of Stafford High School says the affected students and staff members are experiencing "flu-like" and "gastrointestinal" symptoms. At least 1,000 students were absent due to illness Friday, NBC Washington reports. The school is remaining open, but athletics and extracurricular activities that had been planned for the weekend were canceled, Fox 5 DC reports. The Rappahannock Area Health District is investigating the outbreak to determine the root cause.

Meanwhile, the school told parents custodial staff completed "an extensive and thorough wipe down of the entire school" and that "high-touch point area cleaning, along with electrostatic cleaning" would continue. Conditions were to be reevaluated Monday, and the school assured parents that everyone who missed class would be given "ample time" to make up missed work. Families were also reminded not to send children to school if they have a fever, diarrhea, yellow or green nasal discharge, a wet cough, a severe earache, or if they've vomited in the past 24 hours or are experiencing other flu-like symptoms including body aches. (More Virginia stories.)

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