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School officials said the symptoms were mostly fever, cough and headache.
SAN DIEGO — San Diego County Public Health Services is investigating a large, suspected outbreak of respiratory and flu-like symptoms reported among students astatine Patrick Henry High School and Del Norte High School.
About 400 students were absent from Del Norte High School connected Wednesday and Thursday owed to an outbreak of a flu-like illness.
School officials said the symptoms were mostly fever, cough and headache.
According to Poway Unified spokesperson Christine Paik, the absences began Monday.
"What we saw from the Monday backmost from the weekend, we had 189 absences. Tuesday and Wednesday that jumped to adjacent to 400," said Paik.
Students conscionable celebrated homecoming implicit the weekend. However, Paik said not each of the kids retired sick went to homecoming.
She said their symptoms are flu-like, akin to the symptoms of the students astatine Patrick Henry High School.
A San Diego Unified spokesperson tells CBS8, connected Wednesday, much than 1,000 students astatine Patrick Henry called retired sick.
While region doctors are inactive waiting for much trial results to travel back, astatine this point, they judge astir of the students astatine some precocious schools person the flu.
"While this is preliminary, a fig of them are already investigating affirmative for influenza A. Flu A is the harder hitter of the large types of flu we woody with annually," said Dr. Cameron Kaiser, a lawman wellness serviceman with the County of San Diego.
Dr. Kaiser warns flu play is hitting overmuch earlier and harder than we're utilized to, saying portion flu play typically starts successful October, we usually don't spot an uptick successful cases until precocious autumn oregon aboriginal winter.
"We're up already to 1,000 full cases of flu conscionable present successful October, which is simply a 4th of past year’s full season. We're seeing flu deed present and we're seeing it deed earlier than it usually would," said Dr. Kaiser.
And it's not conscionable successful San Diego.
The CDC has reported an summation successful flu cases nationwide. This, aft the confederate hemisphere saw its worst flu play successful years, which doctors present successful the United States usage to foretell however our flu play volition be.
Why is this twelvemonth truthful different?
Dr. Kaiser says portion of the crushed is due to the fact that we're much relaxed with COVID protocols, which protected america from illnesses different than COVID.
"We're benignant of successful that lull of COVID-19 surges and folks are starting to unbend a small and get little cautious with however they're doing things," said Dr. Kaiser.
At this point, nary connection connected immoderate students hospitalized, though Dr. Kaiser warns much outbreaks are likely. He's urging everyone six months and up to get a flu shot.
“The bottommost enactment for the wintertime is folks request to buckle up and marque definite they get protected cuz it's astir apt going to beryllium a atrocious one,” said Dr. Kaiser.
Also, schoolhouse officials are reminding parents to instrumentality addiitonal precautions.
If your kid is experiencing immoderate symptoms, support them location from school
WATCH RELATED: Suspected respiratory outbreak astatine Patrick Henry High School nether probe (Oct. 2022)
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