Rampant illness causes school closure
Tue, 02/04/2025 - 2:09pm
admin
By:
Laura Wagner, contributing writer
The Ozarks has been hit hard with absences as influenza runs through local school districts.
On Thursday, Jan. 30 the Mountain View-Birch Tree School District announced it would have an AMI Learn and Return Day on Friday, Jan. 31. The reason was due to "the high number of sick students and staff across the district," according to a release.
Superintendent Lana Tharp explained that the school's attendance was at 85% around 1:00 p.m. on Thursday and they were sending more students home. Birch Tree Elementary only had 77% in attendance, which was the lowest percentage for the district.
Ozarks Healthcare Clinic in Mountain View reported an uptick in Influenza A cases along with Strep and other stomach related sicknesses.
The CDC (Centers for Disease Control) recommends staying home and avoiding contact with other people except to seek medical care. Normal activities can be resumed when, for at least 24 hours, symptoms are getting better overall AND no fever without using fever reducing medication.