FLU FACTS
HOW IT SPREADS: Most experts believe that flu viruses spread mainly by droplets made when people with flu cough, sneeze or talk. These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby. Less often, a person might also get flu by touching a surface or object that has flu virus on it and then touching their own mouth, eyes or possibly their nose. CONTAGIOUSNESS: You may be able to pass on the flu to someone else before you know you are sick, as well as while you are sick. You can infect others beginning one day before symptoms develop and up to five to seven days after becoming sick. Some people, especially young children and people with weakened immune systems, might be able to infect others for an even longer time. ONSET: The time from when a person is exposed to flu virus to when symptoms begin is about one to four days, with an average of about two days. PREVENTION: The CDC recommends annual flu vaccinations. Also, everyday preventive actions, like staying away from people who are sick, covering coughs and sneezes and frequent hand washing, help slow the spread of germs. Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Hamilton County's students and teachers have caught the bug that's been causing schools to close across the region.
The school system will be closed tomorrow, as there was a significant uptick in the number of students and teachers calling in sick today.
More than 8 percent of the district's students were sick and missed school today, and 13 schools had between 10 and 20 percent of students missing due to flu-like illnesses, said Jill Levine, chief academic officer for Hamilton County Schools.
The district was projecting that 500 teachers would be absent from school tomorrow and many subs were also saying they were sick and unavailable, Levine said.
"Canceling school came down to being a safety issue," Levine said. "We knew that we weren't going to be able to cover the classrooms with subs."
As school buildings are empty tomorrow, custodial crews will spend time tomorrow disinfecting classrooms, bathrooms and hallways.
Reports of flu appeared to be peaking in late January and early February, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And a map from the CDC shows Tennessee has been one of the states hit hardest.
As a result, Bradley, Marion, Monroe, Polk, and Rhea county schools closed their doors this week, along with Cleveland City Schools.
A Tennessee Department of Health official said there aren't any known outbreaks of disease in the state. However, she noted that it is flu season and a number of other illnesses tend to also circulate this time of year.