Fairhope West Elementary closes due to virus outbreak; hundreds of students sick
FAIRHOPE, Ala. (WKRG) — 773 students were absent Wednesday from Fairhope West Elementary, with only 201 students in class after an outbreak of what is believed to be the Norovirus.
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School officials have shut down one elementary school and put another on notice as they try to squash this bug before it goes any further.
The campus at Fairhope West Elementary was pretty empty Wednesday, with most of the kids staying home sick or afraid of getting sick.
The parent of a fourth-grader at the school, Emily Kane, says her child came home from school Tuesday feeling fine.
But that soon changed.
“Around 11 o’clock last night, it all fell apart,” she said.
Nausea and upset stomach, the last 24 hours have been anything but pleasant.
“Messy, and no one is sleeping,” says Kane.
She is not the only one.
“We’re treating it like that sort of viral gastro-intestinal illness like norovirus, and it is highly contagious,” says the head of Health Services for Baldwin County Public Schools, Dr. Alison Rudd.
The school system decided Wednesday to close Fairhope West Elementary for the remainder of the week.
Classes will resume on Monday, March 4.
“These GI bugs, they like to rear their ugly heads in this season from winter to spring, even sometimes into the summer. We don’t really know what the cause was or where ground zero was, so to speak,” says Rudd.
The same virus is believed to be impacting students and staff across town at Fairhope East Elementary, but for now, the school doors will remain open.
Parents are urged to keep their students home if they are not feeling well.
“When one or two kids get sick in a classroom of 30 kids, when they are basically sitting on top of each other, everyone is going to get it,” says Kane.
Professional cleaning crews have been called in to sanitize all of the schools.
So far, Fairhope schools are the only ones reporting any sort of outbreak in Baldwin County.
Previous reporting
UPDATE (2:50 p.m.) We have updated this article to include Baldwin County Public Schools Superintendent Eddie Tyler’s address to Fairhope West parents.
FAIRHOPE, Ala. (WKRG) — The Alabama Department of Public Health is working to address a reported virus outbreak at Fairhope West Elementary School, News 5 has learned.
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The ADPH is investigating “a gastrointestinal outbreak” at FWES. Officials say that nausea and vomiting are symptoms related to the incident.
On Wednesday, at least 773 students were absent, though not necessarily all sick; just 201 students were on campus, sources tell News 5.
ADPH Infectious Diseases and Outbreaks staff has provided specimen collection materials for testing through the ADPH Bureau of Clinical Laboratories.
Baldwin County superintendent addresses virus outbreak
The Baldwin County school system is reportedly working with the health department to address the outbreak.
In the meantime, News 5 has learned that Fairhope West will shut down Thursday and Friday.
Today, Fairhope West parents received the following message from Baldwin County Public Schools Superintendent Eddie Tyler:
“Parents,
After careful consideration, we have decided to close Fairhope West through Friday, March 1. Due to the amount of staff and students who are absent, the number who are experiencing symptoms, and in an effort to help contain the contagion, we unfortunately need to shut the building down. While out, we will be conducting a deep cleaning of the school so when students return next week, it will be sanitized to the fullest extent.
We understand the inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your understanding.
Please take care of yourself and your families.”
No other schools affected at this time
Fairhope East also has been affected, but not to the extent as Fairhope West, we’ve learned.
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Officials say the investigation into the outbreak is ongoing.
This is a developing story. News 5 will update this article as more information becomes available.
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