<p>I don’t think they are testing right now in NH though, are they? Are they just going by symptoms. I think my daughter possibly had it last spring.</p>
<p>mpicz - Congrats on Varsity soccer!</p>
<p>mpicz…I forgot, are you a freshman? Congrats on soccer!!!</p>
<p>They are not just going by symptoms, they are actually testing.</p>
<p>I believe they only test if you are hospitalized (infirmary at school might fit this criteria), but they don’t test specifically for H1N1; they just test for influenza type A or type B as the treatment is the same.</p>
<p>As you will see in this article ([‘Cluster</a>’ of H1N1 flu cases at Phillips Exeter Academy | SeacoastOnline.com](<a href=“http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20090916-NEWS-909169967]'Cluster”>http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20090916-NEWS-909169967)) about Exeter (it mentions SPS), New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services is still doing testing. Most places that isn’t true, but hey NH is NH, and it is NH’s “first reported cluster”. So SPS students, probably are being tested too.</p>
<p>I live in NH and spoke with people from NH (a panel of health specialists who were on WMUR last evening - actually Dr. Jose Montero was part of that panel) as well as our own physician. I even specified boarding schools in NH when I asked my question. I am mystified as to why they answered how they did. My son’s school (in MA) tells me they have “a moderate” amount of students in quarantine in the infirmary but are also not doing H1N1 specific testing.</p>
<p>Is h1n1 testing really that complicated? My son was tested in a hosptital ER this summer (tested negative) but all it involved was a nasal swab.</p>
<p>I was told by the physician at my son’s boarding school, a physician on the WMUR (NH news channel) H1N1 line, and our personal pediatrician that when they do the testing, it is just for influenza type A or type B and they are not specifically testing for H1N1 as the treatment protocol is the same. I do not know anything beyond what I was told and what I was told conflicts with the Seacoast Online story…which quotes the very physician who led the Q&A session I called in to. I don’t know what is involved in getting a specific H1N1 diagnosis as opposed to a more generic influenza diagnosis.</p>
<p>I believe they (health specialists) are presuming that we are in a Phase 1 aH1N1 pandemic, so anyone with flu like symptoms are presumed to have H1H1. It’s not worth the $$ to test everyone with symptoms. 2 billion people are expected to catch Pan Flu worldwide.
I also heard from my son’s school physician at drop off day, that no one except high risk categories will be receiving Tamaflu/Relenza at this point, as Phase 1 is pretty harmless to most. To me this is all appropriate.</p>
<p>Confirming what a student posted earlier, here is a quote from an SPS communication to parents:
“The N.H. Department of Health and Human Services recommended we test a few students to confirm that their illness was caused by H1N1, and those tests were positive.”
It would be more surprising if a college or boarding school with students from all over the country and the world did not have some cases of H1N1.</p>
<p>So it sounds like they tested some, but not all.</p>
<p>More and more people seem to be getting “swine flu” or at the very least the flu.</p>
<p>3 or 4 kids were sent home today</p>
<p>When kids are sent home, how long an absent is just too long to reasonably be able to catch up? Are they given amble time to do missed work? It must be really hard on them.</p>
<p>Interesting that they sent kids home. Is that the normal protocol at SPS or are they running out of infirmary spaces? I didn’t ask what would happen at son’s school if they ran out of spaces. </p>
<p>Teachers are very good about making sure kids get any work they missed, but it is difficult to miss classroom time.</p>
<p>The policy communicated to parents requires parents within 5 1/2 hours driving distance to pick there kids up if they become ill. So I doubt it is a capacity issue. The infirmary has 28 beds and the school has additional places for isolation if necessary.</p>
<p>Here’s my take on the issue: Sending kids home for illness isn’t their normal policy. My understanding is that the policy emdee has outlined above is specific to H1N1 - probably due to its high level of contagion/quick incubation period. The infirmary beds can only accommodate about 5% of the student population so an illness that became more rampant could easily surpass the capacity of the health center. Beds need to be free for kids suffering from other illness or injury.</p>
<p>Sorry I was not clear, the return home policy is just for H1N1.</p>
<p>I’v heard about at least 3 or 4 new cases today, and I’m sure there are more.</p>
<p>So…most kids are reporting it when they feel ill, do you think? Out of fear (because of the big hype over H1N1) or because of compliance? I asked my son and he said one boy from his soccer team had been in the infirmary with influenza (remember, they don’t test specifically at my son’s school), but no others from the team.<br>
He says he doesn’t know of many cases at all; I wonder if kids are just not reporting if the feel ill so they don’t niss class.</p>