GLADEWATER, Texas — Students at Gladewater ISD are getting an unexpected long weekend after the district announced that all four campuses are shutting down for the rest of this week due to a high number of flu-related absences on Wednesday.
"Same thing, we’re seeing a lot of kids coming from the school, and matter of fact I had a teacher just last week say that about a third of her class was out at one time. All with the flu," Exceptional Emergency Room physician Fredrick Kersh said.
It’s not just students though, Gladewater ISD Superintendent Sedric Clark said. All four schools have been impacted by the number of teachers that have had to miss time due to the illness, he said.
According to the Walgreens Flu Index, East Texas currently has the most flu activity in the country.
"It’s very easy for the viruses to spread from person to person when they’re confined in classrooms and that sort of thing. And so it’s just the responsible thing for the school districts to do," Kersh said.
While there is going uncertainty in Gladewater, one thing is for certain, parents and students do not want this to turn into another COVID-19 situation.
"But it’s kind of giving me flashbacks from like, when I was in sixth grade, like COVID and stuff, shutting down. I’m kind of scared for that to come back because I don’t want to do online. I can’t with that. I can’t," Gladewater High School student Susy Perez said.
Currently this doesn't appear to be another COVID-19 2.0, just a heavy flu concentration that will go away with proper treatment.
"When you treat the fever that generally will treat a lot of the body aches and the headaches and just the melee and the feeling bad. So fluids, rest, treat the fever, and if you can get in early, we can give you some medication that can help," Kersh said.