Several school districts in Ohio have announced closures due to a spike in flu cases among students and staff, with influenza activity reaching higher-than-normal levels across the state.
Clermont Northeastern Schools announced Thursday that they would be closed the following day due to high levels of illness affecting students and staff.
The district plans to resume classes on Monday.
The district noted that the closure would not affect events or activities outside of regular school hours.
These closures come as Ohio has experienced a significant increase in reported flu cases and hospitalizations.
The report showed an increase in multiple flu-related categories compared to the previous week. Outpatient visits for influenza-like illness increased by 28.84 percent, reaching 10.14 percent of all visits. Emergency department visits related to fever or flu-like symptoms rose by 25.6 percent to 3.14 percent of total visits. Most notably, hospitalizations due to the illness saw a dramatic 90.63 percent increase, totaling 1,384 cases.
Texas Hit
The recent outbreak in Ohio comes just weeks after a similar occurrence in Texas, where school closures occurred in late January for the same reason. Godley Independent School District closed its schools from Jan. 29 to 31 after nearly 650 students were absent in a single day. The district reported that "over 60" staff and teachers were also absent on one day, making it challenging to "safely and effectively cover classes and other duties."Health departments recommend preventive measures against flu, emphasizing vaccination, frequent handwashing, covering coughs and sneezes, and maintaining overall health through diet and exercise.