Pupils and teachers with flu symptoms told to stay home from school ...Middle East

Teachers and pupils have been warned to stay at home if they have flu symptoms amid fears that the virus is spreading through schools and nurseries.

One headteacher said 170 of his pupils were off sick in one day alone, in what he called scenes reminiscent of “Covid times”.

The i Paper has also been told anecdotally of some classrooms where half the students are absent due to illness.

Official figures show that this winter’s flu season is one of the worst for years, with an NHS situation report this week revealing that hospital admissions from the virus are at record levels in England.

The NHS says cases have not yet reached their peak, with hospitals expected to come under pressure in the run-up to Christmas.

Practice good hygiene

And as The i Paper revealed on Friday, the UK government is advising the wider public to think about wearing face masks if they feel ill.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), which tracks flu and other virus outbreaks in England, said teaching staff and pupils should not attend school if they are unwell with symptoms of flu or flu-like illness and have a high temperature.

They can go back to school and resume normal activities when they no longer have a high temperature and are well enough to attend, the UKHSA said.

The agency also urged people in schools to reduce the risk of infection by practising good hand hygiene, particularly after using the toilet, after using a tissue to catch a cough or a sneeze, and before eating.

Dr William Welfare, UKHSA’s Director of Health Protection in Regions, said: “At this time of year it is not uncommon for respiratory viruses like flu, RSV, the common cold and Covid to cause outbreaks in the community, in schools and nurseries.

“The symptoms for these infections are often similar and they spread easily from coughs and sneezes, especially among children.

“Where there are local outbreaks, UKHSA’s health protection teams will work with the school or nursery to provide advice on how best to help prevent further cases among pupils and staff and will monitor the situation closely.”

School illness ‘a bit of a shock’

Brian Guthrie, the headteacher of Ebrington Primary School in County Londonderry, said 170 of his pupils were off sick in one day and that a small number of children had been admitted to hospital for treatment last week.

Classroom assistants were also absent due to illness, Guthrie said.

He told BBC’s North West Today: “It’s not just been flu, it’s been stomach bugs, very sore throats and illnesses in other ways as well but over the course of last week, it was very, very challenging with the number of pupils and staff off.

“It took me back to 2020, to be quite honest, the attendance was actually worse last week than it would have been at any of the worst points, if you like, back in Covid times so, yeah, it was a bit of a shock.”

Health officials this week warned that the NHS is bracing itself for an “unprecedented wave” of infections.

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An NHS England winter situation report said an average of 1,717 flu patients were in beds each day last week, including 69 in critical care.

This is 56 per cent higher than the equivalent numbers for the same week in 2024 and well above levels seen at this point in 2023 and 2022.

Flu cases in Scotland have more than doubled in a week, with hospital admissions rising 70 per cent.

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