Announcement

**Mellie** · May 14, 2009, 06:31 PM

Queens Educator Critically Ill With Swine Flu; 3 Schools Closed

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/14/queens-educator-critically-ill-with-swine-flu/?hp

In the first serious case of swine flu found in New York City, the assistant principal of a Queens middle school has been hospitalized and placed on a ventilator, officials said Thursday.

May 14, 2009, 5:48 pm

Queens Educator Critically Ill With Swine Flu; 3 Schools Closed

By Anemona Hartocollis AND Javier C. Hernandez

Updated, 6:51 p.m. | In the first serious case of swine flu in New York City, the assistant principal of a Queens middle school has been hospitalized and is on a ventilator, officials announced Thursday. The city closed that school, and two others with large clusters of flulike symptoms. All three schools are to remain closed through next week.

The assistant principal worked at Intermediate School 238, in the Hollis section of Queens, and was said to have become critically ill. The authorities would not immediately disclose his name, but Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg said at a City Hall news conference on Thursday evening that the educator ?may have had other health problems? ? ?pre-existing conditions? that would have made him more vulnerable to the flu.

The new outbreak raised the possibility that the virus may have mutated into a more severe form than has been seen yet in New York.

Swine flu has been documented in four other students at I.S. 238, at 88-15 182nd Street, and more than 50 students with flulike symptoms have been sent home from the school since May 6, the mayor said.

Three public schools in Queens ? the middle school where the assistant principal worked, as well as Intermediate School 5 in Elmhurst and Public School 16 in Corona ? are being closed, effective Friday, because of the outbreak, officials said. The three schools together enroll some 4,500 students.

At I.S. 5, at 50-40 Jacobus Street, 241 students were absent from classes on Thursday. And at P.S. 16, 41-15 104th Street, 29 students reported flulike symptoms at the nurse?s office on Thursday.

The three schools will be closed Friday and all of next week. ?I regret the inconvenience but we think these measures are absolutely necessary,? the mayor said. ?They demonstrate that our public health system is working effectively. We are acting as promptly as the evidence requires us to do.?

The mayor also said, ?While the symptoms of H1N1 flu seem to resemble those of seasonal flu, the H1N1 virus seems to spread rapidly, so we?re closing these schools in order to slow transmission.?

Gov. David A. Paterson, who joined the mayor for the news conference at City Hall, urged the public ?to remain alert rather than alarmed.? He said the assistant principal ?is in our prayers.?

At I.S. 238, where the assistant principal worked, the building was shut at 4:35 p.m. and students taking part in after-school programs were directed to leave. Several students, interviewed early Thursday evening in the schoolyard by the basketball court, expressed concern.

Kvon Williams-Sparks, 13, an eighth grader, said he had noticed an increase in the frequency with which janitors were cleaning the bathrooms, and said the assistant principal had not been work since Monday. ?On Monday, I found a notice in the library that said, ?If you are sick, you should stay home,?? Kvon said. ?But nobody has otherwise talked to us.?

Another eighth grader, Jonathan Rodriguez, 14, said he was told by a gym teacher that the school would be closed until May 21.

A seventh grader, Guillien Ishanga, 12, said that in his homeroom, ?there are normally 31 kids, and this week we?ve had 11 kids absent. My brother was sick. My mom took him to the hospital and the doctor said it was a normal flu.? When asked whether his mother would keep him home, he said, ?We would only follow what the doctor said.?

A crowd of three teachers, five police officers and two Department of Education officials stood outside the school; none would comment on the flu outbreak.

The new outbreak comes as officials seemed to be leaving the impression that the immediate danger of the virus, officially known as A(H1N1), had passed. As of Thursday morning, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had identified 4,298 confirmed and probable cases of swine flu in the United States, causing three deaths: two in Texas and one in Washington State.

Just days ago, the state health commissioner, Dr. Richard F. Daines, announced that the state would begin treating swine flu as it would begin to treat any ordinary seasonal flu, and that the state would decrease its level of testing and just look for new patterns.

The city?s health commissioner, Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, had also stopped giving daily updates on the progress of the flu.

Asked if the city had let its guard down too soon, Mr. Bloomberg replied: ?Most people haven?t come down with it. You?ve got to remember, we?re talking about 4,500 students here in a city of 8.4 million. It may very well be that a lot of people have it and the symptoms are so minor that they don?t even know it. That?s one of the things we?ll be studying.?

In light of the new outbreak, this de-escalation of public expressions of concern raised questions about whether public health officials had let their guard down too soon.

The United Federation of Teachers, the city?s teachers? union, said it was closely working with the Education and Health Departments and the mayor?s office. ?We are very concerned for students and staff at all three schools as well as their families,? the union said in a statement. ?We hope that the measures being taken to address the situation will alleviate the need for additional steps. We will continue to monitor the situation and we hope that everyone affected will make a quick recovery.?

Chiara Coletti, a spokeswoman for the Council of School Supervisors and Administrators, the city principals? union, said in a statement: ?Right now, we are doing all that we can to assist and support the family of our fellow union member who has fallen ill. We are deeply concerned about our students, their families, and the educators at all three schools and we will do everything we can for them.?

Sewell Chan and Angela Macropoulos contributed reporting.

**tropical** · May 15, 2009, 07:57 AM

Re: Queens Educator Critically Ill With Swine Flu; 3 Schools Closed

#10:
"A teacher at one of the three Queens schools shuttered because of swine flu accused education and health officials Thursday night of reacting slowly to the new outbreak.

Dermot Smyth, a sociology teacher at Intermediate School 5 in Elmhurst, said he e-mailed the Department of Education last Friday warning of a high number of students calling in sick.

Smyth, a teachers' union representative at his school, said education officials told him the virus was being monitored and appeared to have run its course.

"We got word back from the Department of Health that the swine flu was not that serious anymore," Smyth said."

Bad, bad indeed.

Prior an more wide subsequent spreading chaos with more serious victims included, seems that the workforce must preserve its healthy status based on laws.

Missguiding statements by the health officials, as Dr. Niman point earlier, now could indeed be dangerous for the health of the employeers.

Worst than be mute, is making such statements.

Probably it exists enaugh laws which could state the right of employ. to be shielded from the illness at theirs workposts.

If they can't be shielded, the closure of such facilities must be done.

An virus which has ~1/3 of incubated infectious cases without any symptoms can't be monitored.

It is obvious that if the schools/universities are closed, the workforce could not get it the virus there.

It is irelevant if there are out in the region far more patients with milder or light symptoms, because there are also enaugh severe cases - if the infected don't get the antivirals at the beginig, no one can tell if it would escape it lightly, or would be subjected to severe pneumonia, or worst.

So, the policy of trapping at work people without vaccines, and than dump them if they argue, could be subjected to legal actions.

If the poor ones who got the virus at the educational facilities, because they were subjected to a (for them) severe form of flu,
gone now starts the sue procedure, probably they would prove that they were unwillingly exposed to an novel flu illness without any signed acondiscendence that they want to risk their health without shields.

If the same facilities closed early, and REMAINS closed, the victims did not catch the illness at work.
Additionaly, it would be beneficial to CLOSE, because such moves will slow the spreading off the illness, give also more time for vaccine production, and would not exported more wider the infection through touristic/business plain traveling as they doing now.

**Legadillo** · May 15, 2009, 08:40 AM

Re: Queens Educator Critically Ill With Swine Flu; 3 Schools Closed

I am so angered at the denial and the minimizing by government and health officials who are too busy squashing panic, telling half truths and not informing people of the seriousness of the threat when our CHILDREN and other loved ones are at risk!!

It's a crime because most people are joyfully swallowing what's being spoon-fed to them simply because they don't know any better NOT because they don't care!

Many of us here at Flutrackers are modern-day Cassandra's indeed.

This is disgusting to watch the degree of human failure world-wide and I dread the long-term ramifications of the bad decisions being made now!

What to do! You present the info but few want to listen!

**tropical** · May 15, 2009, 09:10 AM

Re: New York City, USA - Queens Educator Critically Ill With Swine Flu; 3 Schools Closed

I agree Legadillo (#16).

Reading #17 makes me shivers.

How candidly they wrote that:

"... may have been felled by the virus bucause of "pre-existing condtions."
... was diagnosed with gout a year and a half ago"

So what, such kind of many, many various pre-conditions have it a quarter or even an half of human world populations after the first few decades of life!

That's seems to be an worldwide handwashing behaviour from institutions which must do the oposite - to protect and serve:

"its "normal" you can squick off if you are not 100% healthy,
but even if you are (healthy) you have a serious chance because it attacks the healthy and young ones also"

If somebody of the legislators and global/local policy makers watching these events, or news texts,
please, its time to enforce legaly more closures,
instead, after the "battle", it would be an (at least from the successors) mass claiming sueing goes on about the non provided preventive shieldings,
as it were about many WWII other matters a few decades later ...

**tropical** · May 15, 2009, 09:25 AM

Re: New York City, USA - Queens Educator Critically Ill With Swine Flu; 3 Schools Closed

Originally posted by wdcare View Post

AP:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/...0fbZwD986N4000

"CDC officials said schools may decide to close if there is a cluster that's affecting attendance and staffing."

There are the problems: they "may", if there is a "cluster".

It must be instaurated an more preventive illness slowing policy at the workplaces:

they "must", if there is "in the city area" a "cluster".

To wait a cluster already forming itself at the same facility/school/university/..., means allowing more exponential spreading everywhere, especialy because of the many previous days of asymptomatic infectiousness of the incubated, which can't be screened by ordinary temp, etc. means in real time (and it can't be done every day an lab test of everyones).

The same old story, already seen at the begining in Mexico: no early strict closures, only after when the virus spreaded widely.

Make an strict closure of 2 weeeks at least, and we gain a few months more worldwide to prepare the vaccines!

**tropical** · May 15, 2009, 12:13 PM

Re: New York City, USA - Queens Educator Critically Ill With Swine Flu; 3 Schools Closed

Gout or not gout,

it was not the reason why he is on the ventilator now.

And if somebody make some derivations to that as an measurable reason,
it would mean that we can rise the flags to phase 6+,
because that claim would implicitely means that every kind of chronic condition lead to serious pandemic flu outcomes.

It is obvious that joined with this flu more problematicaly are the respiratory illnesses/obstructions, etc., than a gout.

It must not be allowed to minimize others bad flu outcomes because of their's already existing chronic illnessed status.

Acepting similar formulations to dismiss the society sectors failure to prevent or better mitigate the illness, would mean acepting the initial potential creation of more doomed prone citizens - the ones which are not enaugh healthy so their lives are "naturaly doomed" ...

Later, such "health gheto visure" could be further worsened by triages about vaccinations and health treatments "for the neccessary only".

**The Mountains Voice** · May 15, 2009, 07:16 PM

Re: New York City, USA - Queens Educator Critically Ill With Swine Flu; 3 Schools Closed

I think it is a stretch to link gout / controlled high blood pressure, etc with this man's illness. But i think a major point is being missed here - the fact that authorities are going to such abnormal lengths to link people that get more severely ill with "pre-existing conditions". In another post here somewhere I commented on news media reports where they specifically explained away early hospitalizations as "pre-existing conditions such as asthma". Asthma affects approximately 22 million americans. When you start throwing in high blod pressure, gout, and all the other possible "pre-existing conditions" - you're left with very few excuses available for the average Joe. And even tht isn't stopping the virus - because it's still causing hospitalizations in a large number of those people that don't have "pre-existing conditions".

The whole "pre-existing conditions" argument is becoming insulting. period.

It isn't relevant to the spread, severity of this flu. It's merely an interesting sidebar discussion.

**The Mountains Voice** · May 15, 2009, 11:06 PM

Re: New York City, USA - Queens Educator Critically Ill With Swine Flu; 3 Schools Closed

Originally posted by Shiloh View Post

....where Wiener is being kept alive on a ventilator.

I've been reading on this. It is very sad. It's been obvious SF was spreading. This fine fellow even tried to warn officials. They did a political dance - and he might die as a result. I know that plenty of people will probably say this isn't politically correct - but I think people had better start getting used to the notion that listening to your public officials is hazardous to your health. It could get you literally killed. People following this flu, and any emerging mutations of this flu need to -

1) Stay current with news, and be informed
2) Be aware of what is going on in your immediate community
3) Begin preparing your heart and mind now - in the event the time comes that you feel in your heart, mind & spirit that you need to make a tough decision to isolate your family. That may simply be taking your children out of school, or staying away from the job - even when everyone scoffs at you, or even say that what you are doing can get you in trouble, lose job, etc...
4) Start making your plans / preparations

This isn't a joke. This flu kills. It is spreading. Every single indication says it will mutate further. Don't believe me? Ask Mr Weiner, or his wife, or his children, or his grandchildren how serious they think this is.

**St Michael** · May 16, 2009, 09:11 AM

Re: New York City, USA - Queens Educator Critically Ill With Swine Flu; 3 Schools Closed

Originally posted by The Mountains Voice View Post

I think it is a stretch to link gout / controlled high blood pressure, etc with this man's illness. But i think a major point is being missed here - the fact that authorities are going to such abnormal lengths to link people that get more severely ill with "pre-existing conditions".

...

The whole "pre-existing conditions" argument is becoming insulting. period

When the mainstream media and government officials starts blaming severe swine flu complications on gout, it should be apparent that we have turned a corner from reporting to outright propaganda.

Then the question becomes, "WHY?!?"

I doubt they are that concerned about the virulence of this flu at present, so that does not explain this morphing from reporting to propaganda.

The more likely cause is the fear that flu panic will turn our current economic recession into a full blown economic depression.

**sharon sanders** · May 16, 2009, 10:44 AM

Re: Discussion: New York City, USA - Queens Educator Critically Ill With Swine Flu

I think that people have forgotten what a dangerous disease influenza is. It is designed to invade the human system and it continuously evolves to become better adapted to perform this function.

Why is this man apparently more severely ill than many others? We do not know. But certainly novel 2009 H1N1 is to be avoided, and if stricken, persons should take this disease very seriously. Many do not know they are ill since the symptoms are varied and can be mild at onset.

Influenza, of all strain types, kill many persons every year, especially when you count the secondary infections.

Clearly, closing venues where many people gather, especially when both the WHO and the US government have declared disease emergencies, is the prudent action.

Money is not important. The human spirit is.

**tropical** · May 16, 2009, 02:54 PM

Re: Discussion: New York City, USA - Queens Educator Critically Ill With Swine Flu

I agree with Florida and the other posters.

Additionaly, at the same time when such sad events and infection spreads, it can be actualy watched (and that makes more iritation) the many (other) countries TV media clouding with new derisions campains citing "the mediatic flu".

And all this now is compared to the usual yearsly insurgence of sporadic outbreaks of known diseases, which were very well contained, or tends to be episodic.

I think that such campains must be also subjected to some kind of sanctions, because it is a real fact that the WHO/CDC/... declares the spreading, even if not all of its extent probably.

Doesn't exist some international media watchdog body which can suggest to the countries main media to not emiting false news interpretations about already existing proved events?
It is better than they emiting nothing, than emiting false asurances and minimizations to the population which they in fact must aware and inform about the possible incombent danger?

Is it that another collateral damage of the non taken WHO decision of pandemic phase 6 proclamation?

This behaviour seems to me as the frog tale
(I'm contrary to animal cruelty - don't do that!):

"If you put a frog into hot water, it jumped out of the pot.
If you put a frog into cold water first, and left it on low fire which slowly rise the water temperature, the frog remains into the pot until it would be too late for it to jump out, because it would be already half cooked".

**Sammy** · May 16, 2009, 02:57 PM

Re: New York City, USA - Queens Educator Critically Ill With Swine Flu; 3 Schools Closed

Originally posted by St Michael View Post

When the mainstream media and government officials starts blaming severe swine flu complications on gout, it should be apparent that we have turned a corner from reporting to outright propaganda.

Then the question becomes, "WHY?!?"

- Politics
- Economics - what will happen to tourism industry etc - let alone local economies if workplaces, schools grind to a halt
- Not wanting to be accused of being Henny Penny
- Resignation to the fact that most people can't bug-out for the 40-weeks or so some of the models estimate it takes for 3 waves to happen
- A misguided notion that people will freak out/panic and behave in unhelpful ways, so best we don't worry them

I think just some of the answers.

**tropical** · May 16, 2009, 03:09 PM

Re: Discussion: New York City, USA - Queens Educator Critically Ill With Swine Flu

Sammy, #13: ...

Yes, but must we maybe die for their downplayings?

Aren't our lives for us more important than economy reasons?

Didn't the schools/... be closed also on a teritory during a war on it?
Such pandemic could be compared to an domicile war event.

There were plenty of evidence that stringent quarantines must be enforced in every area/country where an novel pandemic flu spreads, to deminish the number of victims and slowing the further spreads how much it would be possible.

Why these things are not acomplished where this flu spreads, and where it not yet, that solutions are derised?
The estabs must shields the population, not expose it more than it would be inevitable - that's why the taxes are payed.

**St Michael** · May 16, 2009, 04:13 PM

Re: New York City, USA - Queens Educator Critically Ill With Swine Flu; 3 Schools Closed

Originally posted by Sammy View Post

- Politics
- Economics - what will happen to tourism industry etc - let alone local economies if workplaces, schools grind to a halt
- Not wanting to be accused of being Henny Penny
- Resignation to the fact that most people can't bug-out for the 40-weeks or so some of the models estimate it takes for 3 waves to happen
- A misguided notion that people will freak out/panic and behave in unhelpful ways, so best we don't worry them

I think just some of the answers.

Good summary, that covers most of it.

And this guy was treated with Tamiflu but still is on a ventilator. Maybe that is causing them to panic?

Announcement

Discussion: New York City, USA - Queens Educator Critically Ill With Swine Flu

Discussion: New York City, USA - Queens Educator Critically Ill With Swine Flu

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment