31 Children Out Sick for Remainder of School Year
HARDIN COUNTY, Tenn. — More than 30 West Tennessee students are home sick for the rest of the school year after catching a virus on a school trip. According to Hardin County director of schools Michael Davis, 31 2nd graders from East Hardin Elementary School contracted coxackie virus during a field trip to Pickwick South Side. Also sick is one of the school nurses. School officials quickly jumped into action to contain the virus and to notify parents in anyway possible whether it be by phone or email. “We were on top of it from the get go,” Todd Buczynski, Principal at East Hardin Elementary, said. “There was some extra cleaning done on Friday, two robo-calls did go out one Friday afternoon about 2:30 p.m. and the other one out for those who might have been at work at 6:30 p.m.” Davis says while on the field trip last Monday, one of the students became sick and was sent home. The rest came down with the virus later in the week. Th Coxsackie virus is much like Strep Throat or the Flu and is very contagious. Symptoms include high fever, nausea, upset stomach, diarrhea, sore throat, and even blisters. School officials urge parents to keep their sick kids home. All students are expected to be OK. The district says they’re still investigating what happened and apologize to parents.
