Swine flu, MERS alert for schools

JEDDAH: The education and health ministries have issued warnings for Eastern Province schools to isolate any student suspected of having swine flu or the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV).

This comes as a public elementary school reported that it suspected six of its students might have swine flu, according to a report in a local publication on Friday. Tests have yet to determine whether this is the case.
The report indicated that a circular had been sent out to all schools in the region to take measures against these infectious diseases. Schools would be held “fully responsible” if they do not institute quarantine measures, the circular stated.
Jawhara Saad, the headmistress of an elementary school in Al-Ahsa, was quoted as saying that there have been no confirmed cases yet. Tests are currently being conducted by the Ministry of Health’s laboratories. Schools did not have the authorization to talk about any outbreak, she said.
Saad said that the ministry has issued instructions for schools to take certain prevention and precautionary measures, and to have students with any type of flu remain at home for a few days.
She said that there are fears students may be picking up MERS and swine flu in neighboring countries including Qatar and Bahrain where there have recently been several cases reported. There were fears there may be an outbreak of the diseases here, she said.
Meanwhile, there are more tests being done for swine flu than MERS, said several health practitioners working at government medical laboratories, according to the report.
Adel Al-Dayeil, a health worker, said that test samples are sent to laboratories in Riyadh with most involving suspected cases of infection. There were only a few people infected with swine flu in the Eastern Province, he said.
Another health practitioner said there have been more tests being requested from other regions for MERS and swine flu at the main laboratory in Riyadh, the report said.