Flu outbreak closes Nazareth Academy in LaGrange Park for 2 days
LA GRANGE PARK, Ill. (WLS) -- A flu outbreak closed Nazareth Academy in west suburban LaGrange Park after 25 percent of the student body became sick. Classes are canceled on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Students and teachers will return to the high school on Thursday, after cleaning crews finish disinfecting classrooms, desks, door handles, bathrooms and other common areas.
"In my 21 years here, I haven't seen this much of an outbreak in such a short period," said Nazareth Academy Principal Deborah Tracy.
Students started getting sick a few weeks ago. But on Monday, nearly 200 of Nazareth's 730 students were absent because of the flu. A large number of staff members called in sick as well.
Some people have gone to the emergency room at Adventist Hinsdale Hospital, where doctors are seeing a spike in flu cases earlier than usual.
"It started really fast. It was, one shift, we weren't seeing any flu. All of a sudden, ten patients with the flu. So it started quickly - about two or three weeks ago," Dr. Nick Kettaneh said.
Final exams at Nazareth are scheduled for next week.
"It's our hope that by giving some extra days of rest, we'll have a healthier student body and faculty and staff on Thursday. But we're taking each day as it comes," Tracy said.
