Swine flu: Don’t be so quick to close schools

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Local school systems should not be so quick to pull the trigger on school closings unless the H1N1 influenza pandemic becomes more lethal, federal officials said today. And sick children can safely return to school 24 hours after their fever subsides, authorities said.

School-closing decisions are the purview of local authorities, but they generally look to the government for guidance. At the height of last winter’s outbreak of the pandemic H1N1 virus, commonly known as swine flu, officials suggested a two-week closing if students at a school contracted the virus. When it became apparent that the new virus was not as virulent as had been suspected, the recommendation was scaled back and parents were simply told to keep sick kids home for a week. The newly revised guidelines echo that, but provide for children to return to school a little earlier, easing the strain on working parents.

But if the virus mutates and becomes more lethal, all bets are off. If that happens, we are likely to see an epidemic of school closings, leaving parents once more to fret about how to take care of their children and keep their jobs.

-- Thomas H. Maugh II