Fifth local student struck by H1N1

Even as one-fifth of a local French school's student body with a recently infected student was absent from class today, the Lester B. Pearson school board announced a child at its Purcell Academy elementary school in Pierrefonds/Roxboro has come down with H1N1.

"We're saying to parents continue doing what you're doing, be vigilant, wash your hands, stay at home if you have symptoms," said the board's spokesperson Daniela Scoppa.

According to her, the board received a letter by the Quebec's Public Health Department today to inform them that a student, who was not named, has come down with the virus.

Scoppa also said the board does not know what grade the child is in, and was asked to not even disclose the school location publicly, but chose to reveal that last bit of information.

The case is the fifth confirmed one for students in the West Island.

Last Friday, the Marguerite Bourgeoys French school board revealed a student had gotten the flu at its Ecole Dollard des Ormeaux.

"We got a letter from Public Health on Friday," explained Bourgeoys' director of communications Brigitte Gauvreau.

As is the case with Pearson, the board was not told who the student was, nor what grade he or she was in.

However, the board forwarded the communiqué to parents immediately.

The reaction, with 103 students out of 500 missing from class yesterday, and 108 this morning, is understandable, said Gauvreau. "People are worried, it's normal," she said.

Collège Charlemagne, a French private school in Pierrefonds, was the first school in the area with a confirmed case of H1N1. The school admit the student in question had been on vacation in Mexico with their family, where the virus originated from. Two other cases broke out since then, which the school has said in public documents were from the same class. "The school does not know whether those students also went to Mexico," the release reads. A fourth case at the school involves an employee.

Pearson chairperson Marcus Tabachnick said he will be at the scene bright and early tomorrow morning at 7:15 a.m. along with other board and public health officials to meet concerned parents as they drop their children off. "I guess we'll see tomorrow," he said, on whether or not many schoolchildren will be absent.

The proximity of the three schools in question has not gone unnoticed.

"We can talk about all kinds of theories as to what's going on," Gauvreau said, but she cautioned even the public health department is uncertain of exactly how the flu is spreading.

"Between Charlemagne and Purcell Academy, there are maybe six or seven other schools," Tabachnick said, adding parents and children at all of those schools, as well as the population in general, should be careful.

"All the cases in the West Island so far are mild," he noted.

Officials at all three schools advise students and staff to stay at home for seven days and see a doctor if they exhibit flu-like symptoms.