School Officials Address Concerns After Students Report Illness

LINDENHURST, NY — Lindenhurst High School officials sent out a second letter following the news that several students reported feeling sick after returning from a trip to Italy. On Tuesday, Superintendent of Schools Daniel Giordano wrote a letter to the community to address concerns expressed by local parents and students.

"As a parent myself, I do understand the concern, and I would like to remind you that information found on social media is not always reflective of the facts," he wrote in the letter. "We need to work together as a community to not speculate and spread rumors which will only add additional concern to the matter."

On Monday, the district announced that students who traveled over the February break started feeling sick on the flight home. The students reported various gastric symptoms and in some cases, fever. The letter did not mention exactly how many students reported feeling sick.

Following the reports, the district said that the school nurses first contacted the hotline number associated with COVID-19 found on the Center for Disease Control website. CDC officials then recommended that the nurses contact the Suffolk County Health Department, who expressed confidence that the gastric symptoms the students had were most likely the norovirus, flu or salmonella and are not reflective of the respiratory symptoms or symptoms of pneumonia which accompany COVID-19, Giordano wrote in the letter.

The health department advised that anyone demonstrating gastric symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps, and/fever, should be seen by their doctor and tested for the flu and salmonella.

"It is important to note that 10 years ago, the district made the decision to expand upon the daily cleaning and disinfecting practices utilized to include the addition of Virex, a germicidal disinfectant that complies with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards," the letter reads. "Virex is often used in places such as schools, nursing homes, hotels and hospitals."

The district also listed the following health etiquette advice to the community:

• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue and put the used tissue in a waste basket. If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve, not your hands.
• Wash hands by following these five steps every time.

1. Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold), turn off the tap, and apply soap.

2. Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.

3. Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice.

4. Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.

5. Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them.

• Remain home from school and see a physician if unwell. It is the policy of the district that children be fever-free for 24 hours before returning to school.

For additional information, contact the Suffolk County Department of Health at 631-854-0333 or your health care provider.