One Newberry Academy senior and the boyfriend of a student who went on a senior class Cancun cruise on April 16 have tested “probable“ for swine flu, Atlanta lab tests have revealed.

Of the 22 Newberrians swabbed to test for swine flu, two tested “probable” for “a novel strain“ of influenza not seen before in humans, says Jim Beasley, Department of Health and Environmental Control spokesman.

Those two swabs were sent to the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta for immediate testing.

Newberry Academy will be closed to students until Monday.

“Of the viruses sampled, two were type A, unsubtypable,“ said Dr. Jerry Gibson, chief of DHEC’s Bureau of Disease Control.

Type A unsubtypable means the two “probable“ cases fall under the type A flu category, but have subsections that haven’t been classified before.

But because this is a new virus, DHEC says it assumes the two “probable cases“ with the unfamiliar subtype are the new swine flu virus.

’Fine now’

The female student who tested “probable“ had comparatively milder flu-like symptoms than the others that felt ill after returning from the Cancun trip, says Newberry Academy Headmaster Bob Dawkins.

Dawkins says the student is feeling better and had milder flu symptoms like headache, cough and respiratory issues, but is “not real sick.“

“She had one of the milder, if not the mildest, of cases,“ Dawkins says. “So all the others had something else. She’s fine now.“

Many of the others ended up in the emergency room, he says.

The young man who received the other “probable“ swab is rumored to be a boyfriend of a student, “but I’m not aware of him ever dating anyone at our school, and in a small school, you kind of know,“ says Dawkins.

Dawkins heard that the infected man is not a student anywhere, but says he can’t confirm the information.

Sanitizing of the school began yesterday.

Dawkins has welcomed calls from any family in the school who felt flu-like. So far, five households have called reporting symptoms, he says. One grandparent and one parent affiliated with the school have felt ill, too.

’Still the flu’

As DHEC awaits CDC results, other swabs within the original 22 are still being analyzed, says Beasley.

But the common-sense steps to prevent spreading and contracting the flu are the same for all strains, he says.

After all, he says, “the flu is still the flu.“

Beasley recommends washing hands frequently and coughing or sneezing into the crook of your arm to prevent the spread of germs.

And if you are feeling sick, stay home and avoid large crowds, says Beasley.

If flu-like symptoms worsen, see a doctor, DHEC advises.

“We expect that those who are sick to voluntarily isolate themselves for a short time, and those who were exposed should voluntarily quarantine themselves at home. DHEC will assure those in isolation will receive appropriate treatment,“ says Gibson. “These steps are asked not only to help exposed and infected citizens, but also to protect others from exposure and illness, and to prevent further spread. Isolation and quarantine are used to protect your family, friends and others from the virus.“

’Take a deep breath’ A good barometer to check for basic influenza is the up-in-the-morning test Andy Hawkins, community relations director for Newberry County Memorial Hospital, says.

“If you get up in the morning and think, ’Maybe I shouldn’t go to work,’ it’s probably not the flu. If you wake up and think, ’Oh my God. I can’t even get out of bed,’ that’s the flu,“ says Hawkins.

If you don’t have a high fever, it’s likely pollen issues, says Hawkins. Rather, she says, look for flu symptoms like high fever and aches and pains.

“We’re treating it and it’s acting like a regular flu virus,“ says Hawkins. “It’s not an extreme one at this point. They’re telling people to take (the popular antiviral drugs) Tamiflu and Relenza.“

Despite all the media coverage on swine flu, Hawkins estimates about eight concerned people came into the hospital Monday for rapid flu tests, which are also available at doctor’s offices.

“Keep in mind that every one of them was negative for the flu, so do not overreact,“ says Hawkins.

Like Beasley, Hawkins recommends the basic hygiene and germ-sense care.

“Follow common-sense rules and we should be able to at least slow this virus. It doesn’t seem like an extreme version of the flu, at least it’s not manifested itself in that way here,“ says Hawkins. “So I think we all need to take a deep breath and educate ourselves and do the things that we can do that will help tremendously to control it.“

Public schools

In other school news, Newberry District Superintendent Bennie Bennett says the district does not intend to close public schools and has no evidence that any public school student is infected.

“We’ve been in constant contact with DHEC and are not in danger right now,“ says Bennett.

But like many others, the district is taking precautions.

“If your child feels ill with fever, headache, body ache and/or fatigue, please keep the child at home and contact your doctor,“ says Kim McPherson, nurse coordinator for the School District of Newberry County.

“We continue to monitor the situation and communicate regularly with the Department of Health and Environmental Control as well as the Center for Disease Control. DHEC has issued a press release available through our Web site,” McPherson says. “At the local level, we are monitoring student health and increasing our focus on good hygiene by encouraging hand washing and frequently cleaning high-touch areas.“

Check out the school district’s Web site at www.newberry.k12.sc.us and click on News & Information at the top of the page for updates.