4 more swine flu cases suspected in Henry, Fayette

State health officials said they have three more probable cases of swine flu in Henry County among boys but would not say whether the cases involve Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy, where two students have been diagnosed with the H1N1 virus.

The state’s update Thursday also included a probable case involving an 8-year-old boy from Fayette County.

The new Henry County probable cases involve two 13-year-old boys and a 6-year-old boy. Eagle’s Landing is a private school in McDonough serving K-3 through 12th grade.

The school opened Thursday after being closed for three days. The closure followed the disclosure of the first case of swine flu involving a 14-year-old student. Later in the week, state health officials said a 13-year-old student also had contracted the disease.

As part of its update, officials said they will be scaling back testing for swine flu to only people who were hospitalized.

Eagle’s Landing reopened after a thorough cleaning, and Chuck Gilliam, assistant head of the school, said the “vast majority” of students returned and it was “business as usual.”

“There are still some students out,” Gilliam said. “I think they are just being precautious, which we understand, but we feel as we continue to walk through this together, they’ll continue to see the environment is safe, that we’re following the guidelines and doing what the CDC has asked us to do.”

Gilliam declined to comment on the new Henry County cases.

Lucresha Pearce kept her child out of school after hearing that the second student had contracted swine flu. Pearce, of Stockbridge, arrived at school to pick up classwork for her 8-year-old daughter.

“I didn’t want to risk the chance of her getting the flu,” said Pearce, who has another 5-year-old girl at home. “I’m pretty sure it’s safe now, but I still didn’t want to risk it.”

Pearce said she’ll probably send her daughter back to Eagle’s Landing on Monday.

The school had planned to shut down 14 days after the first case surfaced, based on guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But the CDC has since relaxed that directive.

“There are schools out there with multiple cases, with single cases, but regardless of the situation schools have reopened because they see this as being like seasonal flu,” he said. “The protocol from the CDC is to follow the guidelines for seasonal flu. Wash your hands, if you have a fever don’t come to school, and cover your cough or sneeze. Those are the things we’re encouraging everyone to do.”

Picking up her three kids, ages 11, 13, and 15, from school, Gina Blackaby said she saw no reason to keep them home.

“I felt very confident with Henry County making a decision that the virus wasn’t as bad, that we can deal with it if someone comes down with it, if you have the right medications,” she said. “So we just felt secure that it wasn’t as severe.”

Senior Robby Cook said school wasn’t as crowded as he thought it would be.

“But it’s good to know I’ll be able to graduate on time,” Cook said. “I know people were glad the baseball team and the track team will get to go to state.”

Seniors Phillip Hyatt and Michael Boynton downplayed the situation.

Hyatt said he researched the swine flu while school was closed “and realized the regular flu might really be more serious.”

Boynton said Thursday turned out pretty much like every other school day.

“They told us this morning we had to make up some work, but other than that it was just an ordinary day.”