By Carl Zielinski
Gargoyle staff reporter
Posted Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2007, The OG, news

HAVE YOU BEEN noticing fewer people showing up at school this week? If you answered yes, you're not alone. With flu season now in full swing, more and more people are staying home sick.

On Monday, 33 people were absent due to illness for all or most of the school day, according to figures provided by the main office.

While the number may seem innocuous, that's more than 10 percent of the Uni student body. An additional 11 people were gone for shorter portions of the day.

As if this weren't enough, on Tuesday 52 people were either gone for the entire day or went home sick at some point after school started, totaling about 17 percent of the Uni population — roughly one-sixth of the student body.

[Update: As of noon today, 32 students were out sick.]

“This is the most I have ever seen in my time at Uni, and may be the most ever,” said Director/Principal Kassie Patton about the number of absences.

Patton is in her fourth year at Uni. Typically, five to 10 students are absent each day due to illness.

“There seems to be a variety of symptoms going around right now,” she said. “Most people have had upper respiratory symptoms (sneezing, sinus infections, sore throats, cough), fevers, aches and pains, and fatigue.”

So what advice does Patton offer to students who feel any of those symptoms coming on?

“When people are sick, they need to stay home so they can rest, get well, and prevent the spread of sickness,” she said.

Sophomore Deren Kudeki seconded Patton's advice. Still healthy, Kudeki knows the odds are probably against him, but he thinks it's still possible he can make it through the winter unscathed.

“All I have to do is survive the next week or two without getting sick,” Kudeki wrote in the Gargoyle staff blog. “And at least those who are staying home are resting, getting better, and not exposing me and the rest of the healthy students any more than we already have been.”

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— Gargoyle column: So sick

— Gargoyle staff blog: Sickness to the right of me, sickness to the left of me, sickness behind me