More Schools Close Due To Swine Flu Worries; Baby's Death Examined

Last night, a 16-month-old boy with flu-like symptoms died at Elmhurst Hospital Center. According to the Daily News, the hospital said 200 people were also there with flu-like symptoms. The Centers for Disease Control will investigate whether swine flu was the culprit.

Seventeen schools—15 public and 2 non-public—have been closed after numerous students have been absent with swine flu-like symptoms. Most closed schools are located in Queens, but yesterday St. David's School, an all-boys Catholic school on East 89th Street in Manhattan, decided to close because 12% of the student population is sick. While no students have been confirmed a having swine flu (and Mayor Bloomberg said the city didn't recommend they close), the Post reports that headmaster David O'Halloran said shutting the school down was "the prudent thing to do." However, one Upper East Side neighbor worried, "We had no idea that there were any concerns of possible cases in Manhattan. It's certainly very disconcerting that right across the street, there are many children who are showing symptoms."

As parents and lawmakers wonder if their schools should be closed, Mayor Bloomberg said, "There’s no right answer. I’ve asked the question, ‘What would you do, [Health Commissioner] Dr. Frieden, if you wanted to prevent the spread of flu around the entire student population?’ And the answer is, ‘Closing the schools for a month, prohibit all interaction among kids outside of school, and even then there’s no guarantee that you can do that.’ The bottom line is, case-by-case basis is probably the right thing."

Bonnie Wiener, whose husband, an assistant principal at I.S. 238 in Queens, Mitch Wiener died from swine flu on Sunday, was grateful for the support she's received, "I am overwhelmed. "It's this wonderful community that my husband loved that will sustain me." Wiener, who had criticized the city for not closing I.S. 238 sooner when her husband fell ill, is also a teacher at the school and said that she would return next week to her classes, "They can't keep me away."