Christ the Cornerstone Academy Back Open

UPDATE: Christ the Cornerstone has been given the OK to open back up. The staff members who have been tested have all shown negative results; therefore they have received verbal approval that the school can be open on Wednesday 29th. For complete details, please visit their website.

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The Swine Flu Virus detected in Mira Mesa is a cause for concern, but we all must proceed with caution. I heard on the news that one student from Christ the Cornerstone Academy tested positive for swine flu, then six teachers became ill causing San Diego County Health Officials to close the school for up to 7 days. Many parents from the school have been responding with outrage that they were not informed right away, while others understand the steps necessary to inform without spreading panic needs to proceed with caution and gathering all the facts before rushing to judgment.

You can go to the Channel 8 News website and read some of the blog comments to see how varied the comments are. Some are pointing the finger at Mexico as the source of the outbreak here in California. These people would lead you to believe that by blaming the whole country, we will somehow eliminate future risks for this type of disease. They don’t focus on a solution to the problem, just pointing a finger and issuing blame.

Imagine what would happen if your child comes home with a cold. Would you just assume that it is the swine flu? Colds pass from child to child on a daily basis without any type of panic. Let’s not overreact to this. The school reacted once they found out the confirmation of the virus, and contacted the proper authorities. They sent out pamphlets to the parents, and residents surrounding the school. They are cooperating with the Health Officials to ensure the safety and well being of their students, faculty, and neighbors.

Temporarily closing the school is a precautionary measure while tests are conducted on the sick teachers to see if any of them actually contracted the disease. At this moment, there are only a total of 5 confirmed cases of swine flu in San Diego County. All 5 of those cases have recovered while none of them required hospitalization. It is recommended that if you feel sick, you should stay home from work or school. Just in case there is an outbreak of swine flu, there are enough doses of anti-viral medication for 50,000 people ordered for the San Diego region alone.

The best advice is to proceed with caution, not panic. This disease is passed from person to person, and most of the swine flu cases in California are mild. If you are showing symptoms, stay home from work or school. Parents don’t send your sick kids to school, this only increases the risk of others becoming infected. Keep informed, talk to other parents and school authorities, and watch the news for up to date information. Don’t look for someone to blame, look for a solution to the problem and pray for a cure. We will get through this as a community, and we will grow stronger together.

(For the more up-to-date information, you should visit the school’s website here.)