Uh oh. You wake up and you have a sore throat and a stuffy nose. Every year around the months of January and February,  the “plague” strikes. It could be just a small cold, or it could be the flu and you are out for a week.

This affects everyone at NAI, even if you aren’t sick. Staff and students have had to stay home due to illness. It spreads like wildfire. On average for the past 4 days alone, 62 kids have visited the nurse.  The nurses, Mrs. Kelley and Mrs. Trent, said that the normal nurse visit per day is 30-40. The average number of student absences are not high, but these statistics are still very scary.

I remember last year I was really sick. I thought I was going to throw up, but I had four tests that day, so I came to school. Even though the attendance office has not really been seeing a spark in absences, the nurses office has been getting a lot of visits. If this many kids are visiting the nurse, most likely many of them should have just stayed home. Students do not want to miss school due to being stressed for tests or other work.

Germs can spread so easily, so kids coming to school even though they are sick can be dangerous.

Additionally, the Coronavirus has been sweeping all over the world. There have been cases in the US in Washington, California, Arizona, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Massachusetts.

However, the virus has not made its way to North Allegheny. The district has been taking measures to protect students and staff from the virus. An email was sent on February 4 excusing anyone who has arrived from China betweeen January 19 and February 2 for 14 calendar days. 

Keeping yourself healthy is key. Here are some tips to help you stay healthy recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).