School cancels rest of semester due to illnesses, as flu season ramps up

GASTONIA, N.C. — Gaston Christian School has announced it will be canceling classes for the rest of the semester after around 50 middle school students showed flu-like symptoms.

School leaders said originally more than 15 students said they were not feeling well before the number escalated.

Thursday was the last day of classes at the school and finals have also been canceled.

“The aggressive nature of the flu is one reason that it spreads rapidly within the school system,” said Dr. Andrew Nance, who practices family medicine at Atrium Health. “And before you know it, a whole class has the flu.”

Nance said he’s seen a consistent increase in patients with the flu.

The Centers for Disease Control shows North Carolina is seeing high levels of the flu and South Carolina is one of two states with very high flu levels.

“Looking at the CDC website today and yesterday, the trend is showing it’s going to be a rough couple of weeks coming up,” Nance said.

There is a growing number of people who went to the ER with respiratory symptoms since the middle of October, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.

“Probably people are touching the same door handles that other sick patients are touching,” Nance said. “And then they touch their eyes and nose and throat or their mouth.”

Nance recommends people wash their hands, avoid touching their faces, and stay away from people who are sick.

He said that’s the best remedy to ensure people have a healthy holiday.

“The foods that you eat, and the physical activity you get, and the sleep that you prioritize and trying to handle your stress are all really, really important,” Nance said.

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