Large flu outbreak suspected at San Diego high school

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Respiratory and flu-like symptoms among a large number of students at a San Diego County high school are under investigation by health authorities, the county said.

The Public Health Services investigation announced Wednesday involves the San Diego Unified School District’s Patrick Henry High School, which has 2,600 students.

“Although the County reports daily several hundred COVID-19 cases, and is already seeing a rapid and early start to flu season, it is too early to determine the cause of the suspected outbreak at Patrick Henry High School as test results are pending,” the county communications office said in a statement.

The county said that so far no hospitalizations had been linked to the illnesses at Patrick Henry High, but local hospitals including Rady Children’s Hospital have had a recent increase in emergency room visits due to flu and respiratory syncytial virus, which usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms.

“We are coordinating with local school districts and are checking with other school campuses to try and figure out why so many students have been affected so suddenly,” Dr. Cameron Kaiser, deputy public health officer, said in the statement.

The county said that 304 lab-confirmed influenza cases were reported last week, bringing the total for the season that started on July 3 to 1,082. At the same time last year, the county had reported only 200 influenza cases.

Nationally, doctors have been urging vaccine-weary Americans to not skip flu shots this fall. After flu hit historically low levels during the COVID-19 pandemic, it may be poised for a comeback.

Experts say that Australia just experienced its worst flu season in five years and what happens in Southern Hemisphere winters often foreshadows what Northern countries can expect.

In addition, people have largely abandoned masking and distancing precautions that earlier in the pandemic helped prevent the spread of other respiratory bugs.