PREVALENCE OF INFLUENZA

Southland Times, Issue 23793, 15 April 1939, Page 6

PREVALENCE OF INFLUENZA

SCHOOL ATTENDANCES AFFECTED POSITION IN INVERCARGILL NOT SERIOUS Influenza, in a mild form, is at present fairly prevalent in Invercargill and the staffs of business houses and the attendances at city schools are affected to some extent. Some firms are affected more than others but inquiries made resterday showed that the influenza is of a mid type and employees contracting it are usually absent from work for two or three days only. One departmental store’s staff has been somewhat depleted by influenza but as the employees nave not been away long it has not affected the store seriously. In contrast to this, another departmental store has not had one absentee through influenza since last week-end. 'XT .r. Several members of the staffs of Government departments are absent from work because of influenza. The Post Office and railway staffs are affected most, but even in these cases the number of absentees is not big. In the city schools the prevalence of the disease is more noticeable and in one school from ten to 25 per- cent, of the pupils are absent. Another school reported that about one-eighth of its total roll was absent. A survey of the position in the primary schools shows that the disease is more prevalent among the smaller children than among form I arid form II pupils, although in. the latter classes a good many are abr sent. The secondary schools have not suffered to the same extent as have the primary schools but unusually big numbers of pupils are absent. At one school one or tw<. boys are absent with measles. It is reported from Dunedin that many persons in that city are suffering from influenza. Some business firms’ staffs are reported to be seriously depleted and the attendances at schools are suffering from the outbreak. The district medical officer of health for Otago and Southland (Dr T. McKibbin), in an interview said that the complaint was fairly prevalent It was characterized by him as a very heavy type of cold, patients running a temperature. Some showed, signs of head colds, others none. Again others were affected internally and were vomiting, but, taken as a whole, the infection did not appear to be serious. Time f alone would tell if any pneumonic cases developed from the trouble. Pneumonia, however, was not a noti- , liable disease, and its incidence would only be ascertained from the notifiable deaths.

The safest and surest way to combat the trouble and to quickly throw it off, Dr McKibbin said, was to get to bed and keep warm. The symptoms usually vanished under proper treatment within three or four days at the most. The Health Department at Invercargill has received no notifications of pneumonic influenza.