THE Civil Defence has been called in to provide emergency cover at a number of schools throughout the county as school wardens have fallen victim to the flu virus that has been rampant over the holiday period.
Kildare Road Safety Officer Declan Keogh said every effort is being made to have cover in as many places as possible but up to 10 schools may not have a full service this week and next.
“But it is not as simple as putting a lay person out onto the road to direct traffic and school children across the road, because of implications such as insurance, legislation and training,” he said.
He urged parents and guardians to accompany their children to school where possible, ensuring that they got across the roads safely until the wardens were able to return to duty.
Meanwhile KDoc Medical Director and Kildare GP Faculty spokesperson Dr Brendan O’Shea confirmed that there had been “an exceptionally high” number of flu cases during the holiday period.
“In KDoc, we have seen large numbers of both children and adults with viral respiratory tract infections,” Dr O’Shea told the ***Kildare Nationalist***, adding that GPs surgeries were also reporting a high incidence of flu.
“We understand from the HSE that the numbers are not so high as to have this classed as an epidemic but there is no doubt that doctors in the county have been seeing a very large number of cases in the past few weeks,” he said.
Differentiating between the common cold and influenza is often difficult for people but as Dr O’Shea commented: “It’s really about the level of illness. If you are feeling knocked flat and without energy, and have headaches or muscular aches and pains along with a runny nose and cough, then you most probably have flu.”
He stressed that there was no evidence of any particularly serious strain of flu virus circulating. “Doctors’ surgeries have certainly been inundated but we have no evidence of this being in any way a serious strain,” he said. As ever, medical treatment as required and a few days’ rest will see most people over the worst of these symptoms.
Meanwhile, with the flu virus described as “crippling” the school warden service, the Road Safety Officer said that up to eight schools in Newbridge (Scoil Mhuire Junior and Senior), Maynooth, Leixlip and Celbridge would be without a warden yesterday (Monday) morning as children returned after the Christmas break.
