After a case of H1N1 swine flu was confirmed Tuesday, Oct. 13, attendance at Downers Grove South High School was down Wednesday.

The Downers South student with the confirmed case has been hospitalized, while another student with an unconfirmed case is being treated at home, according to a Community High School District 99 letter sent to parents.

Principal Steve Bild declined to give the medical condition of the hospitalized student, or who may have been in contact with him or her at the school.

“We did have a larger number of students who were absent today than we have had so far this month,” Bild said. “But that isn’t alarming.”

Faith Behr, a District 99 spokeswoman, said Wednesday there has been no new cases, and the student remains hospitalized.

“We are continuing to monitor the situation, but to this point, there has been no change,” she said.

Bild said he has spoken with school staff and contacted parents about the case. He believes the school is doing everything in its power to prevent future cases.

“Up to this point, we have done a great job in starving off this flu,” Bild said. “But with a building that houses 3,100 students, the law of averages was against us.”

School staff is being encouraged to take precautions and to continue with preventive methods that have been in place since last spring, officials said.

“The kids know about this. They are talking about it,” Bild said. “They are telling their fellow classmates to cough in there sleeves, and those kinds of things.”

According to a letter sent to the staff by District 99 Superintendent Mark McDonald, there are no current plans to close the high school. But he did indicate that if there is a sudden spike in absenteeism as a result of flu-like symptoms, the district would consult with the DuPage County Health Department about possibly closing the school.

David Hass, a spokesman for the DuPage County Health Department, said there may be many mild cases of H1N1, but only those patients who have been hospitalized for more that 24 hours are being tested, and are considered “confirmed” cases if the test is positive.

“Many people who may have this strain of flu don’t have to be hospitalized, and can recover quickly, and get back to their normal lives quickly,” Hass said.

Hass added that the Health Department has been working with school districts all over the county with their absentee lists, and in informing them about ways to prevent the spread of the H1N1 flu.