Sick-note children with mystery illness

DOZENS of school pupils in Felixstowe have been hit by a mystery virus.

In the worst case, classes have been reduced to half their normal size and some teachers have also been affected.

Joan Bostock, head teacher at Colneis Junior School, said: "The problem is very bad here, affecting about a quarter of the children.

"Some are being kept at home by their parents and others are being sent home during the day.

"The symptoms seem to last for two or three days. The bug has also affected members of staff, with one taking a whole week off.

"The doctor said it was a viral infection."

The bug particularly affects the older children, especially in year six.

The symptoms include an upset stomach, which leads to vomiting in some cases, and the usual flu symptoms of high temperature, sore throat, headaches and stuffy noses.

But not all suffers are affected in the same way.

However, the worst may be over. The number of children infected seems to have passed its peak and most are returning back to school.

A spokeswoman for Deben High School said: "Two classes in particular had a lot of absentees.

"But for the rest of the school the level of sickness was not any higher than we would normally expect.

"The children affected are among the youngest in the school, but we won't know what is wrong with them until they return to class with their sick notes."

Other schools in the area seem to have escaped infection. Orwell High School, for example, has not been affected.

Joy Griffiths, assistant to the headteacher, said: "We have nothing more than just the usual sort of cold and flu symptoms affecting the children, but it is normal and at a level we would expect for this time of year."

Mike Jude, head of Trimley St Mary Primary School, said there was nothing unusual to report from his school either.

He said:"We have very few off, which is good for this time of year.

"Perhaps the bug hasn't reached us yet – touch wood."