School Sickness Is Not Alarming

• Chapin says that while there are many cases of illness in the schools, the numbers are no greater than normal during this type of weather• The investigation he ordered found that there is a large percentage of ill school children at the Hope Street High School, and the Rochambeau Ave. and Montague St. School, and that several schools in the North End and South Providence also show many absent students• A majority of schools report normal conditions• The number of influenza cases among school children is low, according to Chapin, and the majority of absences are due to slight colds [note: could these be misdiagnosed cases of mild influenza?]• Influenza is still not a reportable disease, so there is no way of knowing for sure how widespread or bad the new wave is; there is therefore a strong sentiment in favor or making it reportable• Newspaper writes, “This has been done in many other cities and some of the authorities here feel that it is the only safe way of dealing with a malady that has proven itself so contagious and deadly.”Newspaper article