OLYMPIA — Nova middle school in Olympia closed Friday because so many students and faculty were out sick, according to the Thurston County Health Department.
In addition to the flu, there are at least six other respiratory viruses making the rounds, said Dr. Rachel Wood, health officer for Thurston and Lewis counties.
On Monday, 23 Nova students were ill, said Barbara Mitchell Hutton, head of school. Tuesday, 40 percent of students and 40 percent of faculty were sick, so she canceled school Wednesday, Hutton said. In the meantime, the school was disinfected. Thursday, 29 percent of the students were sick, some of them for the first time, Hutton said. So Nova was closed again Friday. A total 108 students attend Nova.
Nova has had one confirmed case of influenza, one of pneumonia and one of strep, according to Hutton. Other people are reporting high temperature and nausea, Hutton said.