Lakewood limiting visitors

Lakewood Health System in Staples announced Wednesday that it will be limiting visitors at all Lakewood Health System locations, including its clinics, hospital, care center and assisted living facilities, because of the high number of H1N1 cases.

Patients and their caregivers are being asked to leave other family members and friends at home when they need to come to a Lakewood facility. If visitors are necessary, all school-age children will be required to wear a mask and all other visitors must complete a brief wellness evaluation.

Patients experiencing flu-like illnesses will be asked to wear a mask. Symptoms include a fever, headache, muscle aches, cough and runny nose.

FluLine started

The Minnesota FluLine number is 1-866-259-4655

Patients who are suffering from influenza-like illnesses who wish to make a doctor's appointment are asked to call Lakewood's flu hotline at (218) 894-1515 or (800) 525-1033. A nurse will be taking these calls to help callers identify the signs and symptoms of influenza, when to seek medical care and how to identify warning signs for severe cases.

Lakewood also announced it was canceling its regularly scheduled Halloween party at its care center as a precaution in preventing the spread of the H1N1 virus.

Lakewood Health System is temporarily out of the seasonal flu vaccine and has not yet received any H1N1 vaccine for public use. As additional shipments arrive, the public will be notified and additional flu shot clinics will be scheduled.

Pine River-Backus Schools hit by swine flu

Pine River-Backus School District reported 80 students, or more than 8 percent of its students in preschool through 12th grade, were home sick with flu-like illnesses, likely the H1N1 virus, on Tuesday.

Superintendent Cathy Bettino sent voicemail and e-mail messages to parents through the district's notification system Wednesday, asking parents to make sure their children stay home if they are sick.

Bettino said the flu seems to be affecting students more than staff since very few staff members have been ill.

"The kids seem to be most vulnerable," said Bettino.

Bettino told parents that this matter was very serious and that it's important that everyone take appropriate precautions by keeping their child home if he or she is sick and avoid contact with other people to keep from spreading the illness to others.

JODIE TWEED may be reached at jodie.tweed@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5858.