Korean Job Discussion Forums

xCustomx · Joined: 06 Jan 2006

This week the flu is starting to spread all over. Today there are about 4-6 students absent in every class, and more went home after lunch. There was a line of about 15-20 students at the nurse office during lunch and students are constantly coughing in class. I imagine this is only going to get worse as it gets colder and more people are infected.

Katchafire · Posted: Wed Oct 21, 2009 9:21 pm Post subject:

According to my co-teacher, yesterday we had 80 students absent - 7 of whom have been diagnosed with swine flu.
Today the Principal instructed all teachers to have classroom windows open so that any dirty germs will 'fly away' rather than linger and infect.
It was freeeeezing.

DrugstoreCowgirl · Posted: Wed Oct 21, 2009 9:30 pm Post subject:

In my first class yesterday over half the class was absent. Everyone is wearing face masks. School is closed tomorrow.

blackjack · Joined: 04 Jan 2006 Location: anyang

My school has been closed since tuesday, right when I started to get sick. don't think it is swine flue as different symptoms (extreme tirdness, hacking cough and a very fuzzy head). we had 16 kids in one class absent with swine flue like symptoms

br_owen · Joined: 10 Jun 2008

where are you cats teaching?

son of coco · Joined: 14 Mar 2008

I'd imagine it'll get worse quickly due to people coughing all over each other and sneezing without covering their mouths myself.

Said when Swine Flu kicked off that it'd spread like wildfire here due to people's habits when they're sick. Have been sneezed and coughed on in class myself.

Glad to see practical solutions like opening all the windows are being suggested though Confused

Molorchus · Joined: 01 Apr 2009 Location: Songpa-gu, Seoul

20 of my middle school students have swine flu...but, according to my co-teacher, we aren't closing the school 'til it hits 30.

Edit: my co-teacher now has swine flu, making it 21 as of today.

DrugstoreCowgirl · Posted: Wed Oct 21, 2009 10:17 pm Post subject:

Horangi Munshin · Joined: 06 Apr 2003 Location: Busan

Four students had H1N1 a few weeks back, no others so far.

nathanrutledge · Joined: 01 May 2008 Location: Marakesh

went to the gepik meeting last friday, felt bad sunday, felt terrible monday. called my coteacher, told her I had a fever and aches and wasn't coming to school. her response? go to the doctor then come to school.

called her back. "hey, i think i have the flu. we canceled our everland trip for fear of the flu. we check temperatures regularly. there is no way in hell i will be the pariah that brings the flu to school. no thanks!"

i'm back now, no flu, but still bad cold and aches. we'll see...

tenchu77491 · Joined: 16 Mar 2009

I work in 2 public schools, I have 3~6 kids absent in one school (have been absent for 3-5 days). This is in northern Seoul. Nothing major yet........

Countrygirl · Joined: 19 Nov 2007 Location: in the classroom

Some of the teachers want to cancel the English Festival that is next week due to swine flu. So far, no students have gotten sick. My co-teacher is really upset because both her and the mothers worked hard planning this. There is a suspicion that the teachers are more afraid of English than the actual threat of H1N1.

i · Joined: 10 Apr 2008 Location: Seoul

Today at my school in Yongin there was an announcement that 3 or 4 students possibly have it. About 5 mins later, a couple guys with a hose came in, evacuated the classrooms and sprayed some fog in the classes. We were told we could return in 10 mins. Come back and have to breathe in that crap for another hour. Everyone was coughing and had a dry throat from that fog. Told my co-teacher they need to spray the students, not the rooms. Shortly thereafter, several students took off and returned with masks from the nurses office.

I-am-me · Joined: 21 Feb 2006 Location: Hermit Kingdom

Yes, its hitting Suwon schools like wildfire. Probably doesnt help that gym class is held outside and kids wear t-shirts in the cold then cough on each other. I expect a few deaths by end of November.

hockeyguy109 · Joined: 22 Dec 2008 Location: Daegu

So its officially flu season. Wonderful.

All this talk about schools being weird about sick days really bothers me. One person mentioned that they were sick and their co-teacher said "Go to the doctor then come into school."

I don't know about where you come from, but this really wouldn't go over well with me. When I get sick, I just drink some nyquil (I brought some from home), take lots of vitamins, get a good days rest or so and then return to work in better condition.

I really don't want to wander into a Korean doctors office sick as a dog, be given insufficient amounts of random antibiotics and have to go to school dying.

I've been at my school for 7 months, haven't taken any sick leave or gotten sick, but I know that there's a good chance I will get sick this Winter. When my co-teacher calls with these instructions can I just say "Thanks for the support, but I'm staying in bed and will call you tomorrow to let you know how I feel?"