SANFORD — By mid-week, Sanford’s school student population had just one confirmed case of H1N1 flu from a school population 3,500, but all the signs point to a much higher rate of infection.

Superintendent of Schools Betsy St. Cyr Thursday estimated that 9 to 11 percent of the overall student population was absent this week for various reasons, including upper respiratory infections like bronchitis.

At Sanford High School the absentee rate was 11.8 percent Thursday, up from 9 percent a year ago on the date.

“We’re watching the high school,” said Sanford School Department Director of Educational Operations David Theoharides.

 At Sanford Junior High School, the absentee rate was 6 percent, up from 3.5 percent a year ago.

 Maine Centers for Disease Control Director Dr. Dora Ann Mills in her weekly update Thursday said more than two dozen Maine schools had absentee rates of more than 15 percent.

In general terms, Mills said, H1N1 is “widespread,” in the state.

“It ranges form York County to Aroostook, Oxford to Washington counties,” she said.

In York County, schools reporting absenteeism above 15 percent include South Berwick and York, according to Maine CDC.

In Sanford, St. Cyr said anyone who arrives at school with a fever is sent home. She said notices have been sent home to parents advising students must be free of fever for 24 hours and not under the influence of fever-reducing medications before returning to classes.

H1N1 symptoms include fever, sore throat and cough. In some cases, symptoms include vomiting and diarrhea.

Over the past week, 10 Mainers were hospitalized with H1N1, Mills said, though eight of the 10 have since been released.

Goodall Hospital president Darlene Stromstad on Wednesday confirmed that the local hospital has had its first H1N1 admission.

Mills said the make-up of those who had been hospitalized included an infant and three children, one young adult, and five middle-aged adults. At one time, three of the 10 hospitalized were in intensive care.

Mills said none of the children who spent time in hospital had underlying chronic conditions, while some of the adults did.

In her weekly update, Mills said the prevalence of H1N1 is more widespread than any flu she’d previously seen.

“I think it will continue to expand,” she said. Mills said Franklin County recently marked its first confirmed case of H1N1, the last of the 16 counties to report an outbreak.

So far, about 15,000 Maine children have received the H1N1 vaccine, Mills said.

About 1,200 Sanford children received the H1N1 vaccine in a clinic hosted by Goodall Health Partners two weeks ago and 500 doses were dispensed a week before that, said Theoharides, in all about half the student population.

Mills said by the end of the week, the state will have received a total of 139,000 doses of swine flu vaccine, enough for only one in five people in high priority groups that include children and pregnant women.

A significant portion of the state’s stockpile of antiviral medicines has been distributed for those who do not have adequate insurance coverage, who are at risk for complications, who are ill with symptoms of H1N1 or have been exposed to a household member with influenza, Mills said. She said some doses of vaccine have also been distributed to health care providers for pregnant women, pre-school aged children, and some older children and adults with very high risk conditions.

St. Cyr meanwhile, said school officials are taking extra precautions. Hand sanitizers have been installed in classrooms and in the cafeterias, school nursing staff are emphasizing respiratory hygiene and the custodial staff has upped their cleaning of hard surfaces.

“They’re making it a priority,” said St. Cyr.

A decision to close a school due to swine flu is a local issue, Maine Department of Education commissioner Susan Gendron recently told school officials in a conference call. St. Cyr said schools are being advised by the DOE that closures be mulled if absenteeism among school staff was great enough to affect a school’s operation.

“Our big concerns is staff and bus drivers,” said St. Cyr. “We need bus drivers to get kids to school, food service workers, ed techs and teachers.”

 St. Cyr said, there hasn’t been a large number of staff out sick.

“So far, we’re okay,” she said.

But if staff members are sick, they should stay home, she emphasized, a departure from advice in previous years.

“In the past we’ve said to staff do the best you can to get in and muddle through. Now, with H1N1, if you have a temperature, we want you to stay home,” St. Cyr concluded.

— Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 or twells@journaltribune.com.