North Bend school officials have reversed an early decision to close schools Monday after a student with influenza-like symptoms tested negative for the H1N1 strain.

The situation prompted the North Bend School District to send some students home early Friday afternoon and cancel all activities and classes through Monday.

But Saturday afternoon, school officials sent out a press release stating that school would take place Monday.

"The student in question tested negative for Influenza A, which indicates there is no verification of the epidemic flu and it is safe to return to school," the release said.

Feeling rotten

Superintendent BJ Hollensteiner said the sick teenager went to a school nurse Friday morning complaining of being ill. Symptoms included a temperature higher than 100, a sore throat and cough.

"The symptoms were such that we needed to go ahead and close all schools because we had probable cause to think the student might have influenza," Hollensteiner said. "If the student hadn't presented those criteria, then we would not have done what we did."

Following the report, Hollensteiner said she went to the high school to work on an action plan and notified the Coos County Public Health Department and a physician. She said the district is following recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The student is involved in school sports. However, the superintendent said, the teenager's teammates won't be specially notified.

"At this point no, because we wouldn't know who all of those kids are anyway," she said.

Even without notifying specific students, she said all students are now aware of the situation.

County Public Health Administrator Frances Smith said her department recommended the teenager be tested for influenza. Her nurses are gathering information from his family and school employees to get an idea of how many people could have been exposed.

The student traveled to Colorado, where cases of swine flu have been confirmed, and had returned home this week.

Staying calm

No cancellations were planned for Coos Bay schools Friday, said Marshfield High School nurse Shannon Weybright. She noted that state and federal health officials are saying that schools shouldn't be closed unless there is a confirmed case.

"That's what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say," on their Web site, Weybright said. "Coos Bay public schools will not be closing unless something changes."

She noted that only one person has died in the United States from the latest strain of influenza, while thousands die during the course of a regular flu season.

"I have no doubt we're going to get it here," she said. "You want a calm, cool and collected approach and not scare everyone."

Understanding a virus

If this is a case of swine flu, the student would have been contagious one day before symptoms appeared and will be up to seven days afterward.

North Bend Medical Center internist Dr. Douglas Crane said chances are low the case will prove to be swine flu, but he feels North Bend did the right thing shutting down the schools. People who don't show signs of an illness still can spread it.

"It's when you're getting it that you're shedding the virus badly," he said Friday afternoon.

Crane said that the H1N1 virus is treatable with the drug Tamiflu that can lessen symptoms if caught within 24 hours.

North Bend canceled all school events and activities until further notice. Hollensteiner said she hoped to have the test results this weekend.

"This is a reality. This is happening," Middle school Principal Vince Swagerty said Friday afternoon as students were going home.

Smith said the 14-day closure is a standard CDC recommendation. Whether classrooms would have to be dark for that long depends on the test results.

"Getting that test is going to be important to determine if it is the flu of concern," Smith said.

Alexander Rich contributed to this story