The death of an intermediate pupil from the swine flu virus last Thursday has caused unprecedented levels of absenteeism from schools in the region of Al-Rass in Qassim as fear and rumors take hold of pupils, teachers and parents alike. Al-Abbas School, where the deceased pupil was studying, reported an almost 100 percent absence on the part of pupils, while Al-Rass General Hospital hosted large numbers of visitors wishing to have their children tested. The situation was exacerbated by unconfirmed reports that six positive cases had been detected, and that a teacher and his two sons had been quarantined at Al-Rass General. Education officials, meanwhile, refused to comment on last week's death of a male pupil, and sources have said that education staff have not been authorized to comment but instead have been told to leave statements to the Ministry of Health.
