Tennessee Doctor Calls for Schools to Close
A Tennessee doctor is calling for schools and day care centers to close because of the high number of swine flu patients he is treating.
“I’ve never seen this before. I’ve been in practice 30 years and I’ve never been in a situation like this before, with so many kids coming in with the flu and so sick,” says Dr. Mohammad Koucheki of Crossville, TN, a small town about 70 miles from Chattanooga and Knoxville.
Dr. Koucheki has had to hospitalize seven patients with swine flu this week alone. He has been working 12 hour work days, trying to see every patient he can. He’s worried that soon swine flu patients will overwhelm the emergency room.
Cumberland County School officials say they have no plans to close the school even though 9% of students stayed home on Monday.