More than 170 pupils at the same school called in sick in just one day, a head teacher has claimed.
Brian Guthrie, the principal of Ebrington Primary School in Londonderry, said many were suffering from flu and some even had to attend A&E and be admitted to hospital.
Mr Guthrie said the school of 500 pupils saw attendance drop to as low as 63 per cent last week, meaning over a third were off sick.
“The number of students off has been unprecedented,” he said. “Even at the worst height of Covid, I didn’t see attendance like this.”
A tidal wave of flu has already left 10 times as many patients in hospital compared with this time two years ago.
Official figures show confirmed flu cases among adults and children in Northern Ireland have more than trebled in the last two weeks, rising from 273 to 954.
Mr Guthrie said both children and staff had been affected.
“They’ve also had stomach bugs, sore throats and illnesses, but it has been challenging to have this many pupils and staff off,” he added.
“There’s a flu epidemic going around Northern Ireland at the minute and it’s been having a major impact.”
