The winter's second flurry of flu-like symptoms has been emptying desks at area schools.

Linda Goodman, head nurse at Cape Girardeau Central High, thinks students and teachers are experiencing stomach and throat discomfort now because they didn't spend enough time taking care of the problem the first time it occurred in late January.

"They're coming back too soon and that's why we're seeing the same thing we saw three weeks ago," Goodman said. Students in area schools are reporting cases of nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, head congestion and strep throat after having dealt with the same illness less than a month ago.

"It started three weeks ago when we had about 120 people out," Central High attendance secretary Kande Metje said. "We were down to about 89 percent and now we're back to 93 percent."

Janet James, a nurse at Alma Schrader and Washington elementary schools, said attendance at Alma Schrader began to drop to 97 percent on Valentine's Day and continued plummeting to 93 percent last week.

"We're seeing higher absentees than usual," James said. "Anyone who has headaches, fever, an upset stomach or throat soreness should stay home until the symptoms go away."

James said she had to send eight students from Washington Elementary School home one day last week. "It's unusual for me to send that many home in one day," she said.

Ester Gray, a nurse who works at West Lane Elementary and Orchard Elementary in Jackson, said the symptoms she has been seeing indicate a stomach virus is going around.

"Actually it seems like there are several things going around at once," she said. Gray said both schools have seen a 10 percent reduction in attendance because of the virus.

Notre Dame High School students experienced stomach viruses three weeks ago. However, attendance has not dropped dramatically since then. "We had an eight-percent absentee rate then, but we're not seeing that now," said Jean Hermsdorfer, who works in the Notre Dame administration office.

Area medical experts have a few tips for those who are experiencing intestinal or flu-like discomfort: Stick to a bland diet, take plenty of fluids and don't try to bounce back too quickly.

"Dehydration is the thing to watch for," said Charlotte Craig, director of the Cape Girardeau County Health Center.

"If it gets to the point where a child or older person can't get any water or liquids down after several hours, it's time to check with a doctor."

Dr. Ted Grieshop, an infectious disease specialist at Doctor's Park, said ailing adults should not go more than a day before checking with a doctor about dehydration.

"The main thing, when you're having diarrhea, is to take in liquids like water, 7-UP or Gatorade and avoid dairy products," Grieshop said. Babies should be given a saltwater solution to ward off dehydration.

Older people who are on medication that includes diuretics, which enhance the flow of fluids through the body, should also be on the alert for dehydration.

Grieshop said dairy products are ineffective because diarrhea keeps the stomach's enzymes from breaking down the sugar in such products.

Attendance at area schools was lowest when the flu bug hit at the end of January:

-- Attendance at Cape Central High School was at 89 percent three weeks ago but is back to 93 percent.

-- Cape Central Junior High's attendance dropped to below 90 percent but is back to 94 percent.

-- Notre Dame High's attendance is back to 96 percent after dropping to 92 percent in January.

Presently:

-- Alma Schrader Elementary attendance is now at 93 percent.

-- West Lane Elementary School in Jackson has a 90 percent attendance rate.

-- Orchard Elementary School in Jackson has 90 percent attendance.