DESOTO, TEXAS -
September in Texas and everyone has high school football fever, but there is one fever all teams are trying to avoid, the one caused by the swine flu. Texas Health Dallas emergency room doctor Mark Till says a football environment is where the H1N1 virus can thrive.
"Any close environment where there is a whole bunch of kids all close together, all interacting with each other, all with close body contact. that is how it spreads."
At DeSoto High School, Eagles quarterback Ryan Polite is trying to avoid the swine flu like he's trying to avoid the blitz.
"We are going a lot to try to stay healthy. We wash our hands constantly. Wash the laundry after almost every practice, take showers after every practice, we can't even get in the training room without taking a shower."
Football teams do everything together, at DeSoto, they even have pregame meals together. After eating, the tables are then disinfected. Towels and practice uniforms are laundered everyday. Water bottles are disinfected in a restaurant grade dish washer. The Eagle program has nearly 200 players, head athletic trainer Scott Galloway says all of them have to obey the swine flu law, practice good hygiene.
"When you add the weather, the elements, the blood, sweat and tears and all the things that encompass football this time of year, it's a definite draw for things like the swine flu."
So far, so good for the DeSoto program. In the locker room, posters remind players to wash their hands. Running back Marcus Murphy wears a bottle of hand sanitizer around his neck. Their opponents will be tough this year, but only the swine flu can leave them flat on their back.
"In Texas." Says Galloway. "When you are trying to win football games, it's even a bigger problem."
"Any close environment where there is a whole bunch of kids all close together, all interacting with each other, all with close body contact. that is how it spreads."
At DeSoto High School, Eagles quarterback Ryan Polite is trying to avoid the swine flu like he's trying to avoid the blitz.
"We are going a lot to try to stay healthy. We wash our hands constantly. Wash the laundry after almost every practice, take showers after every practice, we can't even get in the training room without taking a shower."
Football teams do everything together, at DeSoto, they even have pregame meals together. After eating, the tables are then disinfected. Towels and practice uniforms are laundered everyday. Water bottles are disinfected in a restaurant grade dish washer. The Eagle program has nearly 200 players, head athletic trainer Scott Galloway says all of them have to obey the swine flu law, practice good hygiene.
"When you add the weather, the elements, the blood, sweat and tears and all the things that encompass football this time of year, it's a definite draw for things like the swine flu."
So far, so good for the DeSoto program. In the locker room, posters remind players to wash their hands. Running back Marcus Murphy wears a bottle of hand sanitizer around his neck. Their opponents will be tough this year, but only the swine flu can leave them flat on their back.
"In Texas." Says Galloway. "When you are trying to win football games, it's even a bigger problem."
