Saturday, May 16th 2009, 10:48 AM
A Queens assistant principal who nearly died from the swine flu showed "slight improvement" overnight as his tormented family maintained a vigil at his hospital bedside.
"Nothing has gotten worse," Adam Wiener, 23, the eldest son of beloved teacher Mitchell Wiener said Saturday. "There is reason to hope."
Mitchell Wiener, a 31-year teaching veteran assigned to Intermediate School 238 in Queens, remained unconscious for a third day at Flushing Hospital.
Wiener, who became incoherent after his fever spiked, arrived at the facility Wednesday morning.
His wife, Bonnie, along with twin sons Farrell and Jordan, stayed with the 55-year-old all night in his room, according to Adam Wiener.
The family was forced to wear full-body protective suits to avoid contamination by the virus.
IS 238 is one of a half-dozen city school shut down Thursday and Friday over concerns of the spreading swine flu, although city officials stressed the outbreaks were isolated.
Five of the schools were in Queens: IS 238 in Hollis, IS 5 in Elmhurst, Public School 16 in Corona, Junior High School 74 in Bayside and PS 107 in Flushing.
The sixth, IS 318, is in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
The Wiener family, along with parents and elected officials, questioned whether the city was responding quickly enough to flu clusters in their schools.
Mayor Bloomberg said the closings were handled on a school by school basis.
More schools could close before Monday, said teachers union president Randi Weingarten. Her staff received reports from 21 schools - including the three closed Friday - of a high number of student absences.
hat-tip thebes
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