Sons: NYC asst. principal with swine flu very ill

[May 15, 2009]  NEW YORK (AP) -- The sons of a critically ill New York City school official diagnosed with swine flu say their father has been on a breathing tube and is barely able to talk to his family.

Adam Wiener (WEE'-ner) is disputing media reports that his father, Mitchell, had been suffering from pre-existing medical conditions before he contracted the virus. He says the only condition his father had before was gout.

He says his father is now suffering from kidney failure and a lung infection after being hospitalized with swine flu since early Wednesday.

The 23-year-old Adam Wiener has been keeping a vigil at the hospital with his mother and younger twin brothers.

Eighteen-year-old son Jordan says his dad was awake briefly and asked him about an earlier baseball injury.

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THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE.
AP's earlier story is below.

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NEW YORK (AP) -- Maintenance workers are scrubbing down three public schools in New York City that were closed because of a swine flu outbreak.

The city's Education Department spokeswoman Margie Feinberg says desks, tables, floors, doors and door handles are being disinfected.

The city announced Thursday that it was closing the schools in Queens after hundreds of children went home sick with flu symptoms.

An assistant principal at one of the schools is in critical condition on a ventilator.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg says the three schools -- with more than 4,000 students altogether -- will be closed for at least a week.

[Associated Press; By MARCUS FRANKLIN]

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