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Bus drivers do their best to fight the flu

Amanda Ferguson # State
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POWELL, Tenn. (WVLT) -- The flu is rampant this season, and schools across East Tennessee have made the difficult decision to shut their doors and sanitize their buildings.

However, classrooms haven't been the only aspects of school getting a good disinfection--Local 8 News spoke with Andersonville Bus Lines who said the company has required their drivers to double their responsibilities to keep germs off buses.

"We have a disinfectant spray that we spray every trip,"
said David Landreth, owner of Andersonville Bus Lines.

David Landreth said the tops of the seats and handrails are typically the dirtiest spots inside buses.

"We generally spray the tops of the seats and anywhere the kids touch with their hands,"
Landreth said.

Andersonville Bus Lines told Local 8 News each bus is taken to get thoroughly cleaned once a week, but during the high flu season, drivers are required twice a day to sanitize their buses.

"We've only had one driver out with the flu this year,"
Landreth said.
"Kids are having a lot of absentees."

Claxton Elementary School will be closed Thursday and Friday due to illness, along with other Anderson County Schools. On Wednesday, Knox County and Sevier County Schools also announced they would be closing their doors to try and prevent the spread of viruses.