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O’FALLON, Mo. – Assumption Catholic School in O’Fallon, Missouri is being shut down because of the flu. The school will be closed Thursday and Friday. The staff will spend the next four days cleaning the school to allow the more than 100 students to get well. A letter was sent home to parents this week after the principal noticed on Monday that there were 72 students and two faculty members were absent. By Tuesday school officials say that number had increased to 92 absent and Wednesday morning the number increased to 144 absent. That prompted school officials to close its doors for Thursday and Friday due to the flu outbreak. Health officials say the St. Louis area is heading into the peak part of flu season this year. About 15 to 16 people were arriving each day last week at SSM Health hospitals in St. Louis city and county and test positive for the flu virus. The Mercy Hospital System says it has treated more than 400 patients for the flu in the past six weeks at its hospital in the St. Louis area. The flu season is peaking later this year than last, but one difference is fewer people are being treated for the flu in the hospital than previous years. Symptoms of the flu are a cough, body aches, and a fever. To stop the spread make sure to wash your hands, use hand sanitizer, and to cough into your sleeve, and if a cough is persistent, you might want to wear a medical mask. Medical officials say it’s not too late to get a flu shot, although they warn that the vaccine does not work for everyone. Medical officials say it’s not too late to get a flu shot although they warn the vaccine does not work for everyone. The principal says classes will resume Monday.