Coronavirus Update From Arcadia Unified School District

From the Arcadia Unified School District:

Update 2 (Published Sunday, January 26, 2020, 9:32 p.m.):

Dear Arcadia Unified Parents and Community,

We are continuing to closely monitor the novel coronavirus and want to provide you with an update and the very latest information. As you may know, there are now two confirmed cases in California. One was confirmed in Orange County and the other in Los Angeles County. The case in Los Angeles County is not a resident of the county, rather he is a Wuhan resident that was traveling back to China with a stop in Los Angeles according to an L.A. Times report. You can read the full story here.

In regard to the case in Los Angeles County, The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said today, “Despite this case in Los Angeles, there is no immediate threat to the general public, no special precautions are required, and people should not be excluded from activities based on their race, country of origin, or recent travel if they do not have symptoms of respiratory illness. Los Angeles residents, students, workers, and visitors should continue to engage in their regular activities and practice good public health hygiene as this is the height of flu season across the County. The risk from the novel coronavirus 2019 to spread in Los Angeles County residents is deemed to be low at this time.”

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is continuing to work with the Centers for Disease Control to screen and monitor travelers coming into the Los Angeles International Airport from China. You can read more about their screening process and protocols from today’s update from the L.A. County Department of Public Health here.

The Arcadia Unified School District is still advising parents, as we always do, do not send your child to school if they may be sick. Keeping your sick child home will be a great benefit for the health and wellness of our students and staff. If children are sent to school sick, they can be removed from class and school as deemed appropriate by our staff and nurses. If you, your child, or family recently traveled to or from China, we also ask that you take extra precautions and seek a medical evaluation from your doctor before returning to school.

Center for Disease Control and L.A. County Department of Health Guidelines

If you or someone you know has traveled to Wuhan and feel sick, please:

• Stay home and avoid contact with others, except for seeking medical care.
• Seek medical care right away. Before you go to a doctor’s office or emergency room, call ahead and tell them about your recent travel and your symptoms.
• Do not travel while sick.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when coughing or sneezing.

If you or someone you know is planning on traveling to Wuhan, the following are important steps to take:

• Avoid animals (alive or dead), animal markets, and products that come from animals (such as uncooked meat).
• Avoid contact with sick people.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.

Stay home when you are sick

Stay home from work and school and try to avoid errands when you are sick. This will help prevent spreading the illness to others.

“Students and staff with influenza symptoms, including a fever, a cough or sore throat, should stay home and not attend classes or participate in other group activities for at least 24 hours after the fever resolves without the use of fever-reducing medications,” says Pamela Kahn, Orange County Department of Education’s coordinator of Health and Wellness.

Avoid close contact

Avoid close contact with people who are sick. When you are sick, keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick too.

Cover your mouth and nose

Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick. Flu and other serious respiratory illnesses, like respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), whooping cough, and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), are spread by coughing, sneezing or unclean hands.

Clean your hands

Washing your hands often will help protect you from germs. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub. Here is a three-minute video from the CDC about proper handwashing: https://youtu.be/eZw4Ga3jg3E

Practice other good health habits

Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces at home, work or school, especially when someone is ill. Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids and eat nutritious food.

For more flu prevention tips, visit http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/index.htm.

Next Steps for us in the Arcadia Unified School District

We will continue to be in close contact with the Los Angeles County Department of Health and have many dedicated staff members who are working nights and weekends to ensure we are following the very latest details with the novel coronavirus and keeping you informed. You can view this communication and the first communication we sent to all parents and staff on Thursday, January 23, at this link and on our website here. As you know, the health and wellbeing of our students and staff is truly our first priority. If we all work together and follow these important guidelines, we can keep our students, staff, and community healthy. Please share this information with your family and caregivers. We truly appreciate your partnership in this and will continue to keep you informed as things develop.

Sincerely,

Arcadia Unified School District

Update 1 (Published Thursday, January 23, 2020):

Dear Arcadia Unified Parent/Guardian,

Cold and Flu season is upon us. The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) reports that influenza, or “The Flu,” activity levels have increased over the past several weeks. As a reminder, please do not send your child to school if they are feeling sick. Keeping your sick child home will be a great benefit for the health and wellness of our students and staff. Influenza (flu) is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses. It can cause mild to severe illness. Some people, such as older people, young children, and people with certain health conditions, are at high risk of serious flu complications. Symptoms of influenza can vary, but generally include a high fever, headache, chills, body aches, sore throat, and cough.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the best way to prevent influenza is as follows:

Tips to Prevent The Flu:

• Get vaccinated every year
• Avoid close contact with sick people
• Frequent handwashing with soap
• Stay at home if you are experiencing flu-like symptoms
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth
• Individuals with chronic health issues and/or individuals experiencing severe symptoms should be evaluated by a medical professional.
• See more prevention tips here from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The 2019-2020 Flu Season has been complicated by recent reports of a novel coronavirus. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses. Common symptoms in an infected person include a fever, cough, and shortness of breath or difficulty breathing. Although there have been reported cases of novel coronavirus globally, to date, there have been no reported coronavirus cases in LA County or California. Currently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has said the risk of local transmission is low.

“A significant number of resources across Los Angeles County are focused on protecting the public’s health at large,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “To date, there have been no reported coronavirus cases in LA County and currently the risk of local transmission is low according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We will keep everyone informed as more information becomes available. We are urging the public to remain calm, as it is very unlikely that they are at risk of contracting this virus,” she added. Click here to read the full press release from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

Arcadia Unified School District will continue to partner with the California Department of Public Health, which will provide updated information about the diagnosis and management of cases of novel coronavirus, as applicable, in an effort to identify and contain any future cases. People who have traveled to Wuhan, China since December 1, 2019, could have been exposed to the virus. Seek medical care if you traveled to Wuhan and develop a fever and/or respiratory symptoms within 14 days of your return. At this time, the CDPH does not recommend exclusion of individuals who have traveled internationally, unless they are symptomatic, at which time they should seek a medical evaluation.

We thank you for your cooperation and support.

Sincerely,

Arcadia Unified School District

This press release was produced by the Arcadia Unified School District. The views expressed here are the author’s own.