Amid Coronavirus Concerns, Lombard District 44 Cancels Classes

LOMBARD, IL — Lombard School District 44 has canceled classes and after school activities for Wednesday after a person who tested positive for coronavirus attended a volleyball game at Glenn Westlake Middle School. School officials say the person, who is not a DuPage County resident, came to the volleyball game on March 4 and that they were made aware of the incident Tuesday.

In a public update, District 44 Superintendent Ted Stec say they are cancelling classes out of an "abundance of caution." While all eight schools in the district are closed, licensed cleaning crews will perform "enhanced cleaning and disinfecting procedures."

Additionally, Stec said, "Our decision to close school is above and beyond what is being recommended by health authorities and is not in response to a threat in our community."

Officials emphasize that there are no confirmed cases of coronavirus in DuPage County at press time. Stec encouraged anyone who is under self-quarantine or has someone in their household experiencing fever, coughing and shortness of breath and has a school-age child to contact their school nurse.

Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that include the common cold as well as much more serious diseases. The strain of the virus that causes COVID-19, called SARS-Cov-2, emerged in China in late 2019 and is related to other strains that have caused serious illnesses in recent years, including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). The first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the U.S. was on Jan. 21.

The disease, which apparently originated in animals, is now transferring from person to person, although the mechanism is not yet fully understood. Its symptoms include fever, coughing and shortness of breath, and many patients develop pneumonia. There is as yet no vaccine against COVID-19 and no antiviral treatment.

Stec also recommend taking preventive measures against spread of coronavirus. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Protection, some of these preventive measures include:

• Staying home when ill
• Covering coughs and sneezes with a tissue
• Washing hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
• Using hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol
• Avoiding touching your face, eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands
• Avoiding close contact with sick people
• Cleaning surfaces and objects that are touched frequently

If you feel sick and worry you may have been exposed to coronavirus, you can contact the Coronavirus Disease Hotline at 1-800-889-3931 and contacting your health care provider unless you are experiencing an urgent, serious medical emergency.

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