Coronavirus: District 113A Parent Tests Positive

LEMONT, IL — Lemont-Bromberek District 113A has been notified by a parent in the district that they tested positive for the coronavirus. In a letter to parents, the district said it has immediately contacted the Cook County Department of Public Health and the Illinois Department of Public Health.

The family is currently in self-quarantine and the district said the parent has not recently visited any school buildings. The parents also shared with the district that their children are not exhibiting any symptoms.

Individuals who need medical care should call their medical provider to report their illness prior to seeking care at a clinic, physician’s office or hospital. According to the district, parents of students exhibiting flu-like symptoms or staff exhibiting flu-like symptoms are asked to contact the Cook County Health Department at 708-232-4500 or the Illinois Department of Public Health at 800-889-3931.

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

The disease, which apparently originated in animals, is now being spread 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.

According to the CDC, the best way of preventing the disease is to avoid close contact with people who are sick, to avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands, to wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and to use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol if soap and water are not available.

To avoid spreading any respiratory illness, the CDC recommends staying at home when you are sick, covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue and throwing the tissue in the trash, and cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces.

Read more:

Coronavirus In Illinois: March 20 Update