Flu Risk Is Higher Than Coronavirus: Concord Schools Supt.

CONCORD, MA — Concordians shouldn't worry too much about the Coronavirus but should still keep themselves healthy and take precautions to reduce the risk of contracting the flu. Concord Public Schools Superintendent Laurie Hunter sent a message to the school community on Thursday detailing the measures the district is taking to limit the risk for illnesses to spread in schools.

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 COVID-19, 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 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 it 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% 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, cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces.

"It is important to note that residents are much more likely to become sick with a cold or the flu than to be exposed to COVID-19," Hunter said in a statement.

The district added that it will continue to encourage and educate about good hygiene and offer a few tips:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, if unable to wash, use alcohol-based hand sanitizers
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth
• Cover your coughs or sneezes with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands)
• Stay away from people who are sick and stay home when you are sick
• Clean frequently touched objects and surfaces
• Other healthy habits: Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluid, and eat nutritious food