Wilmington Schools Closed March 12 With Symptomatic Parent

WILMINGTON, MA — School is cancelled in Wilmington Thursday, March 12, the district announced late Wednesday. A Wilmington resident and parent of two children is symptomatic of the new coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, Superintendent Glenn Brand said in a message to the community. The closure will give time for a thorough cleaning, he said.

The children attend the high school and West Intermediate. Neither children has shown any signs or symptoms of an infection, Brand noted.

He expects that schools will reopen Friday, he said.

"The decision to close schools is consistent with the measures that other districts are taking in order to provide custodial staff the opportunity to complete a deep cleaning of our facilities," Brand explained.

Previously on Patch: Coronavirus Concerns: Wilmington Schools Cancel All Public Events

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 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, cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces.

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Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.