West Orange School Officials Address Concerns About Coronavirus

WEST ORANGE, NJ — West Orange school administrators are taking “proactive measures” and trying to alleviate concerns about the novel coronavirus recently dubbed COVID-19.

On Thursday, West Orange School Superintendent Scott Cascone issued an update about the district’s preparations regarding the potentially deadly virus. (Read the full statement below)

Globally, at least 80,000 people have been infected and 2,700 people have died from the new coronavirus which was first identified in Wuhan, China , according to the World Health Organization.

There have been no reported cases of the virus in New Jersey, although an asymptomatic individual who traveled from China to Newark Liberty International Airport was issued a mandatory quarantine order earlier this month.

• See related article: Newark Airport Sees NJ's First Mandatory Coronavirus Quarantine
• See related article: NJ Preparing For Coronavirus Outbreak After CDC Warning

However, officials across the state – including in the West Orange Public School District – say they’re getting ready to handle any potential outbreak.

Cascone’s message to parents, guardians and the school community follows below.

WEST ORANGE SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT STATEMENT

The West Orange Public Schools continues to monitor alerts from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) about the possibility of the spread of Coronavirus within the United States. Previous correspondence that was sent out by the District on February 7, 2020 provided you with a document from the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) and Center for Disease Control (CDC). This document provided information about the virus and included precautions for anyone who has traveled to China recently, as well as preventative measures for school districts.
Given the number of cases in other countries has increased, to include confirmed cases in the United States, the District would like to provide information to alleviate concerns and reinforce that proactive measures will be taken to maintain the health and safety of our school community.
Factual Information about the Coronavirus (provided by Dr. Michael Kelly, District Physician)

• There are approximately 60 cases in the United States under isolation.
• Currently, there is a 2% global mortality rate resulting from this virus.
• The incubation period is believed to be up to two weeks.
• There is some evidence that the disease can be transmitted by an asymptomatic, but infected individual.
• Treatment at this time is largely supportive. Trials are underway with an antiviral drug, but the effectiveness of the drug is unknown at this time. A vaccine is in the process of being developed.
• Individuals entering the United States from high risk areas are being monitored at point of entry.

Preventative Actions for Staff, Students, and Families

• Get a flu shot - it’s not too late.
• Stay home when you are sick. Individuals with a fever should not attend school and they should remain home until they have been fever-free without medication for 24 hours.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue and then throw the tissue directly in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
• Frequently and thoroughly wash hands for at least 20 seconds.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

Proactive Measures

• Each school will identify a specific location for students who are demonstrating flu-like symptoms. The location will be in a safe area away from other students until the student is picked up by a parent/guardian. During this time, the student will be given a face mask to wear to protect the spread of potential germs. Parents/guardians will be expected to pick-up their child within one hour of being contacted.
• School health offices will be provided with face masks, gloves, and hand sanitizer that contains 99% effective against common disease-causing organisms.
• We continue to maintain enhanced daily cleaning and sanitizing of all our schools.

Communication

• District notification will be conveyed regarding any potential school closures.
• The Department of Health and the West Orange Public Schools highly recommends that all families with a child who within the past two weeks has traveled to an area of the world highly impacted by the Coronavirus, to please contact their child’s Principal and/or School Nurse prior to sending the child back to school. The District will work with the families to determine the appropriate timeline for reentry to school.
• The West Orange Public Schools will maintain ongoing communication with the West Orange Health Department for guidance on addressing the Coronavirus.

Thank you for taking the time to review this information. Your collaboration with maintaining a healthy school community is greatly appreciated. We will continue to provide ongoing updates and information as appropriate and necessary.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The New Jersey Department of Health offers the following background information about the virus:

"COVID-19 is a respiratory infection caused by a novel (new) virus that arose from the area of Wuhan, China in December, 2019. Most of the early cases of this illness were linked to a large seafood and animal market suggesting possible animal-to-person spread of the virus. The market closed on January 2, 2020 as part of the investigation and response to this outbreak. Once a person is infected, the virus causes respiratory illness. Outbreaks of novel virus infections among people are always of public health concern. The risk from these outbreaks depends on the characteristics of the virus, including how well it spreads between people, the severity of the resulting illness, and the medical or other measures available to control the impact of the virus (for example, medications or vaccines)."

The CDC believes at this time that symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as long as 14 after exposure. Symptoms can include:

• Fever
• Cough
• Shortness of breath

Residents who have questions about the virus can contact the State of New Jersey's hotline at 1 (800) 222-1222. The hotline is home of the New Jersey Poison Information and Education System, and is staffed 24 hours a day by state health workers.

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