Austin ISD Begins Screening For Coronavirus

AUSTIN, TX — Austin ISD officials have begun screening student and staff members for the 2019 Novel Coronavirus amid the growing threat posed by the respiratory illness, officials said.

"The health of our students and staff are one of the district’s top priorities, and we realize that the coronavirus outbreak happening in other parts of the world may be a concern for our community," officials wrote on their website. "With that in mind, we wanted to reassure the Austin ISD community that we are monitoring the health of our campuses for any signs of the illness."

To that end, the district is following a screening protocol developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention "...to help catch anything that may develop in regard to coronavirus," officials wrote. Officials reassured parents that there have been no cases or suspected cases of coronavirus on any campuses or facilities, and none in Texas.

School nurses started using the process on Monday, Jan. 27, for students or staff who have traveled to China within the past 14 days or who report to the health room with fever, officials explained. The screening involves determining if the student or staff member has had any contact in the past two weeks with a person who may have coronavirus or who has a confirmed case of 2019-nCoV.

The new coronavirus is the cause of an outbreak of respiratory illness and was first detected in Wuhan, China. Federal health officials are working to determine more about the outbreak. Some 14,000 people have been sickened and several hundred have died after succumbing to the ailment, according to reports.

Austin ISD officials detailed Centers for Disease Control tips to help prevent the spread of any illness:

• Washing your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

Though there have been no coronavirus cases here, flu activity is high in the U.S. and expected to continue for weeks, Austin ISD officials noted. As a result, they offered the following recommendations:

• Get a flu shot (it's not too late).
• Eat a nutritious diet of fresh fruits and vegetable.
• Drink lots of water.
• Stay physically active.
• Get plenty of sleep.

"And remember, students and staff must stay home if they have a fever of 100.0, and they cannot return to campus until they are fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication," officials wrote.

For more information, visit the Centers for Disease Control Coronavirus web page.

The Austin ISD serves most of the City of Austin and surrounding cities Sunset Valley, the Village of San Leanna and unincorporated areas of Travis County. The district operates 129 schools — including 84 elementary schools, 19 middle schools and 17 high schools. The district's boundaries encompass 172.4 square miles of land within Austin, representing 54.1 percent of the municipal territory.