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Coronavirus Q&A: What California parents and students should know about COVID-19
Q: Have any school children in California been diagnosed with the coronavirus known as COVID-19?
A: So far, no California school children have been diagnosed with the virus. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “preliminary data suggest that older adults and persons with underlying health conditions or compromised immune systems might be at greater risk for severe illness from this virus.” However, some cases of children contracting the virus have been reported in China. On March 2, the independent Healdsburg School closed because someone associated with the school had contact with a confirmed coronavirus patient, but it reopened March 3 after a deep cleaning. On Friday, Feb. 28, two students in the Palo Alto Unified school district were sent home after the district got reports that one of their parents may have have been exposed to the virus. But the students have not been diagnosed with the virus.
Q: As a parent, to what extent should I be concerned about the coronavirus at my child’s school?
A: Health risk from the coronavirus remains low at this time, according to the California Department of Public Health. However, the California Department of Education is urging districts to prepare for the possible spread of the virus by identifying plans and protocols for communicating with families and plan for educating students while at home if schools are closed. The decision to close a school would be made at the local level. The CDC has issued guidance for schools that includes precautions to take in communities where the virus has not been identified, as well as in communities where it has been confirmed.
Q: What are authorities telling school districts to communicate with the public? Do authorities recommend that I or my children take any precautions?
A: The California Department of Health recommends that schools and districts take “common sense precautions” that help prevent the spread of all diseases. These can also be practiced by children and their families. These include: keep children home if they are sick until a fever has been gone for at least 24 hours without the use of medicine; seek medical care immediately if symptoms, such as a high fever or difficulty breathing, become more severe; cover coughs with a sleeve or tissue; keep tissues and “no touch” trash cans close by; wash hands often and keep soap dispensers filled; clean frequently touched surfaces routinely; if desired, wear a face mask if you are coughing or sneezing. In addition, the CDC has released guidelines for creating a household plan of action related to the virus.
Q: What should I tell my child about the virus — if anything?
A: “Be honest and say there is a cold virus that is showing up in different countries,” said Yvonne Maldonado, director of Infection Control at Stanford Children’s Hospital. “It makes some people very sick, but most people — especially children — seem not to get very sick with it.” She added that so far, there are not very many cases of the virus in the U.S. “Right now,” she said, “it’s safe to carry out normal activities here.”
National Public Radio has created a comic to help parents talk to their children about the virus. And the independent national nonprofit The Child Mind Institute, which focuses on children’s mental health, has posted an article titled: “Talking to kids about the coronavirus: Kids worry more when they’re kept in the dark.”
Q: What if my school district has not communicated with me?
A: “You should ask your children’s schools about their plans for school dismissals or school closures,” Nancy Messonnier, a director at the Centers for Disease Control, said Tuesday. She also encouraged parents to “ask about plans for teleschool,” referring to online learning. Most schools do not have the ability to offer online classes, however.
Q: Can I expect that all schools will be stocked with soap so students can wash their hands?
A: All public schools in California are required to keep their soap dispensers filled, according to the California Department of Education.
Q: Have any college students been exposed to the virus?
A: Yes, although there are no publicly announced cases of students testing positive for the virus. In the community college system, four students have been asked to self-quarantine for two weeks after being exposed to a patient who was diagnosed with the virus last week. Two students — one from American River College and another who attends Cosumnes River College, both in Sacramento — had contact with the patient while working as medical professionals, according to the Los Rios Community College District website. Two other students from Sacramento City College have also reported exposure to a person confirmed to have the virus while performing medical duties and have agreed to self-quarantined for 14 days.
Three UC Davis roommates who had been living in the Kearney residence hall were placed in isolation last week because of concerns they might have been exposed to the virus. Over the weekend, the one student who was tested because the student showed symptoms of illness tested negative for the virus. The other two students who showed no symptoms of illness were released from isolation, according to a campus statement.
The CDC has issued interim guidance for colleges and universities with details about how to plan for exposure to the virus in the community.
Q: Has the virus affected college programs or travel abroad?
A: Yes. The University of California has suspended its overseas programs in Beijing, Shanghai, Seoul and Italy. Suspending a program means students who are there are returned home and additional students are not allowed to join the program. In all, about 350 students could be affected by all those suspensions, although some of them had not left the U.S. yet if their classes were scheduled for the spring quarter. For the ones already overseas, not all have returned home since some have decided to stay in Europe or Asia and travel, according to Myla Edmond, a spokeswoman for the UC Education Abroad Program. “We can’t force them to return,” she said. UC has not received any reports of its students being placed in quarantine overseas or back in the United States, she added. As for the CDC warning that universities should consider suspending all overseas programs, UC will monitor each location and decide case by case but is not considering suspending all, officials said.
The California State University has also suspended its systemwide programs in China, South Korea and as of Tuesday, Italy, according to spokesman Michael Uhlenkamp. He said he was not aware of any CSU students placed in quarantine.
Q: How should colleges handle possible cases of infected students or faculty?
A: The California Department of Public Health urges anyone who has traveled from mainland China in the prior 14 days and has symptoms of respiratory illness such as fever and cough to return home or be relocated to a private room. Officials should then contact the local health department. The directive urged schools to ensure the privacy of the affected students and faculty and prevent them from being discriminated against or stigmatized.
Q: Where is testing being done for the virus?
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, as of Feb. 28, California now has eight public health labs that can process tests for the virus. The labs are in Richmond and in Alameda, Contra Costa, Santa Clara, Tulare, Ventura, Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego Counties . “This increased testing capacity is going to have a significant impact on our ability to quickly identify and contain those individuals with the disease,” Dr. Charity Dean, deputy director of the California Dept. of Public Health told the Chronicle.
Q: Is the virus affecting educational conferences?
Yes. The Asia-Pacific Association for International Education’s Conference and Exhibition in Vancouver, B.C. has been postponed; the American Physical Society has canceled its planned March meeting in Denver; and the Educause Learning Initiative meeting March 2-4 in Bellevue, Wash. was canceled.
By Theresa Harrington Staff writers Larry Gordon, Diana Lambert, Michael Burke and Louis Freedberg contributed to this report.