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COVID-19 Prevention Resources for Schools BY ANN CONNELLY
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OVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019 or SARS-CoV-2) was first identified in China in late 2019. As a novel illness, we are learning more about it every day. At the time of this writing (July 2020), these are the facts we know: • It has the potential to cause severe respiratory illness • There is no vaccine • At the time of this writing, symptoms are thought to start two to 14 days after exposure and include: fever (above 100 degrees) or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. While at this point there is no cure for COVID-19, there are activities we can all do to prevent getting infected with COVID-19. These include: • Wearing a face mask or cloth face covering that covers your nose, mouth and chin when in public places • Frequent handwashing with soap and water for 20 seconds, or using hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol content • Avoiding touching your mouth, nose, or eyes • Covering coughs/sneezes with your arm or a tissue and disposing of used tissues in a covered container • Avoiding exposure to others who are sick, and staying home if you are ill, avoiding close contact with others • Cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces with a product that is labeled for use against SARSCoV-2 (COVID-19) • Getting adequate sleep and eating well-balanced meals to ensure a healthy immune system • Social/physical distancing of 6 feet from others As you have all been preparing for the 2020-21 school year, no doubt
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you and your staff, volunteers, students, and families have had many questions on when, if, and how student learning will take place. To help you in your planning, the Ohio Department of Health and Ohio Department of Education have developed resources. These resources include: • Ohio Public Health Advisory System. • Ohio Department of Health “COVID-19 Health and Prevention Guidance for Ohio K-12 Schools.” • Ohio Department of Education “Reset and Restart Education: Planning Guide for Ohio Schools and Districts.” The Public Health Advisory System is a color-coded system designed to supplement existing statewide orders through a datadriven framework to assess the degree of the virus’ spread and to engage and empower individuals, businesses, communities, local governments, and others—including schools—in their response and actions. The system consists of four levels that provide Ohioans with guidance as to the severity of the problem in the counties in which they live and work. The levels are determined by data indicators that identify the risk level for each county and a corresponding color code to represent that risk level. These data indicators include things such as number of new cases per capita; sustained increases in new cases, emergency room visits, outpatient visits, and hospital admissions; and others. To find the current status of your county, please visit coronavirus. ohio.gov. The colors of the county on the map indicate how widespread COVID-19 is in your area. Guidance is provided on what kinds of actions people should take depending on what level their county is. This information will help inform your actions in your school.
