Health Matters

COVID-19 Prevention Resources for Schools

BY ANN CONNELLY

COVID-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 SARS

CoV-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 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.

Building upon the Public Health Advisory System is the Ohio face coverings. Your school should have a face covering policy that Department of Health document, “COVID-19 Health and at minimum reflects the guidance in the Public Health Advisory Prevention Guidance for Ohio K-12 Schools.” Although our System. As of August 2020, a health order has been issued requiring understanding of COVID-19 continues to evolve, one thing that that K-12 children wear face coverings while at school. Similar to has remained constant is that using multiple layers of protection to school staff, there are exceptions listed in the guidance document protect against catching the virus is key. In line with this thinking, for students. this document outlines five key points: • Assessing symptoms Using current information from the Public Health Advisory System • Increased sanitation and in close consultation with your local health department and • Social distancing school health professionals such as school nurses, your school can • Face coverings assess the current risk and implement plans to mitigate the impact • Risk assessment and mitigation of COVID-19 on the Whole Child at the center of the Ohio Before boarding school transportation or coming to the school plan. facility, school staff, volunteers, and students should review the list of symptoms on a daily basis. If anyone has these symptoms, they As previously mentioned, the third document to assist you in should stay home and contact their navigating the 2020-21 school year is medical provider. If someone develops the Ohio Department of Education’s any of these symptoms while at school, they must immediately be separated “While at this point “Reset and Restart Education: Planning Guide for Ohio Schools and Districts.” from others, wear a face covering, and be placed in a separate room while waiting there is no cure for This comprehensive document is designed to help schools and their to be picked up. This room should be separate from the nurse’s office and COVID-19, there are partners understand guidelines and considerations for reopening school areas visited by students, and monitored buildings during the continued by a staff member wearing appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) activities we can presence of COVID-19 in a way that protects the health and safety of and maintaining physical distance. all do to prevent school communities. Its intention is to spur local-level, partnership-based Hand washing and sanitizing are important tools in preventing the getting infected discussions and decision-making that will result in locally developed spread of COVID-19 by killing the Reset and Restart Education Plans. It virus. Students, staff, and volunteers should practice frequent handwashing with COVID-19.” includes three sections, (1) health and safety guidelines for schools to reopen; for at least 20 seconds when hands (2) return-to-school considerations are dirty, before and after eating, and for local planning; and (3) role after using the restroom. Cleaning, sanitizing, and avoiding shared considerations for associations, educational organizations (including materials reduces the chance that people will come into contact with educational service centers) and other state and community partners. viruses on surfaces. The sharing of supplies and materials should be minimized and if items must be shared, sanitize between each user. The “Reset and Restart Education” document includes operating Keeping a distance of six feet or more between people adds another four learning domains in the “Each Child, Our Future” strategic plan, layer of prevention against the spread of COVID-19 by minimizing an emphasis on equity, and social-emotional health considerations. the chance of coming into contact with the virus through respiratory There are more than 20 checklists of essential questions for your droplets. School staff should try when possible to maintain 6-foot school to answer as you go through the academic year. Schools are social distance among people in all school environments, including encouraged to be nimble in their planning and implementation of classrooms, hallways, restrooms, cafeteria, playground, drop-off and learning methods for students. pick-up locations, and school buses. Face coverings, whether masks or cloth face coverings, are critical to more about COVID-19 and ways to prevent and treat it. The Ohio preventing the spread of the virus from person-to-person. Masks/ Department of Health has a website (coronavirus.ohio.gov) that coverings provide a barrier that prevents respiratory droplets and is continuously updated with the most current information and smaller aerosolized particles carrying the virus from spreading guidance—please visit it often. from one person to another. Not only do they protect the person Department of Education’s “Each Child, Our Future” strategic assumptions, effective practices, educational considerations for the As we move through the 2020-21 school year, we are likely to learn who is wearing the mask by preventing the spread of that person’s Ann M. Connelly, MSN, RN, LSN, NCSN, is a Public Health Nurse respiratory droplets, if both people involved in a conversation are Supervisor of School Nursing and Early Childhood Health Programs at the wearing masks, it limits the particles passing between them. With Ohio Department of Health. You can contact the author via email at Ann. limited exceptions described in the guidance, school staff must wear connelly@odh.ohio.gov.