What should be covered in school this winter? Coughs and sneezes, according to the CDC, the New York State Education Department, and other authorities. It’s just one of several guidelines for school districts and municipalities addressing the spread of novel coronavirus, COVID-19. As of this writing, two cases have been reported in New York state, preventative quarantine measures increase, and the virus threatens to become a pandemic. School districts must be prepared to take action. We recommend the following steps:
- Understand how to respond to a student who shows symptoms of communicable or infectious disease.
- Develop or revisit your Illness Preparedness Plan – which should include protocol for cleaning, provisions for the nursing staff, and feasible options for distance learning and teaching.
- Issue a communication to parents of students, and to employers, with guidance on preventative action.
This is a time of needed collaboration among schools and local departments of health. Departments of health can identify exposed or at-risk people so that schools don’t need to shoulder the burden of screening its students or staff. In turn, schools should notify local health officials about increased absenteeism, especially due to respiratory illness.
This might be the moment to revisit field trips, suspend perfect attendance incentives and determine an acceptable level of absenteeism that balances effective teaching and learning with public health concerns.
