Special Health Edition-In the Loop
March 3, 2020
Trussville City Schools
(205) 228-3000
Email Sandra Vernon for assistance
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A Message From the Superintendent of Trussville City Schools
To the Parents/Guardians of Trussville Students,
This message is to let you know that Trussville City Schools administrators continue to follow the news on the coronavirus known also as COVID-19 virus. As of today, there are no reported cases of COVID-19 in Alabama. As your Superintendent of Schools, I would like to assure you that the health and well-being of our students, faculty and staff are our first priorities.
TCS will continue to follow guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control, Alabama Department of Public Health, the Alabama State Department of Education and the Jefferson County Health Department. We receive frequent updates from these agencies and I would like to share their information with you with specific notes from Trussville City Schools in bold and underlined print below:
Here is what Trussville Parents can do?
A parent survey will be sent next week to gather data about home Internet and device access so we can prepare for a library checkout of TCS technology for those who do not have internet and devices at home. The survey will give us a count of households who will need our assistance for classroom internet access in the case of long term school closures.
If you have been out of the country or if you were exposed to someone with COVID-19 in the last 14 days, contact your healthcare provider and tell them about your exposure.
Talk with your children about the preventative practices for any illness. Together, we can ensure the safest school environment possible for our students, faculty and staff.
From the Alabama Department of Public Health and Association of School Nurses:
COVID-19 is a respiratory illness caused by a novel (new) virus, and we are learning more about it every day. There is currently no vaccine to protect against COVID-19. At this point, the best way to prevent infection is to avoid being exposed to the virus that causes it. Stopping transmission (spread) of the virus through everyday practices is the best way to keep people healthy.
Everyday preventative practices include:
Stay home when sick.
Students and staff who have symptoms of acute respiratory illness are asked to stay home and not come to work until they are free of fever, signs of a fever, and any other symptoms for at least 24 hours, without the use of fever-reducing or other symptom-altering medicines (e.g. cough suppressants).
Seek immediate medical care if symptoms become severe, such as high fever or difficulty breathing.
Clean and disinfect surfaces often especially when someone in the household is ill.
Cover cough with a tissue or sleeve.
Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, Use an alcohol based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
Avoid touching face, eyes, ears, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.Germs spread this way.
Trussville City Schools will also continue to use the new disinfectant sprayers on a regular basis in our classrooms.
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From CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention): Guidance for schools which do not have COVID-19 identified in their community
To prepare for possible community transmission of COVID-19, the most important thing for schools to do now is plan and prepare. As the global outbreak evolves, schools should prepare for the possibility of community-level outbreaks. Schools want to be ready if COVID-19 does appear in their communities.
Disseminate common-sense preventive actions for students and staff. For example, emphasize actions such as staying home when sick; appropriately covering coughs and sneezes; cleaning frequently touched surfaces; and washing hands often.
Ensure handwashing strategies include washing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or using a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available.
Establish procedures for students and staff who are sick at school such as:
- Establish procedures to ensure students and staff who become sick at school or arrive at school sick are sent home as soon as possible.
- Keep sick students and staff separate from well students and staff until they can leave.
- Let parents know that schools are not expected to screen students or staff to identify cases of COVID-19. The majority of respiratory illnesses are not COVID-19. If a community (or more specifically, a school) has cases of COVID-19, local health officials will help identify those individuals and will follow up on next steps.
Perform routine environmental cleaning.
- Routinely clean frequently touched surfaces (e.g., doorknobs, light switches, countertops) with the cleaners typically used. Use all cleaning products according to the directions on the label. TCS has a new disinfectant spray solution to do this.
Create communications plans for use with the school community.
- Include strategies for sharing information with staff, students, and their families.
- TCS will continue to use In the Loop, Remind 101, TCS phone messaging system, emails, text, media messaging and website banners for important action updates, as needed, if schools are delayed or closed.
In the event of School Closings:
If TCS schools experience an outbreak and it is necessary to close schools, eLearning will occur. Classroom instruction will continue with the use of technology resources such as Google Classroom, video instruction using Screencastify, Google tools, and various additional online academic resources.
TCS is equipped for these possibilities through our experience with eLearning. Students will access learning through Google Classroom at home using personal devices or chromebooks checked out from the school. Support will be given to students and parents to access resources by teachers and the technology team as needed. Our nurses, administrators, health and safety personnel, and I will continue to monitor the guidelines issued for public facilities. Preventative practices for COVID-19 are the same as for the common cold or flu.
Dr. Pattie Neill
Superintendent
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Children's of Alabama Flu Information
Information Below provided by Children's of Alabama
1600 7th Avenue S
Birmingham, AL 35233
205.638.9100
Sometimes mistaken for the common cold, the flu (influenza) causes more symptoms and can sometimes cause serious illness. Fortunately, most kids who get the flu can get over the infection without any problems. The flu occurs most often in the winter months.
Signs and Symptoms:
- Fever
- Headache
- Loss of appetite
- Sore throat
- Nausea and vomiting
- Dizziness
- Chills
- Muscle aches
- Cough
- Runny nose
- Diarrhea
- Tiredness.
What to Do:
- Call the child's doctor
- Encourage rest
- Keep the child hydrated with plenty of fluids - breast milk or formula for babies, water, juice, ice pops, and cool drinks for older kids but no caffeinated drinks
- Relieve symptoms with: A warm bath, a cool-mist humidifier, saline or saltwater) nose drops, acetaminophen or ibuprofen (check package for correct dosage)
Never give aspirin to a child with the flu. Do not give cough or cold medicine to children under 6 years old (call the doctor first for older kids).
Seek medical care if the child has:
- Symptoms that get worse
- Trouble breathing
- A stiff neck
- A severe cough
- A fever and is 3 months or younger
- A headache that doesn't go away after taking acetaminophen or ibuprofen
Seek Emergency Medical Care if the child:
- is working to breathe (using chest muscles to get air in and out
- is lethargic (hard to wake up your child
- child is confused and unsteady
- physician recommends coming to the ED
Think Prevention!
- Get the flu vaccine each year
- Try to avoid large crowds during flu season
- Wash hands well and often
For educational purposes only. For specific medical advice, diagnosis and treatment, consult your doctor. Information copyright of the Children's of Alabama Patient Health and Safety Information. 8/19
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Children's of Alabama Flu Testing and Treatment
Information provided by Children's of Alabama:
Testing for the Flu
- Getting a flu shot each year is the best way to protect your child from the flu.
- Most of the time, doctors will use the symptoms your child has to diagnose your child with the flu.
- Occasionally, a rapid flu test is used to see if your child has the flu. But, many children with the flu have a negative test and children without the flu will sometimes have a positive test so your medical provider today will decide whether or not a flu test is needed.
- If a flu test is done, a nasal swab is needed for the test and it will take about an hour to get results.
Treatment for the Flu
- The gest treatement of the flu involves rest and lots of fluids.
- Give acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Motrin) for fever. NEVER give aspirin to a child with the flu.
- The flu is a virus and cannot be treated with antibiotics.
Tamiflu
- Tamilflu is a medicine that may be given after a positive flu test.
- Some side effects of Tamiflu are nausea and vomiting.
Who should get Tamiflu?
- Not every patient with the flu will get a prescription for Tamiflu. Only children with a higher than average risk for complications of flu will be treated with the medication.
If your child has the flu but is not given Tamiflu, the best treatment is still to get plenty of rest, drink plenty of fluids, and take acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Motrin) as needed for fever or pain.
When should I call the doctor?
- Symptoms that get worse
- Trouble breathing
- Stiff neck
- Severe cough
- Fever in a child that is 3 months or younger
- Headache that doesn't go away after acetaminophen or ibuprofen
All information provided by Children's of Alabama.