I write this as the Covid-19 (Novel Corona Virus) is making its way into the US population. I have collected information here from the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control, plus my own 30 years of classroom experience.
There are nay-sayers, and many who feel it not as bad as everyone thinks, but there are things you should be doing during every flu season to stay healthy anyway. A link to the Centers for Disease Control is HERE.
1. Wash hands frequently*
2. Avoid touching your face
3. If you are sick, stay home
4. Cover your mouth when you cough, even if you don't think you're sick. (People can be infected with Covid-19 for 14 days before feeling any symptoms, which is why it has spread world-wide.) The CDC recommends tissues as the best option, and disposing immediately.
For ART TEACHERS, these are additional tips.
5. If a student looks sick, send them to the nurse.
6. Have supplies only YOU use and do not share with students or staff.
7. Disinfect your door handle daily , sink handles, and any surface multiple people touch.
8. If you have the budget, each student could be given a ziplock baggie of supplies they can use.
9. Create and use paper bathroom passes that are tossed when students return.
10. Avoid non-essential travel in confined spaces (Airplanes/Trains) and areas where large groups of people meet when there is an epidemic.
*For hand washing, the CDC says, "Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing. If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol."
I stock up on Rubbing Alcohol, over 60% by volume. I buy 6 bottles of Rubbing Alcohol at the big box store for about $2 a bottle. I put a spray nozzle on it and spray tables, doorknobs, bathroom passes, keyboard, and my own hands throughout the day. I disinfect when I arrive early at school, or at the end of the day so there is enough time for the odor to dissipate. Consider moving to paper bathroom passes instead of passes that are handled by many people.
6 bottles of rubbing alcohol last me a year. It has made a huge difference in my health. Your individual district may have particular guidance for cleaning supplies, but this is what I have done for years. Alcohol is the active ingredient in hand sanitizers without the gel or fragrance. That is also a plus for me. If dryness is an issue, a little lotion goes a long way. You can even make your own hand sanitizer by mixing rubbing alcohol with your favorite hand lotion, but test it a little bit to make sure it's stable. Use an old pump bottle, or your next empty sanitizer dispenser.
If you do get ill from Covid-19, a mask at home may help sick people from spreading the illness, but do not prevent you from getting it. Traditional masks are not perfectly sealed against the face. Hording masks means that it's hard for healthcare professionals to get them. 80% of people who get ill from Covid-19 will have mild symptoms. 15% will have more severe reactions that are like a very bad flu. 5% will need hospitalization. Deaths have been mainly in populations with compromised health issues and the elderly at a rate of 2% on average for the virus.
This 2% figure can be a bit misleading though. Ages 0 - 40 seems to have a similar mortality rate as the flu, at about .2%; that's 2 tenths of 1%. Very small. At 50 - 60 years of age, it is closer to the 2% figure. At 60-70 years of age it is closer to 4% mortality, 70-80 is 8% mortality, and over 90 approaches 15% mortality. Those in critical care have a mortality rate of between 49 and 61%. (Info from reports HERE, and confirmed HERE.)
If you take life-saving medications, some supply chains have been disrupted by Covid-19. You can check the status of your medications HERE: http://bit.ly/RXShortage
It is important to get information from reliable sources. Sometimes governments make political decisions not based on reality. I strongly recommend checking updates at the World Health Organization, or the Centers for Disease Control. The bold links will take you to their pages focused on the Covid-19 virus. Their regular home pages can be found at www.who.int and www.cdc.gov respectively.
There are nay-sayers, and many who feel it not as bad as everyone thinks, but there are things you should be doing during every flu season to stay healthy anyway. A link to the Centers for Disease Control is HERE.
1. Wash hands frequently*
2. Avoid touching your face
3. If you are sick, stay home
4. Cover your mouth when you cough, even if you don't think you're sick. (People can be infected with Covid-19 for 14 days before feeling any symptoms, which is why it has spread world-wide.) The CDC recommends tissues as the best option, and disposing immediately.
For ART TEACHERS, these are additional tips.
5. If a student looks sick, send them to the nurse.
6. Have supplies only YOU use and do not share with students or staff.
7. Disinfect your door handle daily , sink handles, and any surface multiple people touch.
8. If you have the budget, each student could be given a ziplock baggie of supplies they can use.
9. Create and use paper bathroom passes that are tossed when students return.
10. Avoid non-essential travel in confined spaces (Airplanes/Trains) and areas where large groups of people meet when there is an epidemic.
*For hand washing, the CDC says, "Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing. If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol."
I stock up on Rubbing Alcohol, over 60% by volume. I buy 6 bottles of Rubbing Alcohol at the big box store for about $2 a bottle. I put a spray nozzle on it and spray tables, doorknobs, bathroom passes, keyboard, and my own hands throughout the day. I disinfect when I arrive early at school, or at the end of the day so there is enough time for the odor to dissipate. Consider moving to paper bathroom passes instead of passes that are handled by many people.
6 bottles of rubbing alcohol last me a year. It has made a huge difference in my health. Your individual district may have particular guidance for cleaning supplies, but this is what I have done for years. Alcohol is the active ingredient in hand sanitizers without the gel or fragrance. That is also a plus for me. If dryness is an issue, a little lotion goes a long way. You can even make your own hand sanitizer by mixing rubbing alcohol with your favorite hand lotion, but test it a little bit to make sure it's stable. Use an old pump bottle, or your next empty sanitizer dispenser.
If you do get ill from Covid-19, a mask at home may help sick people from spreading the illness, but do not prevent you from getting it. Traditional masks are not perfectly sealed against the face. Hording masks means that it's hard for healthcare professionals to get them. 80% of people who get ill from Covid-19 will have mild symptoms. 15% will have more severe reactions that are like a very bad flu. 5% will need hospitalization. Deaths have been mainly in populations with compromised health issues and the elderly at a rate of 2% on average for the virus.
This 2% figure can be a bit misleading though. Ages 0 - 40 seems to have a similar mortality rate as the flu, at about .2%; that's 2 tenths of 1%. Very small. At 50 - 60 years of age, it is closer to the 2% figure. At 60-70 years of age it is closer to 4% mortality, 70-80 is 8% mortality, and over 90 approaches 15% mortality. Those in critical care have a mortality rate of between 49 and 61%. (Info from reports HERE, and confirmed HERE.)
If you take life-saving medications, some supply chains have been disrupted by Covid-19. You can check the status of your medications HERE: http://bit.ly/RXShortage
It is important to get information from reliable sources. Sometimes governments make political decisions not based on reality. I strongly recommend checking updates at the World Health Organization, or the Centers for Disease Control. The bold links will take you to their pages focused on the Covid-19 virus. Their regular home pages can be found at www.who.int and www.cdc.gov respectively.
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