Professional Documents
Culture Documents
By Mark Lieberman
February 28, 2020 | Updated: February 29, 2020
In Oregon, state health officials on Friday said a person who has “presumptively” tested
positive for the virus had spent time in an elementary school outside Portland, possibly
exposing students and staff there.
In Washington state, state health officials said a high school student in the Seattle area
had gotten a “presumptive” positive test and had spent a brief amount of time on his
campus this week. In a letter to families, the Everett Public Schools said that the few
students who said they had contact with him were notified and will remain home for 14
days while being monitored for symptoms by county health authorities. The letter also
said the student has a younger sibling who attends a middle school in the district. That
child, who is not symptomatic, will be tested and remain out of school until the results
come back “out of an abundance of caution.” District officials said that Jackson High
School would be closed for three days for “deep disinfecting.”
In both cases, confirmation of the virus is pending by the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention.
The virus that was first detected in China’s Wuhan province has generated a crush
of news coverage as it spreads across the world.
Nancy Messonnier, a top Centers for Disease Control and Prevention official, told
reporters Friday: “There certainly is the possibility of additional cases, and we will
continue to work aggressively to keep that number low. We hope that, if there is spread,
it will be limited and any disease in the U.S. will be mild.”
Mick Mulvaney, the acting White House Chief of Staff, predicted today during the
Conservative Political Action Conference that “some schools” will “probably” close, though
he cited no evidence and also criticized the news media for overhyping the outbreak.
It’s a big challenge to sort through all the information and what is most urgent for school
officials.
The CDC also recommends making sure you’ve received this season’s flu vaccine; it won’t
prevent coronavirus, but it will reduce the risk of contracting regular influenza, which
means fewer people will need medical care at the same time as any coronavirus patients.
Other steps include avoiding touching the eyes, nose, and mouth; staying home from
work and school when you’re sick; covering coughs and sneezes with a tissue and then
throwing that tissue in a trash bin; cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched
household objects. The CDC does not recommend that people who are not sick wear a
protective mask.
Given the rapid pace of global updates on the virus and its impacts, a uniform consensus
may take a while to emerge. But there’s no harm in taking steps to prepare for an
outbreak, if only to have procedures in place in the event they’re necessary.