We would like to assure you that we are working with the University of Washington, Seattle Public Schools, the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families, and all of our partner agencies in order to be as prepared as possible to protect the health of our EEU community. Currently, there are no confirmed cases of coronavirus disease 2019 in Seattle Public Schools or the University of Washington community, including the EEU and Haring Center. The work we are doing here includes encouraging our staff and visitors to monitor their own health, practice good hygiene, and stay home if feeling sick. We are monitoring the health and attendance of our students and staff and planning for any potential changes that would need to be put in place in an effort to minimize the spread of the disease should we have any exposures. In addition, we continue our current cleaning practices using the King County Public Health recommended bleach solutions to clean all surfaces in our classrooms and bathrooms as well as the toys used in the classrooms. We have also been reviewing proper hand-washing with our kids and praising their efforts to keep our community healthy.
Following are some guidelines from the CDC and Seattle King County Public Health:
When to seek medical evaluation and advice
While the number of cases is increasing, the vast majority of the illnesses around the world are mild, with fever and cough. If you or a family member has symptoms like cough, fever, or other respiratory problems, contact your regular medical provider. Public Health recommends not going to the emergency room unless there is a critical need. Public Health also recommends seeking medical advice if you are over 60 and have an underlying medical condition.
How to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
Coronaviruses, including COVID-19, spread between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet) via coughing or sneezing. It may also spread by touching a surface or object with the virus on it. The same good health habits that prevent other viruses like the flu, also prevent the spread of COVID-19 and decrease the risk of getting sick:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, with 60% alcohol, if soap and water are not available.
- Cough into a tissue or your elbow (not your hand), then throw tissue away and wash your hands.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid contact with people who are sick and stay home when you are sick.
- Keep students home if they are running a temperature or they report not feeling well or appear weak or ill.
- Consult your healthcare provider if you or your child has health conditions that put you at increased risk.
These prevention steps are critical to keeping our community healthy, so we are also reinforcing with our staff and the kids the importance of handwashing, coughing into your elbow, and staying home with any fever or illness. You can help by reinforcing these steps as well.
As things are changing rapidly, we will continue to stay in touch as new information becomes available and if we need to made any adjustments to our school schedule.
If you would like additional information on what is happening in our area and ways to stay healthy or address concerns, please visit the Seattle King County Public Health website at:
https://kingcounty.gov/depts/
We know that families, staff and visitors to the EEU are worried and we are committed to keeping you informed and working with you to keep our EEU community safe,
EEU Health and Safety Team
