Safe Campus
FACTS ABOUT COVID
What is COVID-19?
COVID-19 is a disease caused by a new strain of coronavirus. ‘CO’ stands for corona, ‘VI’ for the virus, and ‘D’ for the disease. Formerly, this disease was referred to as ‘2019 novel coronavirus’ or ‘2019-nCoV.’
The COVID-19 virus is a new virus linked to the same family of viruses as Severe Acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and some types of the common cold.
What are the symptoms of COVID-19?
Symptoms can include fever, cough and shortness of breath. In more severe cases, the infection can cause pneumonia or breathing difficulties. More rarely, the disease can be fatal. These symptoms are similar to the flu (influenza) or the common cold, which are a lot more common than COVID-19. This is why testing is required to confirm if someone has COVID-19.
How does COVID-19 spread?
The virus is transmitted through direct contact with respiratory droplets of an infected person (generated through coughing and sneezing). Individuals can also be infected from and touching surfaces contaminated with the virus and touching their face (e.g., eyes, nose, mouth). The COVID-19 virus may survive on surfaces for several hours, but simple disinfectants can kill it.
Who is most at risk?
We are learning more about how COVID-19 affects people every day. Older people, and people with chronic medical conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease, appear to be more at risk of developing severe symptoms. As this is a new virus, we are still learning about how it affects children. We know it is possible for people of any age to be infected with the virus, but so far there are relatively few cases of COVID-19 reported among children. This is a new virus and we need to learn more about how it affects
children. The virus can be fatal in rare cases, so far mainly among older people with pre-existing medical conditions.
What is the treatment for COVID-19?
There is no currently available vaccine for COVID-19. However, many of the symptoms can be treated, and getting early care from a healthcare provider can make the disease less dangerous. There are several clinical trials that are being conducted to evaluate potential therapeutics for COVID-19.
How can the spread of COVID-19 be slowed down or prevented?
As with other respiratory infections like the flu or the common cold, public health measures are critical to slow the spread of illnesses. Public health measures are everyday preventive actions that include:
✓ staying home when sick;
✓ covering mouth and nose with flexed elbow or tissue when coughing or sneezing. Dispose of used tissue immediately;
✓ washing hands often with soap and water
✓ cleaning frequently touched surfaces and objects. As we learn more about COVID-19 public health officials may recommend additional actions.
Hygiene and cleaning arrangements
- Teachers will frequently remind students, to maintain personal hygiene (washing hands, not touching the face or shield/mask, maintaining the cleanliness of personal space, etc.).
- Hand sanitizers are positioned throughout the school.
- There will be disinfecting of common facilities if different sets of students need to use the same facility consecutively.
- All classrooms will be disinfected at the end of the day.
- More frequent cleaning and disinfection of commonly used facilities, such as washrooms and surfaces like doorknobs and railings.
Classroom arrangements
- Safe-distancing arrangements in all classrooms, including specialist lessons, by rearranging of furniture and seating arrangements for students.
- Our primary students are seated at the ends of their tables so that they can continue to work with their peers while maintaining a safe distance.
- We have invested in desk separators to ensure that students keep a safe distance from each other and perspex individualized screens for our primary students. In most cases, our secondary students have individual desks.
- Play and activity routines have been altered to ensure safe distancing while still allowing for students to benefit from important social and playtime.