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Staying Healthy, In and Out of School

Posted on: March 6, 2020

By now, we are all aware of the outbreak of the coronavirus, a contagious virus that spreads person-to-person and from contact with infected surfaces or objects. We are keeping up-to-date with health official reports and news reports pertaining to this virus, and our school nurse, Janet Indermuhle, recently attended a conference in Columbus to learn the latest. The Ohio Department of Health believes the immediate risk to the general public from this virus is low as there has been no evidence it is anywhere near our community. However, just because we haven’t been impacted by the virus does not mean someone won’t come into contact with it, and we all need to do our part in taking care of our health. 

Taking care of our bodies is important not only in staying healthy, but keeping others healthy. You’ll notice a lot of these prevention tips can be used to prevent any other sickness, as well: 

  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick (a couple of feet away is best — this includes handshakes, hugs, and kissing)
  • Do your best to avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth
  • Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, or, at the very least, the inside of your elbow
  • Clean your surroundings when you can; disinfect doorknobs, desks, and get a new water glass
  • Wash your hands for 20-30 seconds with soap — the soap should turn into a foam that can be spread all over your palms, the backs of your hands, fingers, and under fingernails
    • This should be done before eating and after blowing your nose, sneezing, or coughing

Most importantly, if you’re sick, stay home! If you have been running a fever, stay home at least 24 hours after the fever breaks — meaning, if you have a fever at 7:00 AM on Tuesday, you should not be coming to school at 7:00 AM on Wednesday; wait until you have been 24 hours entirely fever-free. Not only does this keep the sickness from spreading in the community, but it gives your body the necessary time to recover.