October 16, 2014
Dear Shaker Families,
We learned this afternoon that a Shaker parent was on the same flight as the Dallas nurse who has been diagnosed with Ebola. Dr. Scott Frank, the medical director for the City of Shaker Heights and the Shaker Schools, informed us that the Shaker parent was not in the immediate contact zone with the Dallas patient, and thus is not considered at high risk for contracting the disease. The Health Department will be advising the Shaker parent and family on appropriate monitoring and voluntary self-quarantine.
There is nothing to suggest that our students or staff are at elevated risk. However, we want to keep you informed with the facts and tell you how we are responding.
As a precautionary measure, we are disinfecting all Shaker classrooms, restrooms, and buses after school today. We are in continuous contact with Dr. Frank to obtain the latest information and advice. He is working closely with the public health and medical communities and has access to the most accurate and current information about this Ebola and other infectious diseases. He and the Shaker Heights Health Department work closely with the schools and our school nurses, and keep us updated on an ongoing basis.
Passengers on the Dallas patient’s flight come from many communities in Northeast Ohio, and all are being notified and monitored. It is important to note that there are no suspected or confirmed cases of Ebola in Cuyahoga or Summit County at this time. The Centers for Disease Control, Ohio Department of Health, and local health departments are coordinating their information-gathering, protocols, and recommendations.
Now that the Cleveland-Akron connection to the Ebola outbreak is being widely reported in the news media, parents, teachers, and others who work with children may need advice on how to talk with children about this serious issue in ways that allay their fears and worries.
Experts advise adults to acknowledge, listen and reassure children, permitting them to express their concerns and ask questions about the disease. Assure them that adults are doing everything possible to keep them healthy.
Depending on the age of their students, parents may use the Ebola crisis as a learning opportunity. Discussion topics might include sharing facts about how the disease is spread, how misunderstanding and misinformation can be harmful, how all of us can help the countries most affected by the disease, and the heroism of health care workers who are caring for the sick.
We are staying in close contact with the Shaker Heights Health Department to stay abreast of any new developments that may be relevant to our school community. We will share any new information with you via our website. Any advisories of an urgent nature will be conveyed via e-mail and automated phone calling.
Following my signature you will find additional information about Ebola and universal precautions to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.
Thank you for all you do to support our children.
Sincerely,
Dr. Gregory C. Hutchings, Jr.
Superintendent of Schools
Facts About Ebola
Given all the media coverage, we understand there are concerns, questions, and misinformation. Here are some quick facts about Ebola from the CDC:
- You can’t get Ebola through air.
- You can’t get Ebola through water.
- You can’t get Ebola through food.
You can only get Ebola from touching body fluids of a person who is sick with Ebola.
The risk of being exposed is extremely low unless a person has direct unprotected contact with the body fluids of a person (like urine, saliva, feces, vomit, sweat, and semen) who is sick with Ebola.
Symptoms of Ebola may occur between 2 and 21 days after exposure. Symptoms include:
• Fever greater than 100.4°F
• Severe headache
• Muscle pain
• Weakness
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Abdominal (stomach) pain
• Unexplained hemorrhage (bleeding or bruising)
Seek medical attention immediately if you feel you have been exposed or are experiencing any of the listed symptoms.
If you would like more information about Ebola, please visit the Centers for Disease Control website.
Universal Precautions
There are simple ways to limit your risk of contracting or spreading infectious diseases. These precautions are particularly important as we enter cold/flu season:
- Teach your children to wash their hands thoroughly and frequently using soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. You can set a good example by doing this yourself.
- Teach your children not to share personal items like drinks, food or unwashed utensils.
- Teach your children to cover their coughs and sneezes with tissues and to dispose of the tissues properly after use. Coughs or sneezes can be covered using the elbow, arm or sleeve instead of the hand when a tissue is unavailable.
- Do not send children to school if they are sick. Any children who are determined to be sick while at school will be sent home.
- Keep sick children at home for at least 24 hours after they no longer have fever or do not have signs of fever, without using fever-reducing drugs. Keeping children with a fever at home will reduce the number of people who may get infected.
- Do not give your student aspirin or other products that contain salicylates. These have been associated with Reye's Syndrome, a potentially fatal condition that can affect children and adolescents who have viral illnesses. Your health care provider can recommend a safer medication to reduce fever and alleviate aches and pains.
- Ask your healthcare provider about the advisability of vaccination for seasonal flu.