January 30, 2020
The Department of Health (HDOH) is aware that schools have concerns regarding the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (also called 2019-nCoV), a new respiratory virus identified in Wuhan, China. Infections with the new coronavirus have caused an outbreak of respiratory illness, mainly in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China. To date, six cases have been confirmed in the United States; all had traveled from Wuhan, China or had close contact with a person with 2019-nCoV. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) believes the risk to the general American public remains low. There are no cases in Hawaiʻi at this time.
Students, faculty, or staff who are not ill should not be excluded from school, even if they have traveled to China. They should monitor their health for 14 days from the time they left China, specifically Wuhan or Hubei, Province, and contact their healthcare provider should they become ill. Persons who become ill after travel to China, again, particularly Wuhan or Hubei Province in China, should stay home from school and contact their health care provider (call ahead to inform about recent travel). Persons who have contact with someone who is well and has traveled to China are not at risk for infection.
The best way to prevent transmission of any respiratory illness (including flu) in schools is to follow everyday preventive actions:
- Stay home when sick
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20seconds
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and
Additionally, HDOH recommends everyone be vaccinated against flu. With current seasonal flu activity, it is likely there will be confusion as persons with flu will exhibit similar signs and symptoms such as fever and cough.
For further information about the 2019-nCoV, visit the CDC website at: https://www.cdc.gov/covid/index.html or the HDOH website at: https://health.hawaii.gov/coronavirusdisease2019/. This is a rapidly evolving situation and information for schools will be updated as it becomes available.
Sarah Y. Park, MD, FAAP
State Epidemiologist