Parents of Rhinelander students have gotten notices outlining what the school district is doing to keep the Coronavirus and other respiratory diseases at bay.
School district nurse Kerri Schmidt says they brought together local stakeholders to determine a course of action..
"We reviewed our preparedness plan, which meant we reviewed it and we had a lot of good things in place. Mentioning the Coronavirus we are following the guidance of our our local health department and the CDC(Centers For Disease Control). We thought it was important to let the community know we have this plan..."
She says the district already had a plan in place to face a similar disease threat, the H1N1 virus back in 2009....
"It's not too late to get the influenza vaccine and to continue to take everyday measures to stop the spread of germs. Most importantly, wash your hands frequently. Wash them with soap and water a minimum of 20 seconds. Stay home when you're sick which includes work and school and even running errands, cover your cough, avoid touching your nose, eyes and mouth..."
Kerri Schmidt says also clean and disinfect frequently touched areas. She says they instruct students and staff to stay home when ill, but to let the district know, as well, what symptoms are causing you to feel ill. They also have a policy that will send a sick person home if they meet certain criteria such as a fever.
"So we've been ahead of the curve as far as a school who does daily surveillance. It's helped us in the past as you recall we had the whooping cough issue. Probably, most recently in everyone's mind, but we have utilized this plan even for G I illnesses such as the norovirus..."
There's more information available at the School District of Rhinelander website.
