Planning, Preparing, and Responding to Potential COVID-19: Resources for Schools
Best Practices for Controlling Infection Spread in Schools
We are sharing this information to help schools plan, prepare, and respond in the case of an infectious disease outbreak.
What is COVID-19?
COVID-19 is a respiratory illness caused by a novel (new) virus, and we are learning more about it every day. There is currently no vaccine to protect against COVID-19. At this point, the best way to prevent infection is to avoid being exposed to the virus that causes it. Stopping transmission (spread) of the virus through everyday practices is the best way to keep people healthy. More information on COVID-19 is available here.
The CDC reports that schools should take the following steps to prepare their facilities to act in case of a reported COVID-19 case in their community.
- Review, update, and implement emergency operating plans (EOPs).
- Develop with information-sharing partners, such as primary care clinics, local health departments, and hospital systems.
- Monitor and plan for absenteeism of students and staff.
- Establish procedures for students and staff who are sick at school.
- Perform routine environmental cleaning.
- Create communications plans for use with your school community.
For more in-depth information, read the Centers for Disease Control’s full guidance here.
What disinfectant products are most effective to stop the spread of infectious diseases?
Please note that there are no approved EPA-registered disinfectants against COVID-19.
Please review the EPA Statement here and the suggested disinfectants most likely to be effective against COVID-19 here.
Where should we focus our disinfecting and cleaning efforts?
High-traffic areas, such as front offices, nurses offices, cafeterias and lunch rooms, staff break rooms, locker rooms, and bathrooms should be disinfected daily.
Pay special attention to high-touch surfaces such as doorknobs, light switches, water fountains, keyboards, bathroom sink faucets, and desk/tabletops in high-traffic areas.
Lastly, if you utilize a transportation service for your students, work with your school bus or vehicle operators to regularly clean and disinfect seats and surfaces.
Download these informational posters to share with your school community.
Sources:
Centers for Disease Control
EPA