Hello all,
PHE have issued new advice for you on the above. It is a shame it is this week, as it would have been good to get this out to your communities before they all return from the break, where applicable.
I have taken extracts from it below, hence the numbering jumping about.
Guidance to educational settings about COVID-19
Published 17 February 2020
8. What to do if pupils, students or staff in your childcare or educational setting have travelled from anywhere in Hubei Province, including Wuhan in the past 14 days.
If an individual falls into this category, contact NHS 111 for further advice:
if they are currently well they should self-isolate for 14 days after leaving Hubei province and you should follow the advice as above for contacts of confirmed cases in the educational setting
if they become unwell please call NHS 111 immediately for them to be assessed by an appropriate specialist. You should follow the advice as above for contacts of confirmed cases in the educational establishment. If they require emergency medical attention, call 999 and tell the call handler or ambulance control that the person has a history of recent travel to risk areas for COVID-19
9. What to do if a pupil, student or staff member has travelled from elsewhere in China (outside Wuhan and Hubei Province) or Hong Kong, Japan, Macau, Malaysia, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Taiwan or Thailand in the last 14 days
If they are currently well:
* they are advised to self-isolate only if they develop symptoms
* they can continue to attend work or education
* they do not need to avoid contact with other people
* their family do not need to take any precautions or make any changes to their own activities
* testing people with no symptoms for COVID-19 is currently not recommended
* it is useful to always take a mobile phone with them when they go out so that they can contact others if they do become unwell
If they become unwell:
* they should stay indoors and avoid contact with other people as they would with other flu viruses (see this home isolation advice sheet).
* they (or a family member, colleague or member of staff) should call NHS 111 immediately for them to be assessed by an appropriate specialist, as quickly as possible
* they should stay at home and should not attend work or education
* they should not go directly to their GP or other healthcare environment
if they require emergency medical attention, call 999 and tell the call handler or ambulance control that the person has a history of recent travel to risk areas for COVID-19
see further information and the Public Health England Blog
3. Preventing spread of infection
There is currently no vaccine to prevent COVID-19. The best way to prevent infection is to avoid being exposed to the virus.
There are general principles anyone can follow to help prevent the spread of respiratory viruses, including:
* washing your hands often - with soap and water, or use alcohol sanitiser if handwashing facilities are not available. This is particularly important after taking public transport
* covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throwing the tissue in a bin. See Catch it, Bin it, Kill it
* people who feel unwell should stay at home and should not attend work or any education or childcare setting
* pupils, students, staff and visitors should wash their hands:
- before leaving home
- on arrival at school
- after using the toilet
- after breaks and sporting activities
- before food preparation
- before eating any food, including snacks
- before leaving school
use an alcohol-based hand sanitiser that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available
* avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands
* avoid close contact with people who are unwell
* clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces
if you are worried about your symptoms or those of a child or colleague, please call NHS 111. Do not go directly to your GP or other healthcare environment
see further information on the Public Health England Blog and the NHS UK website.
PHE has a suite of materials that contains public health advice about how you can help stop the spread of viruses, like those that cause COVID-19, by practicing good respiratory and hand hygiene. To access, download and share this information you will need to register for an account which only takes a couple of minutes.
Face masks for the general public, pupils or students, or staff are not recommended to protect from infection, as there is no evidence of benefit from their use outside healthcare environments.
People who have returned from Hubei Province, including Wuhan, in the last 14 days should self-isolate. This includes avoiding attending an education setting or work until 14 days after they leave Hubei Province.
People who have returned from China, Hong Kong, Japan, Macau, Malaysia, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Taiwan or Thailand in the last 14 days, are advised to stay at home if they develop symptoms. All other pupils or students and staff should continue to attend school or university, including their siblings attending the same or a different school (unless advised not to by public health officials).
You can see the full advice at the following link. It includes information on what to do if anyone feels unwell at your setting, an appropriate cleaning regime, etc.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-educational-settings-about-covid-19/guidance-to-educational-settings-about-covid-19
Bill
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