According to Washington State Department of Health: Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that usually cause mild respiratory illnesses such as the common cold. Some coronaviruses have caused more severe illness, such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). COVID-19 is a disease caused by a new coronavirus that was not identified in humans before December 2019. Learn more.

People who have been diagnosed with novel coronavirus have reported symptoms that may appear in as few as 2 days or as long as 14 days after exposure to the virus:

• Fever
• Cough
• Difficulty breathing

If you have symptoms, you should stay home except to get medical care. Call your health care provider or call the King County Novel Coronavirus Call Center at 206-477-3977.  

Seek medical care right away if your illness is worsening (for example, if you have difficulty breathing). Before going to the doctor’s office or emergency room, call ahead and tell them your symptoms. They will tell you what to do. Call 911 if you have a medical emergency.

If you have mild symptoms, you can leave home after these three things have happened:

• You have had no fever for at least 72 hours (that is three full days of no fever without the use medicine that reduces fevers)
  AND
• Other symptoms have improved (for example, when your cough or shortness of breath have improved)
  AND
• At least seven days have passed since your symptoms first appeared

Learn more.

According to Public Health of Seattle and King County, the public can help by following these five protocols:

1. Do not go to the emergency room unless essential. Emergency rooms need to be able to serve those with the most critical needs. If you have symptoms like cough, fever, or other respiratory problems, contact your regular doctor first.
2. Stay home when sick.
3. Practice excellent personal hygiene habits, including handwashing, coughing into tissue or elbow, avoid touching eyes, nose, or mouth.
4. Stay away from people who are ill, especially if you are 60 and older or have underlying health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, lung disease, or a weakened immune system. 
5. Stay informed. Information is changing frequently. Check and subscribe to Public Health’s website (www.kingcounty.gov/COVID) or blog (www.publichealthinsider.com).

It is natural to be concerned about a new illness. If you would like to talk with someone, the following mental health services are available to students and staff: 

• Students can talk with their school counselor or school nurse. 
• Families and staff can call the Washington State Department of Health’s Coronavirus hotline at 1-800-525-0127.

Public Health provides instruction to people who meet the criteria for COVID-19 testing to take precautionary measures until test results are known. Precautionary measures include isolating themselves from others, typically by staying at home, monitoring themselves for symptoms, and by taking their temperature twice daily. Public Health contacts them each day to talk about their health status. This allows Public Health to rapidly detect any potential signs of infection and get the person evaluated quickly if needed, minimizing the risk of spread.

Public Health also ask anyone who is a close contact of someone who meets the criteria for testing to monitor their health and let Public Health know immediately if they develop any illness. They can stop monitoring for symptoms when the person tests negative for coronavirus infection. Should the person test positive, the close contacts would stay separated from others and Public Health would check in with them daily to watch for symptoms.

As adults, it’s important we remain calm with our actions and words, and share factual information. Sharing accurate information during a time of heightened concern is critical. One of the ways we can protect our community from illness is to keep rumors and misinformation from spreading.

Here are some resources you may use to talk about the coronavirus with students: 

• Video: Coronavirus Explained for Kids
• Just For Kids: A Comic Exploring The New Coronavirus

This is an evolving situation. Stay up to date by consulting the following webpages:

• Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
• Washington Department of Health (DOH), Coronavirus Resources and Recommendations
• Public Health – Seattle and King County (PHSKC), Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)