Schools Take Precautions in Light of Ebola

Schools are the latest communities to begin figuring out how they'll watch for possible Ebola cases -- without unduly alarming students or their families.

Balancing caution and common sense has not proved easy. A school district in Ohio closed schools Thursday until Monday after discovering that a parent had been in contact with an Ebola patient when the patient visited Cleveland this past weekend, before she was diagnosed.

Although the child was not in contact with the Ebola patient --  nurse Amber Vinson, who was infected while caring for patient Thomas Eric Duncan in Dallas -- the parent and child have been quarantined.

Here's what our local schools are doing:

Fairfax County Public Schools: Any child who comes into the school clinic with a high fever will be asked if they have traveled to any of the Ebola-affected countries in West Africa within the past 21 days, according to a press release.

A spokesman for Fairfax County Schools also said officials are asking new students and their family members if they have recently traveled to or from West Africa. If students do not show symptoms, they'll be allowed to attend class as usual. However, the information will be passed onto health officials and monitored.

Some parents of students at Springfield Estates Elementary School in Springfield issued a press release to express their concern to county officials after learning two students who had been traveling in Africa are expected to return to school by Oct. 20.

The Fairfax Co. Public Schools website states that "there is no action that people who live in the Fairfax community need to take as a result of the Ebola case recently identified in Dallas, Texas or the Ebola outbreak in West Africa."

Montgomery County Public Schools

A spokeswoman for Montgomery Co. Schools said they are following standard protocols intended to prevent spreading of viruses, but are not screening students for Ebola. They plan to follow the guidance of the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services if further action needs to be taken.

Alexandria City Public Schools

If any Alexandria City student comes into a school clinic with a fever or possible Ebola symptoms, the staff will check the child's attendance record to see if they have been absent for enough time to have taken a trip to West Africa, according to a spokesperson.

School officials plan to work closely with the Alexandria Health Department to pass along any information if they identify a student they are concerned about. Alexandria City Schools plan to work with families to educate them on how Ebola is transmitted and how to prevent transmission.

Prince George’s County Public Schools

Prince George's County Schools are asking any child with a fever of 101.4 of higher about any travel history in the past 21 days to West Africa, according to a school document. If fever and travel to these countries is confirmed by the parents, the school will work with local and state health departments to determine a response.

The school nurse is keeping a log of students who come in with a fever as protocol for flu season -- and says it is working on preventing flu rather than focusing on Ebola alone.

D.C. Public Schools

D.C. Public Schools are not required to ask students about their travel to West Africa, according to D.C. Health Director Joxel Garcia. 

Arlington Public Schools

Arlington schools are not screening students for Ebola, according to a spokeswoman. Students are evaluated at the school clinic, and if a child is sick or has a fever, the child must be picked up from school by a parent.

If there is a concern, the school will refer it to the communicable disease bureau. They also plan to monitor students' attendance and absences from school.

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