Ebola Questions and Answers

Ebola Questions and Answers Updated 10/21/14 – v1.5 What is the APS response to Ebola in our community? We have worked very closely with the Summit County Public Health Department (SCPH) on a daily basis since the first report of the Dallas nurse becoming ill with Ebola. Our current procedures are:  If a staff member or student is classified by SCPH as a Tier 1 Contact (i.e., direct skin/membrane contact with someone ill with Ebola), as defined by the Ohio Department of Health, he or she will be quarantined by SCPH and, therefore, remain at home until no longer monitored by SCPH. The students will receive home instruction to ensure continuation of education.  If a staff member or student is classified by SCPH as a Tier 2 or 3 Contact (i.e., no direct skin/membrane contact but was within the same space with someone ill with Ebola), as defined by the Ohio Department of Health, he or she is not quarantined by SCPH; but APS will keep the staff member or student away from school until no longer monitored by SCPH. The students will receive home instruction to ensure continuation of education.  All other members of our community who are NOT identified by SCPH as a Tier 1, Tier 2 or Tier 3 Contacts (i.e., they had no contact with the Dallas Nurse) are at NO RISK of having or spreading Ebola; therefore, they are free to come to school and work. Why did the Superintendent close Resnik CLC on 10/17/14? As an extreme, precautionary measure, and due to confirming with SCPH that a parent and child from Resnik CLC were two of the 42 “contacts” of the Dallas nurse in Summit County, Akron Public Schools made the decision to temporarily close Resnik for one day. Following our APS guidelines, the child will be educated at home until he/she is no longer being monitored by SCPH. The closure was not due to any health risk at the school since the child and parent DO NOT have Ebola which means there is ZERO risk of the Ebola virus at Resnik. Since this was our first staff member or student in APS who was classified as a “contact,” we simply wanted to take a day to communicate to the parents and staff at Resnik and arrange home instruction for the child. Are there other staff or students classified as a Tier 1, 2 or 3 contact? On 10/20/14, Summit County Public Health Department was notified that a parent and child, who is a student at North HS, shopped at the same dress shop as the Dallas nurse. The parent then informed an administrator at North HS. SCPH confirmed with me this morning the student is a Tier 3 contact. This student is at minimal risk and is self-monitoring for 21 days. The student has not been in school for five days and will be on home instruction until the completion of the 21 days. Are Resnik CLC and North HS safe? Yes, 100% safe. Ebola is only transmitted when someone is sick. None of the “contacts” in Summit County is ill, including our two students; therefore, there is zero risk at Resnik and North. Why does the number of “contacts” of the Dallas nurse keep changing every few days from SCPH? SCPH has done an excellent job researching all of the people who had any potential contact with the

Dallas nurse. As they interview and re-interview people, they learn the identity of additional contacts. SCPH also has people call them to self-report that they may have been in the same location (e.g., dress shop) as the Dallas nurse. The numbers may still go up and down, but SCPH officials believe the numbers will begin to stabilize now. Why are we not closing all APS schools? There is no Ebola in Summit County. All of the “contacts” are well. All of our schools, including Resnik and North, are at zero risk of Ebola. Out of the 42 “contacts” of the Dallas nurse in Summit County, how many are quarantined and for how long? On 10/20/14, SCPH reported 42 “contacts” in Summit County. Only two of those are quarantined. The quarantine lasts until SCPH clears the contact which is typically 21 days. Are friends or family members who are interacting with the 40 “non-quarantined contacts” at risk and are they allowed to attend school? There are obviously many friends or family members of the 40 “non-quarantined contacts” living in Summit County. Because these “contacts” are considered very low-risk and are, therefore, not quarantined, they are free to move about the community. Since there is NO Ebola in Akron and none of the “contacts” have Ebola, there is zero risk of friends and family members spreading the virus; therefore, all friends and family members are free to attend school. If one of the 42 “contacts” becomes sick with Ebola, would the friends or family members immediately become contagious? No, the friend or family member would not be immediately infected with Ebola or contagious. Someone is only contagious if he or she has Ebola and is symptomatic. Ebola takes anywhere from two to 21 days (eight to 10 days is the average) before showing symptoms. If one of the 42 “contacts” became sick with Ebola, and if a friend or family member was subsequently classified as a new “contact,” we will follow our APS procedures and have the staff member and student not attend school. If I have a child who attends an APS school, should I keep him/her home? While we cannot make your decision for you, there is no reason for children to stay home. There is NO Ebola in Akron, our schools are safe, and there are no staff or student “contacts” currently working or attending school in APS.

* Our job as educators is to inform you of the decisions we have made on behalf of the safety of our students. We do not provide medical information or advice. You may find the following resources helpful to you in that area and for other Ebola information. www.cdc.gov

www.odh.ohio.gov

www.scphoh.org

The Health Department Ebola hotline is 330.926.3939. APS also has staff who can answer district-related questions: 330.761.1661. V1.5 – 10/21/14