COVID + Procedure Kanawha County Schools

Definitions

Confirmed case: a person who has tested positive for COVID-19 using a laboratory test.

Close contact/exposure: A close contact is someone identified as: » A person having unprotected direct contact with infectious secretions of a COVID-19 case (e.g., being coughed on, touching used paper tissues with a bare hand, etc.). » A person having had face-to-face contact with a COVID-19 case within 6 feet and for longer than 15 minutes. » A person who was in a closed environment (meeting room, activity room, classroom, etc.) with a COVID-19 case for 15 minutes or more and at a distance of less than 6 feet. » A person having had direct physical contact with a COVID-19 case (e.g., shaking hands).

Community Exposure:» Someone in the community has tested positive and has been in contact with someone at your school/location. We may notify you, as an extra precaution, that someone in your school is isolating.

Confirmed outbreak: Two or more confirmed COVID-19 cases among students/staff from separate households, with onset within 14 days in a single classroom or core group.

This guidance applies to both students and staff.

Please review this document before coming to school.

Overview and KCHD Partnership

Kanawha County Schools supports, but does not conduct, contract tracing. The Kanawha-Charleston Health Department (KCHD) conducts contact tracing.

• KCS may not require individuals to quarantine or isolate. • KCS may ask you to follow guidance provided to us by the State Department of

Education or WV DHHR and/or local health professionals in quarantining or isolating. • KCS may close classrooms or schools if needed or recommended by the KCHD.

The KCS Lead Nurse will be the main liaison with the KCHD.

KCS will adjust its process, if needed, based on the latest information from the KCHD and/or other local, state or national medical guidance.

COVID+ Procedure – positive test in a class or schoolThe following procedure will be used in the case of a confirmed positive case of a student or staff member:

1. KCHD will report a confirmed case to KCS OR parent/staff will report a confirmed case to the school. If a case is reported to the school, we verify the case with KCHD.

2. School administrator will complete a form with known details of individual situation and contact KCS Lead Nurse (lead health liaison) and their Assistant Superintendent.

3. KCS Lead Nurse will communicate directly with KCHD and discuss known details of the situation (who has the student/teacher been in close contact with, indirect contact, what is the grade level, were changing classes involved, etc).

4. Based on the individual situation, there will be a discussion and recommendation about next steps. A closure may not be recommended at all, or a closure may be recommended for a directly affected classroom, multiple classrooms or the whole school. KCS will make the decision on status of the school, considering KCHD’s recommendations.

5. All parents in any affected classroom and school will be notified by KCS of a positive case, related details of the situation, and the intent to deep clean the affected areas through a phone call, letter, and/or other school outlet.

6. (Athlete cases will also be handled via Step 4, with a trigger of possible cancellation of practice or event depending on specifics of the scenario).

7. In every situation, the classroom/s and/or affected areas will be deep cleaned. Training has been provided to all KCS custodians.

Procedure – what if a family member tests positive?

1. Per the “Should I Come to School?” guidance, students and staff should NOT come to school if they have been exposed to a person with a positive test or if they are having symptoms.

2. If a student in class or teacher in school says one of their family members at home has COVID-19 and students or teacher’s colleagues overhear:1. Teacher notifies a school administrator of the comment.2. Administrator will take student from class to bring to the school isolation room for

temperature check.3. Student will wait in the isolation room while the administrator contacts

parent/guardian.4. Administrator shares with parent/guardian that their child has announced that

someone in their home is COVID-19 positive and the school leader reminds the parent/guardian of the “Should I Come to School?” guidance from state health leaders. That guidance states that if a child lives in the home with a family member who is positive and there has been exposure, the recommendation is that the child self isolate away from positive contact for 14 days beginning from the last day of exposure with the positive contact.

5. School will work with any student not able to attend in person in making arrangements for child to complete work remotely or make up work as they would normally during or after illness.

6. School leader shares that we encourage self-isolation for 14 days if exposed.

Procedure – what if a staff member tests positive?

1. KCHD will report a confirmed case to KCS or staff person will report a confirmed case to the school/supervisor. All positive case reports are confirmed with the KCHD. Staff person will work with HR to discuss leave usage.

2. KCS school administrator will complete a form with known details of individual situation and contact KCS Lead Nurse (lead health liaison) and their Assistant Superintendent.

3. KCS Lead Nurse will communicate directly with KCHD and discuss known details of the situation (who has the student/teacher been in close contact with, indirect contact, what is the grade level, were changing classes involved, etc).

4. Based on the individual situation, there will be a discussion and recommendation about next steps. A closure may not be recommended at all, or a closure may be recommended for a directly affected classroom, multiple classrooms or the whole school. KCS will make the decision on status of the school, considering KCHD’s recommendations.

5. All parents in any affected classroom and school will be notified by KCS of a positive case, related details of the situation, and the intent to deep clean the affected areas through a phone call, letter, and/or other school outlet.

6. In every situation, the classroom/s and/or affected areas will be deep cleaned. Training has been provided to all KCS custodians.

Procedure – what if there is a suspected illness during a school day?

1. Parents and staff are asked to monitor health daily. If you are exhibiting symptoms, we ask that you stay home. Please follow the “Should I Come to School?” guidance provided.

2. If, once at a school building, a student or staff member is exhibiting at least one of the following symptoms (fever, chills, shortness or breath/difficulty breathing, new cough or new loss of taste/smell), they will be sent to the school isolation area. Each KCS location will have an isolation area that will be separate from where staff may attend to the regular medical needs of students.

3. Nurse may recommend that a student be picked up by a parent or guardian. If a parent or guardian is unable to pick up a symptomatic student, the district may utilize county health partners to deliver the student home.

4. Nurse may recommend that a staff person exhibiting symptoms go home. 5. Please follow the linked “Should I Come to School?” guide for details on how long you

should stay at home with symptoms. 6. Makeup work, remote work or eLearning may be available and will be communicated by

your school. Staff should contact their supervisor for direction. 7. KCS cannot direct a student to be tested for COVID-19. KCS cannot hold a student out

of the school if they are feeling OK and do not exhibit symptoms, unless we know of a positive exposure and they have been quarantined by the health department or health department guidance.

8. We encourage everyone to follow the ”Should I Come to School?” guidance.

Procedure – what if someone in my school community is exposed to a positive case?

1. School communities will be notified of possible community exposure at the school via a message in Schoology or email to staff. Everyone will receive this message. In most cases, there is no cause for concern. You should simply continue to monitor your health and observe the ”Should I Come to School?” guidance.

2. If you are found to have had close contact with a positive case, the school nurse or health department will contact you and provide additional instruction. This will help prevent community spread if you do test positive.

Procedure – can I come to school if I am waiting on a COVID test result?

1. If you are waiting on a test and are experiencing any symptoms listed on the “Should I Come to School?” document, you should not report to school.

2. If you are waiting on a test and you are not experiencing symptoms, best practice would be for students to stay home and complete remote instruction as worked out with the school until a test result is received. This would prevent additional exposure.

Scenarios -- What Should I Do?

1. I am a parent or staff member and I received a notification of possible community exposure at my school through Schoology. • You do not need to do anything except for monitor for symptoms as you do each

day. If your student (or you) begins experiencing symptoms, you should not come to school. If you have had close contact with the person reported to have had exposure, the school will work with the health department to ensure you are notified.

2. I am a parent or staff member and I received a phone call, letter and/or additional message telling me that there is a positive case in my school community. • You do not need to do anything except for monitor for symptoms as you do each

day. If your student (or you) begins experiencing symptoms, you should not come to school. If you have had close contact with the person reported to have had exposure, the school will work with the health department to ensure you are notified.

3. I am a parent or staff member and I received notification of close contact with a positive case. • You should follow recommendations provided in your notification.

Sample Communication from School to Staff/Parents in case of a positive

Please note that HIPAA and FERPA prevent us from providing any medical or identifying information related to a specific case.

This is a message from Kanawha County Schools. [School] has a reported positive case of COVID-19 in the school community. KCS and the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department will conduct contact tracing and the health department will advise families or staff directly if there has been contact with a positive case. Per districtwide protocol, maintenance staff will deep clean any affected areas. All should self-monitor for any Covid symptoms and stay at home if any are present as a precaution. The “Should I Come to School?” guidance is listed on the KCS website under Re-Entry 2020 and then Masks and In Person Safety Procedures. Thank you.