Marion County Health Department SCHOOL OUTBREAK RESPONSE PLAN

Version 1.0  - August 2020 

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Operational Assumptions: 
Mitigating COVID 19 is a fluid and dynamic process that includes constant evaluation and decision making. For school systems to remain open for in person activities a system of protective measures to limit person to person spread of this infectious disease must be in place including: 

• The judicious wearing of a mask 
• Frequently and effectively washing hands 
• Effectively using social distancing techniques in social settings 
  AND 
• The identification of infected individuals through laboratory testing, symptom screening, and contact tracing 
• The diligent and timely collecting, analyzing, and sharing of information to drive disease intervention decision making. 

Symptom Identification and Management: (Reference 1) 

• Symptoms of COVID-19 include: new onset cough or shortness of breath by themselves OR at least 2 of the following: fever (100.4ºF or higher), chills, muscle pain, sore throat, fatigue, congestion, loss of sense of smell or taste, or gastrointestinal symptoms of diarrhea, vomiting, or nausea. 
• If a person has a new symptom (for example, new loss of smell only) with no other diagnosis to explain it, they should stay home and talk to their health care provider about testing for COVID-19, even if it is the only symptom they are experiencing. 
• If a person is given an alternative diagnosis (e.g. strep throat, influenza, etc.) they should be stay home from school following the standard exclusion criteria for communicable diseases in schools. 

Definitions: (Reference 1) 
Case Investigation: Public Health infectious disease investigation associated with an individual with a positive laboratory test for COVID 19 
Close contact: A person who: 

• was within 6 feet of someone who has COVID-19 (even if they did not have symptoms) for at least 15 minutes total. 
• provided care for someone who is sick with COVID-19. 
• had direct physical contact with someone who is sick with COVID-19. 
• shared eating or drinking utensils with someone who is sick with COVID-19. 
• got respiratory droplets on them (through sneezing, coughing, shouting, etc.) from someone who is sick with COVID-19. 
• was in the same class/core group as a person with COVID-19. ​

Confirmed case: A person who has tested positive for the COVID-19 virus using a laboratory test. 
Contact Tracing: Public Health infectious disease investigation associated with a close contact with an individual with a positive laboratory test for COVID 19 
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. 
Core Grouping: The practice of keeping the same individuals in the same group at all times during the school day. Changes in core groups are timed to align with school breaks. Core grouping helps limit the number of contacts each individual has. As a result, quarantines, dismissals, or suspension of in-person learning in the event of a student or staff member with COVID-19 affect fewer people. Students may be in multiple core groups (for example, bus ride to school, after-school sports, classroom). 
COVID-like symptoms: Temperature of 100.4 or higher, fever or chills, new cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting and/or diarrhea. 
Isolation: Staying home from work, school, and/or activities when a person has a confirmed case of COVID-19. Isolation lasts for at least 10 days after the onset of symptoms, 24 hours fever-free without fever reducing medication, and an improvement of symptoms. For people who have not had symptoms, isolation lasts 10 days from the day they had their first positive test. In some instances, as determined by an individual’s medical provider, isolation may last in excess of days. 
Joint Information Center (JIC): a collaboration established with response partners to unify public information for response actions. 
School outbreak-associated case: A confirmed case among students/staff should be classified as outbreak-associated. Family members or others outside the school who get sick should not be classified as a school outbreak-associated case. 
Quarantine: Staying home from work, school, and/or activities when a person is a close contact of someone with COVID-19. Quarantine lasts for 14 days (unless the person develops symptoms, then they will be put in isolation).