Recent media coverage of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) has raised questions about the spread of the infection in the United States. We want you to be informed about what we are doing in Garland ISD.
Coronavirus (COVID-19)
The Coronavirus risk remains low at this time. It is believed to be spread through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes, much in the way the flu and other respiratory viruses are spread. Symptoms are thought to appear within two to 14 days after exposure and consist of fever, cough, and difficulty breathing.
Garland ISD Health Services and campus nurses are well prepared. We have protocols and policies in place to ensure students are sent home with fever or when ill, and for ensuring they are fever-free before they return to school.
We also check daily with the Center for Disease Control (CDC), Dallas Health Department and Garland Health Department for updates and guidance.
Currently, no Coronavirus cases have been reported in the three cities served by Garland ISD or in any surrounding communities. We will always be responsive and open with communication to families about any reported or suspected cases, in addition to sharing the following best practices for staying healthy:
Symptoms for COVID-19 often mimic the flu; getting a flu shot is highly recommended.
We will continue to use our preventive antimicrobial misting system at each campus and on our buses to thoroughly and widely disinfect.
We will continue to train for and implement good handwashing practices, using soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and covering coughs and sneezes with a tissue. We ask that you reinforce these preventive measures at home.
Anyone who is ill should stay at home until fever-free for 24-hours without the use of fever reducing medication.
Notify the campus nurse if your child has flu-like symptoms.
It is best to rely on factual information from reliable sources when questions arise. The links below provide information about the coronavirus from local, state national and international health organizations.
Dallas County Health and Human Services
Texas Department of State Health Services
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
We have received questions about wearing masks. There is no evidence that wearing a mask protects healthy people from infection. For more information about when a mask is effective, please visit the World Health Organization’s page Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) advice for the public: When and how to use masks.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out to GISD Health Services at A877@garlandisd.net with any questions you may have.
Information provided by Garland ISD.