Dear Parents and Guardians,

The 2019 Novel Coronavirus, or 2019-nCoV, is a new respiratory virus identified in December 2019 as the cause of an outbreak in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. People who get sick with 2019-nCoV develop mild to severe respiratory illness with symptoms including fever, cough, and difficulty breathing.  Illness can begin 2 to 14 days after an exposure.   THERE ARE NO KNOWN CASES OF CORONAVIRUS AMONG DISTRICT 204 STUDENTS OR STAFF MEMBERS.  This notification is for informational purposes only.

It is believed by medical experts that the virus is spread from person-to-person mainly via respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Typically, with most respiratory viruses, people are thought to be most contagious when they are most symptomatic.

There is currently no vaccine to prevent 2019-nCoV infection. As with any respiratory virus, the Illinois Department of Public Health recommends that students protect themselves and others by taking every day common sense actions:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Stay home when you are sick and if you had a fever, stay home until 24 hours have passed since the fever ended.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

The Illinois Department of Public Health does NOT recommend:

• the use of masks or gloves
• cancelling mass gatherings
• cancelling classes

At this time, no special sanitizing processes beyond routine cleaning are necessary or recommended to slow the spread of respiratory illness. Joliet Township High School continues to follow standard processes for routine cleaning and disinfecting with an EPA-registered product.

For more information, please visit DPH.ILLINOIS.GOV or www.cdc.gov/coronavirus.