Tewksbury High Students And Staff Quarantined After Italy Trip

TEWKSBURY, MA — Tewksbury Memorial High School students and staff who went on a trip to Italy over the February vacation have been asked to self-quarantine over concerns regarding the new coronavirus until March 7, Superintendent Chris Malone announced Wednesday. Public health agencies recommended earlier in the day that anyone who has traveled to Italy in the last 14 days self-quarantine until the 14 day period elapses. Additionally, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health informed the school that the trip shared a flight with a passenger with a “presumptive case of COVID-19," the virus's scientific name.

The passenger was on the same flight from Munich as the TMHS trip, but was not connected to the school group. The February vacation was from Feb. 15 to 23. The students and staff who went on the trip will be able to return to school Monday, March 9.

The self-quarantine request, Malone noted, was made "after consulting with the town manager, the town nurse, the Tewksbury director of public health and Carley Perez, an epidemiologist from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, and out of an abundance of caution."

The CDC advisory covers only those individuals who traveled themselves to specific countries of concern, Malone's letter continued.

"This includes the countries of China, Iran, South Korea and Italy," Malone wrote. "Students or staff members (not family members) who traveled to these areas should inform their school and adhere to the 14 day self-quarantine as outlined in the above advisory."

Malone includes in full the CDC's "key points" regarding travel to Italy:

• CDC recommends that travelers avoid all nonessential travel.
• Older adults and people with chronic medical conditions may be at increased risk for severe disease.
• Travelers should avoid contact with sick people and clean their hands often by washing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with 60%–95% alcohol.

• Travelers should stay home and monitor their health during travel and for 14 days after returning to the United States.
• Travelers who feel sick with fever or cough or difficulty breathing should seek medical advice. Call ahead before you go to a doctor’s office or emergency room."

Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that include the common cold as well as much more serious diseases. The strain that emerged in China in late 2019, now called COVID-19, is related to others that have caused serious outbreaks in recent years, including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). The first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the U.S. was on Jan. 21.

The disease, which apparently originated in animals, is now transferring from person to person, although the mechanism is not yet fully understood. Its symptoms include fever, coughing and shortness of breath, and many patients develop pneumonia. There is as yet no vaccine against COVID-19 it and no antiviral treatment.

According to the CDC, the best way of preventing the disease is to avoid close contact with people who are sick, to avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands, to wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and to use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol if soap and water are not available.

To avoid spreading any respiratory illness, the CDC recommends staying at home when you are sick, covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue and throwing the tissue in the trash, cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces.

There is one CDC-confirmed coronavirus case and two possible cases in the state of Massachusetts. Over 300 people have completed quarantines without showing symptoms.

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.