Coronavirus Prevention: How Walpole Schools Are Responding

WALPOLE, MA — Walpole Public Schools are monitoring the Coronavirus situation — there are no cases in the district and the risk in the state remains low. To address community questions, the district sent a statement to families on Thursday.

While this is a public health concern, the CDC continues to report that the immediate risk to the general public remains low at this time. In it's statement to the community, the district stressed that the risk for the influenza virus is very high and that residents are much more likely to become sick with a cold or the flu than to be exposed to COVID-19.

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.

More information about COVID-19 can be found on the CDC's website in a complied sheet about the virus.

"As you may recall, years ago we dealt with the H1N1 and Noroviruses in a similar situation. The protocols we used to address these concerns are ready at hand. Again, Walpole Public School District is in constant communication with the Walpole Board of Health and Massachusetts DPH, and we are following recommendations from both the DPH and the CDC. Over the break, the schools were cleaned with particular attention to touchpoints and high contact surfaces," the statement reads.

The school offered tips on proper hygiene:

• Practice good hand hygiene. Wash your hands often and thoroughly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands. Use Alcohol-based hand sanitizer when soap and water are not available.