Infectious Diseases

Prevention and Mitigation Plan The Superintendent or designee shall work with state and local health officials to develop and regularly update a plan to prevent and mitigate the spread of infectious diseases. Components of the plan may include, but are not necessarily limited to: - A communication strategy for informing students, parents/guardians, staff, and the community about the disease(s), including symptoms, complications, transmission, and current recommendations from state and local departments of public health - Protocols for assessing when campus closures are necessary and when campus(es) may reopen - Alternative means of instruction, schedules, and attendance, including the provision of instruction to students with disabilities, English learners, and foster or homeless youth, in the event of campus closures or partial closures - Guidelines regarding preventative measures such as social distancing, personal protective equipment, temperature checks, and/or any other health screening allowed by law - Protocols regarding the acquisition and provision of personal protective equipment and other supplies - Procedures for the cancellation or alteration of extracurricular activities and field trips - Protocols for transportation of students using district vehicles - Information on effective hygiene practices - Provisions for continuing free and reduced-price meal services - Processes for protecting students who are at higher risk from the disease - Programs that enhance a positive school climate and foster the emotional well-being of all students - Guidelines for cleaning and sanitization of district facilities and equipment - Protocols for visitors and outside groups that utilize district facilities - Staff training The Superintendent or designee shall immediately report to the local health officer the presence or suspected presence of any communicable disease. (17 CCR 2508) Universal Precautions in the Classroom Before students work with blood, blood products, or other body fluids, the teacher shall explain the potentially hazardous nature of blood and body fluids in the transmission of various agents from one person to another and the specific procedures and safety precautions to be used in the lesson. The following precautions shall be used when students are working with blood or other body fluids: - Before and after exposure to blood or other body fluids, students shall wash their hands with soap and water and cover any existing cut, wound, or open sore with a sterile dressing. - Students shall wear gloves or other personal protective equipment as appropriate. - Blood typing or similar experiments may be conducted by teacher demonstrations. When being performed individually, students shall work with their own blood or use prepackaged ABO/Rh blood cell kits that have vials of blood previously tested for transmissible agents. - For finger punctures, students shall use individual sterile lancets that have engineered sharps injury protection and shall not reuse them. - Before the finger is punctured, it shall be wiped with a piece of cotton that has been immersed in alcohol. - If bleeding persists after the finger is punctured, the student shall apply a sterile bandage using moderate pressure. - Lancets and any other materials contaminated with blood or body fluids shall be discarded into a solution consisting of one part bleach to 10 parts water (1:10), made fresh daily. - At the end of the class, surfaces shall be wiped with alcohol or a solution of one part bleach to 10 parts water.