The University of Idaho sent out a health advisory Saturday stating a student from Henry M. Jackson High School, in Snohomish county, Washington, has been diagnosed with the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The email from the University of Idaho was sent to those affiliated with the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival.
While Jackson High School is a participant at Jazz Fest, the affected student is not at Jazz Fest.
According to the email, there has been no indication any student at Jazz Fest had direct contact with the infected student and they have not shown symptoms.
“None of the students from that school have any contact with that student. All the students from that school, were here at the festival before the outbreak even occurred,” Ben Price, volunteer coordinator for Jazz Festival, said.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare there have been no confirmed cases of the COVID-19 in Idaho.
According to the Everett Public Schools website, the affected student is quarantined along with the few students who were in contact. Jackson High School will be closed on March 2 to allow maintenance crews three full days to disinfect and deep clean the campus, along with two middle schools in the area.
UI has an Infectious Disease Response Team that is up to date and working with Public Health – Idaho North Central District to monitor the situation and assess risk. Should an individual with immediate ties to the university contract the virus, the team will follow steps outlined in the Infectious Disease Response Protocol.
According to the UI email, UI’s janitorial staff is putting in extra effort to disinfect all public areas regularly.
The email also provided ways to limit the risk of contracting COVID-19 or any other virus. People are encouraged to use these standard protocols:
- Wash your hands often, using soap and water, for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
Visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Cornavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) website page for the most recent information on COVID-19.
The Argonaut will continue to update this story as more information becomes available.
Angela Palermo can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @apalermooo
current resident
Way to censor comments
Ali
This is such an ignorant statement: “All the students from that school, were here at the festival before the outbreak even occurred,” Ben Price, volunteer coordinator for Jazz Festival, said.” It has been determined, by actual doctors not “volunteer coordinators”, a person isn’t symptomatic but is contagious for approx 2 weeks. So that poor kid went to school and exposed everyone, those other kids came to Moscow and exposed everyone. all those kids went home and to school and exposed everyone. the kids’ parents, younger siblings, etc all went to work and schools and exposed everyone.... that is how epidemics happen yet the University can’t see a problem?
Andrew Stark
What a horrible, fear-mongering headline. Fix it so it starts by stating that no students who attended jazz fest had the virus. Who’s the editor responsible for this garbage?
Christy
Disappointed in UI for using the coronavirus for clicks. This kind of media is only adding to the hysteria surrounding the virus.