المملكة: Tightening preventive measures in schools…protocols for infection control and closing classes when necessary – urgent

The Public Health Authority stressed «InfectionIt can be transmitted through contaminated water and food, as occurs in cases of infectious diarrhea, gastroenteritis, food poisoning, and viral hepatitis A, or through the respiratory system through nasal and mouth secretions and the droplets they carry that cause influenza and colds, in addition to transmission of infection through direct contact with skin, saliva, or body fluids, and through contact with contaminated surfaces and tools such as pens, napkins, clothes, and eating utensils, which reinforces the importance of personal hygiene. And the environment.

The guide confirmed that schools are not required to examine students or employees to detect infectious diseases except when special instructions are issued as a result of an outbreak or pandemic, and that the starting point in dealing with cases is the educational staff’s observation of the appearance of general symptoms that are an early indicator of an infectious disease, and include skin rash, itching, extreme fatigue, exhaustion, high temperature, shortness of breath, headache, vomiting, diarrhea, jaundice, and cough. When any of these symptoms are detected, the school principal and the health advisor must be notified, communicate immediately with the guardian, and keep the student in a separate place under observation until he attends, while not allowing him to return until he completes clinical recovery or proves that he is free of infection in the laboratory with the submission of a medical report.

In the event that an outbreak is suspected within the school, the guide explains a series of procedures starting from the school that submits the report to the health center, which evaluates the case according to the approved protocol, and reports via the “Hisn Plus” system, then Communicate with public health in the health cluster to obtain the necessary preventive guidance.

This may include carrying out a field visit to monitor the situation inside the school. Then the procedures move to the infectious diseases department of the health cluster, which reviews the reports, determines the appropriate preventive interventions, and informs the branches of the Public Health Authority. In the event of a recommendation to close a class or school, the matter is referred to the executive director of the authority’s branch to issue the final decision after coordination with the communicable diseases sector. The Department of Education and the relevant authorities are also notified to follow up on the situation until the case ends.

The guide highlights the preventive measures that are recommended when a disease outbreak is suspected, including field surveys to count those in contact according to approved evidence, and placing them under medical observation, in addition to vaccinating those in contact when there is a disease that requires immunization, with the exception of students with medical contraindications and informing their guardians of that. He stresses that quarantine is only applied in exceptional cases and for high-risk diseases and by direct medical decision, and that any additional preventive measure is carried out in coordination between public health representatives and the school.

The guide allocates an important space to cases that require immediate isolation inside the school, which include high temperature, respiratory symptoms such as coughing and shortness of breath, and digestive system symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, or vomiting, in addition to a skin rash. Isolation continues until the infected person leaves the school.

It also details the specifications of the isolation room inside the school, including the availability of good ventilation, a bathroom, and facilities for washing hands, providing personal protective equipment, training the health worker to deal with cases, and cleaning and disinfecting surfaces. After the infected person is discharged, the areas used are closed and ventilated for 24 hours before complete sterilization.

With regard to general prevention, the guide stressed the awareness of educational staff about the symptoms and methods of transmission of the infection, the need for patients to remain at home until recovery, the importance of basic immunizations for students and employees and documenting them in their files, and encouraging parents to make up for missed doses.

The guide also identifies the groups most vulnerable to complications within schools, especially children with low immunity and cancer patients. Leukemia and students who take immunosuppressants, in addition to pregnant women, stressing the need to inform the doctor immediately when pregnant women are exposed to high-risk diseases, and recommending completing doses of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine before pregnancy. The guide points to four diseases that are considered high risk for these groups: measles, chicken pox, rubella, and fifth disease (parvovirus)."LTR">B19).