Lubbock ISD Confirms COVID-19 at 2 Elementary Schools, Possible Exposure at Willie McCool Academy
Lubbock ISD confirmed Wednesday that there is at least one confirmed COVID-19 case and subsequent exposure at two local schools: Guadalupe Elementary School (101 N Avenue P), and Honey Elementary School (3615 86th Street).
During an online news conference, Lubbock ISD Superintendent Dr. Kathy Rollo said "we do have notification today that yes, we do have one" in response to a question about COVID-19 cases in schools. Shortly after her comments, the school district released a statement confirming there was also at least one case at a second school.
A "possible exposure" was also confirmed by the district at the newly opened McCool Academy, the school that replaced Smylie Wilson Middle School.
The district has not said if the confirmed cases are students, faculty or staff.
Lubbock ISD says it's "confident" that the exposure risk to others in the schools is "minimal" due to the safety protocols implemented by the district, including wearing face coverings and social distancing.
A recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that while fewer cases of COVID-19 have been reported in children aged 0 to 17 years, the number and rate of infections among that age group "steadily increased" from March to July. Currently, 7.3 percent of all U.S. cases have now been attributed to that age group. The group added that children aged 0 to 17 make up 22 percent of the total U.S. population, and warned that "true incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in children is not known due to lack of widespread testing and the prioritization of testing for adults and those with severe illness."
According to the CDC, symptoms of COVID-19 in children include the following:
- Fever
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Myalgia
- Cough
- Nasal congestion or rhinorrhea
- New loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Abdominal pain
- Diarrhea
- Nausea or vomiting
- Poor appetite or poor feeding
The CDC says that the incubation period for the novel coronavirus in children is 2-14 days, with an average of 6 days. The most common symptoms of COVID-19 in children is a cough and/or fever, with up to 16 percent of children who have the virus being asymptomatic, according to the CDC.
Lubbock ISD said it's using GermBlast to deep clean areas they've identified as risks. Students and staff will be shuffled around to accommodate the cleaning process, the district said, but there are no plans at this moment to cancel face-to-face instruction at either of the schools.