Coronavirus advice to parents

Image of a virus

Correct as on 13 February 2020

With the news about the Coronavirus outbreak in the news daily, I want to reassure you of our plans in the event of an outbreak in our nursery and to give specific advice that you should follow.

You should not be unduly worried about the possibility of your child catching the Coronavirus and there is no reason why they should not continue to attend our nursery as normal.

Public Health England have no specific advice for parents whose children attend a nursery. Or indeed for us as nursery managers. However this is a constantly evolving situation so if things change, I’ll update you immediately.

Background

The Coronavirus outbreak first appeared in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December. The situation is evolving and subject to constant review so please refer to Public Health England advice online for the latest and most up-to-date information. The website includes guidance for individuals who have travelled from Wuhan.

As of 12 February, most of the cases have been confined to China. There has now been eight cases in the UK. There have been no cases in Harrow (contrary to one particular HOAX message that is currently circulating on social media) or London.

What you should do to protect yourself

Because it's a new illness, we do not know exactly how Coronavirus spreads from person to person, but similar viruses spread by cough droplets.

There are things you can do to help stop germs like Coronavirus spreading:

Always carry tissues with you and use them to catch your cough or sneeze. Then bin the tissue, and wash your hands, or use a sanitiser gel
Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after using public transport. Use a sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available
Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands
Avoid close contact with people who are unwell

How you can help us

If you have recently travelled from Wuhan and Hubei Province to the UK in the last 14 days you should immediately:

stay indoors and avoid contact with other people as you would with the flu
call NHS 111 to inform them of your recent travel to the area

Please follow this advice even if you do not have symptoms of the virus.

Additionally, we want you to tell us if you or someone living with you has in the past 14 days returned to the UK from the following areas:

China (remaining provinces)
Thailand
Japan
Republic of Korea
Hong Kong
Taiwan
Singapore
Malaysia
Macau

If you have returned to the UK from any of the above areas in the last 14 days and develop symptoms of cough or fever or shortness of breath, you should immediately:

stay indoors and avoid contact with other people as you would with the flu
call NHS 111 to inform them of your recent travel to the country

This will help us to be particularly vigilant with your child in case they are showing any early symptoms of the Coronavirus.

If you are planning to visit any of the above areas for a holiday or for work, you must let us know immediately.

Steps we have taken in our nursery

Just to reassure you and to keep you informed, below are the key steps we have taken to keep your child safe in our nursery.

All our staff have been educated about the Coronavirus, including its symptoms and risks
We have increased our cleaning and deep cleaning routines
All our staff know what to do if they are concerned that they, their family members or colleagues are infected by the Coronavirus
If any of our staff show any symptoms of the Coronavirus, we will promptly inform Public Health in Harrow, Children’s Services and Ofsted and put our business continuity plan into action
We will not overreact in the event of a suspected case of Coronavirus – rather put into action our plans in a calm way
We will not stereotype any parent or child based on race, ethnicity or national origin
As the manager, I have the necessary alerts set-up to keep up to date with the latest news and recommendations from Public Health England, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and WHO
There are no work or holiday trips planed by any staff to the affected regions
We ask all visitors to the nursery whether they have recently visited any regions affected by the Coronavirus or had close contact with anyone who recently visited those regions
Our business continuity plan has been updated, including the very limited external suppliers we use
Northwick Park will be the medical facilities that is best positioned to evaluate and treat any staff suspected of having the virus
If your child is placed in self-isolation, you will not be charged for sickness