Bronxville Schools Superintendent Roy Montesano issued an alert to parents on Wednesday stating that a member of the staff at The Bronxville School tested positive for COVID-19.
Montesano noted that the school has been closed since Friday, March 13, leaving nearly two weeks since anyone has been in group contact in the district.
It was unclear whether the staff member was a faculty member, administrator or another employee at the school.
“To help you respond to this situation, we note that school contact, ‘being in the same indoor environment such as a classroom, as a person with symptomatic laboratory-confirmed COVID-19, for a prolonged period of time,’ is considered low risk by the Center for Disease Control,” Montesano said. “Management of this risk depends on symptoms.”
According to the CDC, symptoms of novel coronavirus include fevers, coughing, and shortness of breath.
Those symptoms typically take between two and 12 days to appear. Body aches, sore throat, and headaches are all also possible, but not guaranteed. Symptoms can last for up to a week or longer, depending on the severity of the case.
The virus first infects the cells lining one’s throat, airways, and lungs and turns them into "coronavirus factories" that spread a number of new viruses that go on to infect more cells in the body.
Symptoms become more severe as the virus spreads through the body, eventually to the lower respiratory tract, which is why those with underlying medical conditions have proven to be most vulnerable to COVID-19.
“As a community, we must all do our part in order to slow the spread of the coronavirus,” Montesano said. “Towards that end, as of today, we have shut down our outside school facilities, which include the playground, fields, and track.
"We realize this may present an inconvenience for some, however, we believe that it is in the best interest of the entire community and thank you in advance for your cooperation.
"We hope that you continue to be well, and that practices put in place for the containment of disease will continue to be effective. As new information is sent out from the NY State Education Department and Governor’s office, we will keep you informed."
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