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Coronavirus letter to Burnaby students 'normal': Fraser Health

Fraser Health is urging Burnaby parents to make sure their kids are observing proper hygiene as local health officials stay on the lookout for the potential spread of the new and deadly coronavirus.
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Fraser Health is urging Burnaby parents to make sure their kids are observing proper hygiene as local health officials stay on the lookout for the potential spread of the new and deadly coronavirus.

A letter about the disease, which has killed dozens of people in China since the first case was identified last month, went out to families in the Burnaby school district Friday afternoon.

No confirmed cases of the virus (2019 novel coronavirus) have yet been reported in B.C., and the Fraser Health letter said the risk to the general public, including school-aged children, was “very low.”

“Medical health officers continue to monitor the situation closely and will provide further advice and information as it becomes available,” the letter states.

Since the letter went out, however, the first confirmed Canadian case was reported in Toronto Saturday.

The virus causes flu-like symptom, but the ways it spreads “still require better understanding,” according to information posted on the B.C. Centre for Disease Control website Saturday.

“At this time, reports indicate that, similar to influenza, this virus is spread when a sick person coughs or sneezes. Many of the reported cases are only showing mild symptoms and are well enough to stay home,” states the Fraser Health letter to school districts.

As with the flu, elderly people and those with underlying health conditions are more likely to develop severe disease and require hospitalization, according to the letter.

Fraser Health urged parents and students to wash their hands with soap and water, cover their mouths and noses when they sneeze or cough, and stay home if they are feeling sick to prevent the spread of cold, flu and any other disease.

A health authority spokesperson told the NOW that it’s a normal part of their planning to reach out to school districts during outbreaks of diseases like measles and the flu.

“This is no different than that,” Aletta Vanderheyden said. “It’s just to help ensure that we are sharing the message more broadly. School districts are a key partner just given their population.”

Terry Gomez, the school district’s health and safety manager, said the district continues to “monitor the situation closely.”

“We are following the direction of the Fraser Health Authority and have shared information from them with our families,” he said in an emailed statement.