The Centers for Disease Control has issued a warning to expect a wider spread of the coronavirus in the U.S., saying it remains unclear how severe the health threat could be – but that a sustained transmission of the virus is possible and has advised schools, businesses, and communities to plan for potential outbreaks.

The Houston Independent School District is in contact with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Texas Department of Health and Human Services and Houston Health Department, and will continue to monitor the situation to ensure plans are in place and protocols are followed to keep all students and staff members safe and updated with the latest information.

As part of HISD’s effort to ensure campuses and facilities are safe and healthy, the district has trained staff who routinely monitor individuals who exhibit fever, cough, and shortness of breath will follow appropriate assessment and monitoring protocols for students and staff who report feeling ill. Staff are also inquiring about recent personal travel, and new students wishing to enroll at any HISD school are being asked to complete a routine travel history questionnaire as a precaution.

A new state law enacted by the 86th Legislature, HB 3884, requires school districts to provide information on bacterial meningitis to students and parents.  

Information on symptoms, how bacterial meningitis is spread, prevention, healthy habits and more can be found on HISD’s Health and Medical Services website. For downloadable PDFs in English, Spanish, Arabic and Vietnamese, click here. 

As a reminder, school nurses, family doctors, and the staff at your local or regional health department office are excellent sources for information on all infectious diseases. You may call your family doctor or local health department office for more information.