Update: Hoover school officials cancel some out-of-state travel due to coronavirus

Hoover school officials on Wednesday night announced that no school-related trips will be allowed to areas where a state of emergency has been declared due to the new coronavirus.

As of Wednesday night, that included any trips to New York, Florida and Kentucky, school system spokesman Jason Gaston said.

The Hoover Board of Education made the decision to protect the health and welfare of students and will continue to update this advisory as circumstances warrent, Gaston said.

This was a new development since Tuesday night's school board meeting, when Superintendent Kathy Murphy announced that no out-of-state travel had been canceled. However, Murphy noted at that time that school officials were keeping a close watch on developments related to the coronavirus and that information could change on short notice.

Trips impacted by the new decision included the Hoover High School marching band's scheduled appearance in the March 17 St. Patrick's Day Parade in New York City.

As of Wednesday morning, the Alabama Department of Public Health said there still were no confirmed cases of the disease in Alabama.

However, as of Wednesday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicated there were 938 confirmed and presumptive cases of the coronavirus disease, known as COVID-19, in the United States and 29 deaths from the disease in this country, mostly among elderly people.

There have been cases reported in the District of Columbia and 38 states, including most states in the South, according to the CDC.

Murphy said Tuesday night she was not trying to get anyone overly alarmed, but every four days, the number of cases of coronavirus is doubling, and “it could grow exponentially.”

Murphy said school officials are keeping up with updates from the CDC and Alabama Department of Public Health, including travel advisories.

While the school system has no international trips planned, Murphy said she realizes some individual families may have their own international travel plans, especially with spring break coming up March 23-27.

She is asking families to keep school officials apprised of international travel plans, particularly if they are going to a country that is considered a “hot spot” for COVID-19, and to be thoughtful about their public health practices and contact with others.

The CDC recommends that anyone who has been exposed to someone with COVID-19 or who has traveled to a country with widespread or ongoing community spread of the disease should quarantine themselves for at least 14 days. Countries on that list as of March 11 include China, Iran, South Korea and Italy.

According to the CDC, the coronavirus disease is caused by a virus called SARS-CoV-2. It is a respiratory disease that was first detected in China and now has been detected in more than 100 locations internationally.

Symptoms include fever, runny nose, dry cough, shortness of breath, fatigue and body aches. These are the same symptoms of the common flu virus. Health officials advise people experiencing these symptoms to call their primary care physician's office or urgent care facility before visiting. Infectious disease experts say this is an important step that could drastically reduce the possibility of the virus spreading.

While information so far suggests that most COVID-19 illness is mild, a report from China suggests serious illness occurs in 16% of cases. Elderly people and people with underlying health issues — such as heart disease, lung disease and diabetes — appear to be more at risk of developing serious illness.

At this time, there is no vaccine to protect against COVID-19 and no medication available to treat it, according to the CDC.

On Jan. 30, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a “public health emergency of international concern,” and on Jan. 31, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar II declared it a “public health emergency” for the United States.

In an effort to be prepared, Hoover school officials already are making contingency plans in case an outbreak occurs here. In the event that school closures become necessary, school officials are formulating plans to ensure that student learning continues, Murphy said.

Ron Dodson, director of the Riverchase Career Connection Center and a former assistant superintendent, said that, thankfully, the Hoover school system has invested in technology for each student that allows for some instruction to be done online.

The school system has had “e-learning” days where students learn electronically for a day or two at a time, but doing that for multiple days or even weeks at a time is a different matter, Dodson said.

Plans also are being made to, if necessary, do deep cleaning in schools and serve meals to some students at off-campus locations if schools have to close temporarily.

The hope is that such plans never have to be utilized, but school officials want to be prepared for the worst-case scenario, Dodson said.

For more information and updates about COVID-19 and spread of the disease, visit the CDC website and Alabama Department of Public Health website.

This article was updated at 6:44 p.m. with additional information form UAB Hospital concerning advice for people experiencing symptoms that come with COVID-19 and again at 10:34 p.m. with the new information about the cancellation of school-related trips in March to areas where a state of emergency has been declared.