Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — The Saudi Public Health Authority (Weqaya) confirmed that there are four infectious cases that require isolation of students and staffers in schools all over the Kingdom.

In the second edition of the guide to deal with infectious diseases in schools, the authority stressed the necessity of isolating those students and employees, who suffer from diseases, from other students and employees, until the time of their departure from the school building and that is in line with the prescribed preventive measures.

The guide identified the diseases that warranted isolation such as high temperature, respiratory symptoms like cough or shortness of breath, symptoms of digestive problems like abdominal pain, diarrhea, or vomiting, and rashes. It is required to allot a designated space inside the school to be used for isolation when needed and provide ventilation outlets such as windows and the outside door to contain infection.

It is also preferable to have a bathroom equipped with facilities for washing hands, and a telephone for communication and monitoring the situation in the isolation area from the beginning of the isolation period until the time of completion of all procedures. The isolation can be ended by the school principal and the health director until the time of the departure of the infected person for home or transfer him to health center or hospital.

The guide stressed the necessity of providing personal protective equipment, including protective glasses, protective clothing, gloves, and masks to deal with the case of the person who has been isolated. It is also required to provide training to the health supervisor about the procedures for dealing with infectious cases in schools.

This is through managing the procedures for measuring the temperature, using personal protective equipment, and developing a model to track the infectious case and follow up with the primary healthcare center, clean and disinfect surfaces in the isolation room after the patient’s departure. This is in addition to closing the areas that the patient used, waiting 24 hours or as long as possible before cleaning and sterilizing, apart from opening external doors and windows to increase air circulation as well as sterilizing the room, and cleaning and disinfecting all places used by the patient, such as offices, bathrooms, and common areas.