Wed, Feb 19, 2020 page3

• Virus Outbreak: Experts advise schools on coronavirus

  NEW SEMESTER: Surfaces should be disinfected more often, windows should be left open and everyone should avoid eating with their hands, the NTU experts said

  • By Lee I-chia / Staff reporter
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  Health experts at National Taiwan University (NTU) yesterday urged schools to open windows in classrooms, pull desks wider apart, and lower the definition of a fever to a body temperature higher than 37.4°C when schools start next week, to better prevent COVID-19 infection.

  NTU College of Public Health dean Chan Chang-chuan (詹長權) said that disease prevention in schools should be divided into two stages, with the first being the “containment” stage, which includes postponing the start of school and quarantining suspected cases to delay the possibility of COVID-19 spreading locally.

  The second stage is the “mitigation” stage, meaning lessening the seriousness of the epidemic by practicing enhanced infection control measures on campuses after school starts or suspending classes if an outbreak occurs.

  

  A person reads the policy for child mask purchases outside a drugstore in Taipei yesterday. The Central Epidemic Command Center announced on Monday that starting tomorrow children under the age of 12 would be able to buy four surgical masks per week, up from two per week.

  Photo: CNA

  As schools up to and including senior high begin the new semester on Tuesday next week, two weeks later than originally planned, the NTU College of Public Health yesterday gave suggestions on how to improve disease prevention measures on campus.

  Institute of Occupational Medicine and Industrial Hygiene associate professor Chen Jia-kun said that good ventilation in classrooms is an important preventive measure, so schools should avoid using classrooms with no windows, as many air-conditioners only circulate indoor air.

  “Under good natural ventilation, the air exchange rate [the rate at which outdoor air replaces indoor air within a room] is about 60 seconds,” he said. “Classroom windows should be open for at least one to three minutes for every 20 minutes of class, even in cold weather.”

  Increasing the distance between individuals during social interaction helps prevent virus transmission, Chan said, adding that he suggests pulling students’ desks at least 1.8m apart, avoiding sports with physical contact and making students take recess in turns to avoid crowded playgrounds.

  Schools should disinfect desk surfaces, doorknobs, windows and keyboards more frequently; keep lids on trash cans; and ask students and faculty to avoid eating with their hands; and wash their hands with soap often, he said.

  “Students and faculty should also be responsible ... by not going to school when they feel ill and wearing a mask when seeking medical attention,” Chan said, adding that faculty should be highly cautious and take preventive measures other than measuring their temperature.

  Department of Environmental and Occupational Medicine director Su Ta-chen (蘇大成) said that the standard for detecting a fever should be modified to a body temperature of 37.5°C or higher.

  If a person has had their temperature taken twice, at least five minutes apart, and it is 37.5°C or more on both occasions, they should be observed for respiratory symptoms, wear a mask when seeking medical attention and stay home to rest, he said.

  Centers for Disease Control Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥) yesterday said that the Central Epidemic Command Center has suggested that the Ministry of Education use a fever standard of 37.5°C or higher when measuring with a forehead thermometer and 38°C or higher when measuring with an ear thermometer.
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