February 26, 8:55 P.M. UPDATE:
Northern Nevada Public Health is speaking out on the recent outbreaks in multiple Washoe County schools.
We’ve been digging all day trying to get answers and learned the number of schools impacted increased on Wednesday afternoon before the Washoe County School District reported a slight decrease on Wednesday night.
As of 6:42 p.m. on Wednesday four Washoe County schools are on outbreak status, down from six reported Wednesday afternoon and five reported on Tuesday.
Two are dealing with respiratory illness outbreaks, one with gastrointestinal, and one is dealing with both.
An additional 20 classrooms are now in outbreak status. 15 of them for respiratory and five for gastrointestinal illnesses.
We’ve been pressing the school district all day, but they tell us they will not release the names of the schools affected at this time. Northern Nevada Public Health tells us that’s due to HIPPA policies. However, they say the families of the schools impacted have been notified.
Liliana Wilbert, an epidemiologist for NNPH, says, “In order to protect the confidentiality of the schools and the families that are impacted we do not share that type of information.”
However, some of those affiliated with affected schools have reached out to 2 News Nevada to share that schools attended by their children have been affected.
An email obtained by 2 News Nevada that was sent to parents at Van Gorder Elementary School said that the school has seen an increase in the number of students and staff members who have been absent or sent home due to diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, fever, headache, sore throat, cough, muscle aches, and fatigue.
Another email obtained by 2 News Nevada confirms that a STEM Night planned for Van Gorder Elementary on Tuesday was canceled and will be rescheduled due to the school being placed on outbreak status.
Parents at Rollan Melton Elementary reached out to 2 News Nevada about multiple instances of children suffering gastrointestinal issues, with more than a dozen said to have been sent home. While parents have reported illness at Rollan Melton, we have not been able to obtain any notice from the district formally naming it as a school on outbreak status.
The Washoe County School District wants to make it clear that if families have not heard from them about their schools, then that means those schools are not impacted by an outbreak.
Wilbert says right now the respiratory illnesses they are seeing are RSV, influenza, and general influenza-like illnesses that are more commonly reported.
Northern Nevada Public Health is practicing its clean-up procedures for these illnesses. That includes removing all nearby individuals, cleaning and sanitizing contaminated areas, and keeping sick students and staff away from others.
Wilbert says if your child is starting to show any symptoms of illnesses they should stay at home.
So far, region-wide and not limited to schools, NNPH is reporting there are 187 RSV cases reported, 36 hospitalizations due to flu, and 19 deaths due to flu, two of those deaths being under the age of 24.
—
FEBRUARY 26, 3:15 P.M. UPDATE:
The Washoe County School District is reporting an increase in the number of schools and classrooms on outbreak status.
On Wednesday afternoon the district announced that there are now six schools and 20 individual classrooms on outbreak status, up from five and 19 on Tuesday.
Of the six schools, one is on outbreak status for respiratory and gastrointestinal illness, two are for gastrointestinal only, and three are for respiratory only.
Of the 20 classrooms, 15 are on outbreak status for respiratory illness and five are for gastrointestinal illness.
—
ORIGINAL ARTICLE:
Several schools and classrooms within the Washoe County School District are on outbreak status as of Tuesday.
Five entire schools and 19 classrooms are currently on outbreak status according to a WCSD spokesperson.
One of the schools is on outbreak status for both respiratory and gastrointestinal illness while there are two on outbreak status for respiratory illness and two for gastrointestinal illness.
Of the 19 classrooms listed on outbreak status, 15 are for respiratory illness and four are for gastrointestinal illness.
Details on the specific schools and classrooms on outbreak status were not provided by the School District.