Dear Members of our El Camino and South San Francisco High School Communities,
We have recently been informed of a health-related case within the city of South San Francisco that we wish to share with you in the interest of safety and transparency.
A local private badminton training facility, Bintang Badminton, recently posted a notice of temporary closure due to possible coronavirus (COVID-19) exposure. An update posted on Bintang’s website indicates the following:
“A San Mateo resident confirmed on March 2, 2020, that he is presumptive positive for Covid-19 and still waiting for CDC’s test result. This individual has reached out to all the places that he remembers visiting. He notified us that he last visited Bintang SSF on Feb 21, before he was exhibiting any symptoms. As a safety precaution, Bintang is closing the SSF facility to disinfect and deep clean. The facility will be closed March 2-16, 2020. Our team is also reaching out to San Mateo Health Department and the CDC to find out what protocol should be followed. This individual only visited the Bintang SSF location, so none of our other locations are at any risk of exposure and will remain open as normal.”
As a precaution, we have reached out to any students or staff who may have visited the facility, and at this time, there are no reported illnesses stemming from exposure to the facility, and no direct impact to our school communities.
It is important to note that being in the same space where a person visited and who later came to be confirmed as having the virus, does not meet the criteria for how the virus spreads. People who have visited the same facility as the confirmed case should be alert to their personal health. If they feel sick, they would be advised to see their medical provider and stay home, per the general advice for our general public. In this case, the exposure of the patient within the badminton facility does not meet the scientific threshold to dictate a school closure or quarantine of individuals.
From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): How COVID-19 Spreads
Person-to-person spread:
- The virus is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person, between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet).
- Through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
- These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs.
Can someone spread the virus without being sick?
- People are thought to be most contagious when they are most symptomatic (the sickest).
- Some spread might be possible before people show symptoms; there have been reports of this occurring with this new coronavirus, but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads.
Spread from contact with infected surfaces or objects:
- It may be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose