Doylestown Health urges changes to Central Bucks School District COVID plan as hospital is 'overwhelmed' with cases
Doylestown Health leaders are now urging the Central Bucks School District board members to take "reasonable steps" in their coronavirus health and safety plan as cases surge.
Doylestown Health CEO James Brexler and Chief Medical Officer Scott Levy wrote the nine-member board Friday afternoon advising they keep actively infected children out of school for at least five days and until it is unlikely they could infect others.
"The impact to those with comorbidities, immunocompromised and otherwise at risk, as well as those requiring healthcare for other reasons will be profound. The importance of these measures will help assure that in-class education can safely continue," the letter reads.
The message comes just days after the district voted 6-3 against changes that would have brought the district's COVID response plan in compliance with current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines regarding quarantine and isolation periods.
A draft plan on Tuesday had proposed a quarantine and isolation period of just five days and no mention of masks but was said to be incompliance with CDC recommendations.
The CDC recommends infected individuals quarantine at home for at least five days, returning to school or work if fever-free and wearing a mask at all times for an additional five days. Those recommendations were not proposed for adoption in Central Bucks.
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Board member Dr. Mariam Mahmud attempted to amend the plan and correct the errors, but that motion failed to pass with board members Karen Smith and Dr. Tabitha Dell'Angelo the only others voting in favor of it.
Brexler and Levy do not specifically mention the CDC guidance or the the district's plan, but their letter seems to suggest the district implement quarantine periods similar to those guidelines.
The letter notes that young children are more likely to present with mild cases of COVID-19 or even present with no symptoms at all, but the greater risk comes when infected children spread the virus to others.
"The data is clear that children exposed to (COVID-19) are readily infected as are adults … just as clear form laboratory data is that high concentrations of live, viable virus are typically shed from infected individuals for at least 5 days, and often for up to a week."
The current plan requires students or staff stay home at least three days and then allows them to return if fever free and wearing a mask for four days.
Brexler and Levy said Doylestown Hospital is overwhelmed with patients testing positive with COVID-19, about 240 in total Friday. About 65 of those patients were hospitalized with serious symptoms.
More than 250 hospital staff have also been out due to the virus over the last 10 days, straining hospital capacity and underscoring the need for as many community precautions as possible, the letter reads.
The letter ends saying steps taken now could impact more than just individual students and were a "lesson as to the importance of empathy and community responsibility."
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Doylestown Health calls on Central Bucks School District to change COVID plan
