Dear Parents,
On 7 December, the State Council's Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism announced the "Notice on Further Optimising the Implementation of Prevention and Control Measures for the New Coronary Pneumonia Epidemic", announcing that the New Coronary Epidemic in China has entered the "post era". At this important juncture, in addition to responding to the national policy of "precise prevention and control, quick lockdown and quick reopen", we need to focus on the protection of children and other less resilient groups.
In this parent’s letter, we will share with you our efforts in the "post-pandemic era" from five aspects: epidemic awareness, prevention and control on campus, positive case and close contacts handling, prevention and control outside the campus, and vaccination.
According to a study by a team from the State Key Laboratory of Virology at Wuhan University, the Omicron strains (BA.4 and BA.5 variants) currently prevalent in China are 40 times less pathogenic than the Delta strains, although they are more infectious.
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While this means that the average infection rate will be significantly higher, infections are generally asymptomatic or mild (including colds, fevers, sore throats, diarrhea, nausea, etc.) and most of them can be cured within 7-14 days by taking relevant medications or by autoimmunity.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has also conducted a study on 10,997 newly infected children aged 0-14 years and has provided precise answers to the question of after-effects, which is a major concern for parents.
Common sequelae in infected children aged 0-3 years were: mood swings, rash, abdominal pain, cough and loss of appetite
Common sequelae in infected children aged 4-11 years were: mood swings, memory loss, inattention and rashes
Common sequelae in infected children aged 12-14 years were: weakness, mood swings, memory loss and inattention.
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In the "post-pandemic era", it is important not only to strictly implement epidemic prevention measures, but also not to panic in the face of the virus. The key to winning this "war without smoke" is scientific and rational epidemic prevention measures and a healthy and positive mindset!
The school is a second home for the children and an important place for them to spend their day. Therefore, even with the gradual opening up of the social scene, the kindergarten is still committed to a high standard of prevention and control in order to create a healthy and comfortable learning environment for the children.
While carrying out the whole school's disinfection work in strict accordance with national standards, the kindergarten also carries out in-depth optimization of the epidemic prevention policy through the following five points.
1、Active outdoor activities to continuously boost the immune system of young children.
2、Teachers wearing masks throughout the day to create a health barrier for young children.
3、Further strengthening of morning, midday and evening ventilation and disinfection.
4、Weekly nucleic acid antigen testing for all teachers and students.
5、Strictly enforce morning and afternoon check-ups for teachers and students.
At the same time, the kindergarten has clear and strict rules on the movement of visitors.
1、Movement of people is further restricted and campus will be closed to parents during this moment.
2、Specially authorised visitors are required to confirm their identity and provide proof of negative nucleic acid within 48 hours prior to entry.
3、Parents are required to wear masks throughout the pick-up and drop-off periods when their children enter and leave the school, and to implement policies related to epidemic prevention such as the one metre line, no gathering and no staying.
The kindergarten also never fails to check and disinfect the children on their daily return to the campus.
1、Health checks of individuals and family members should be done before returning to the Park. If you have fever, weakness, dry cough or abdominal pain, diarrhoea or other symptoms related to the new crown, you should not enter the park and should seek medical attention from the relevant hospital and report to the park at the first opportunity.
2、Staff should wear masks throughout their stay in the campus, cooperate with health checks when entering the campus, and do their personal disinfection and poisoning work.
The national authorities have recently given an estimate of the new wave of Omicron infections: around 80% of people will eventually experience infection. With such a rapid rate of transmission, the timely and effective handling of cases involving positive or intimate contacts is key to creating a security barrier for the kindergarten.
In the unfortunate event that a case of close contact or a positive case is found in the campus, we will open an isolation room at the first opportunity and report it to the relevant authorities at the same time. In accordance with the latest governmental regulations, we will also take prompt action to determine the presence of a close contact, disinfect the whole school and suspend classes(more than 5 cases) to safeguard the health and safety of the rest of our students and teachers. In the process, we will also do our best to provide humane care for the children and to keep them in a relatively healthy state, both physically and mentally.
If you find your child at home after unfortunately becoming a close contact or positive case, please do not panic and report to the community, school and class teacher while taking isolation measures as soon as possible. For children who are asymptomatic or with mild symptoms, recovery can be aided by adequate rest and a light diet. For some illnesses (e.g. cold, fever, etc.), appropriate medication can also be administered according to the guidelines issued by the State Council Joint Prevention and Control. During the isolation period, the primary concern is the child's mental state. When a child has a fever that persists for more than 3 days without improvement, persistent depression, drowsiness, breathing difficulties, convulsions, etc., prompt medical attention should be sought.
In the unfortunate event that a child or family member is diagnosed, we hope that you and your child understand that it is not your fault and that you do not need to lament your luck, as it is often just a matter of probability. It is understandable if there is concern and panic, as this is an unfamiliar epidemic to humans worldwide. If you have questions about your child's quarantine measures, or are facing a range of emotional issues when caring for your child, we welcome you to share or consult with us through our home school communication software and work together to ensure your child's health.
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Finally, in accordance with the regulations issued by the Zhongshan East District Government, we advocate that children who have been cured of New Crown should return to school with the results of nucleic acid testing or antigen testing. Close attention will be paid to the child's physical condition before and after returning to school, and if fever, dry cough and other symptoms of New Crown appear, the first response will still be taken.
Whether you are on or off campus, it is important to take care of yourself as well. The medical and management team at the campus have kindly put together a list of off-campus protection tips for students and staff to support and encourage you through this special time.
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Keep your home well ventilated and do your personal disinfection.
Maintain adequate sleep and a varied nutritional intake.
Participate actively in physical exercise and maintain a positive attitude.
Reduce the frequency of going out during special periods; wear a mask when you go out and do the relevant disinfection work when you return home.
Do not go out of the city unless it is necessary. If you need to go out of the city due to special circumstances, please report to the campus in advance.
Do not travel to cities with medium or high risk areas or cities with a high incidence of local outbreaks.
Actively follow the news on the prevention and control of the epidemic and your personal health status. If you or your family members are in an abnormal situation, please contact the community and report to the kindergarten at the first opportunity, and cooperate with the community and kindergarten to do the relevant work.
Children's vaccinations are an integral part of building their health barrier, and the New Crown vaccination will not only help them to improve their immunity, but will also significantly reduce the rate of serious illness and mortality. Therefore, the nursery encourages parents to help their children over the age of 3 who are not contraindicated to receive the New Corona Virus vaccine as soon as possible!
The following are some of the world's leading agencies or organisations that have shared information on the New Corona Virus vaccination for children.
National Health Commission - In November 2021, it published a question and answer session on vaccination against COVID-19 in people aged 3-11 years, which strongly recommends that all people aged 3-11 years should be vaccinated without contraindications.
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The CDC - 2022 published reports in March showing that the cumulative hospitalization rate for unvaccinated children was 2.1 times higher than for vaccinated children (19.1 vs. 9.2 per 100,000 children).
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In addition to the information shared above, a team of scientists from a number of countries, including renowned respiratory pathologist Zhong Nanshan, spoke highly of China's New Crown vaccine: China has been at the forefront of developing vaccines in the world, with inactivated virus technology, for example, and has a long track record of safety in polio and influenza vaccinations for infants and children. The launch of the New Crown vaccine is the safest and most effective means of helping them prevent infection and exacerbation of the disease.
Health is always the most important aspect of a child's growth. Today, while the epidemic is still in progress, the nursery will do its best, together with parents, to strictly implement all the epidemic prevention and control and disinfection work, while always paying attention to the children's inner voices and accompanying them with professionalism, love and patience to have a healthy and wonderful childhood!
Ardingly College Zhongshan(Kindergarten)
16th December, 2022
