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Question of the day

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Illinois

* The Belleville News-Democrat took a look at what information Metro East schools were and, more importantly, weren’t divulging about COVID-19 cases…

Collinsvile District 10 confirmed last week that it had confirmed “more than one” case. When asked by a reporter exactly how many tested positive, whether they were students or staff members, and in which of the district’s 15 buildings they were present, Public Relations Liaison Kimberly Collins said the district “won’t be sharing a tally.”

* And that’s forced some parents to do their own sleuthing…

Yumi Hohm, a parent of two Highland District 5 students, said she and other parents have been doing “detective work” on Facebook to see which families in the community were posting about being quarantined.

She says they are looking for information parents should already be getting from the school district. Hohm’s own kids are taking the remote learning option through the district.

“As a citizen, you shouldn’t have to find something out for yourself during a pandemic,” Hohm said. “This is something that should be transparent and available.”

* This is by design…

In Madison County, a sample letter was sent to superintendents, with the recommendation that districts follow the template when communicating to parents and staff about COVID-19 cases, Regional Superintendent Robert Werden said.

The letter, which came from the Illinois Department of Health, suggests districts say an individual or individuals at a particular school tested positive for COVID-19 without specifying how many. [Emphasis added.]

That’s the same Rob Werden, by the way, who is an old friend of this blog and its proprietor (me).

* The Question: Should schools be required to divulge more information about new cases? And if so, how much info? And if not, why?

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Aug 28, 20 @ 1:27 pm

Comments

Yes, many schools have remote learning option. Parents need to be able to do proper risk assessment to determine if the setting is safe for them.

I do not see the purpose of withholding this information to the gneral public.

Comment by Mr. Hand Friday, Aug 28, 20 @ 1:30 pm
It should be limited to school and its number of cases … if that doesn’t violate federal student privacy laws.

Comment by Anyone Remember Friday, Aug 28, 20 @ 1:34 pm
The infected people have some expectation of privacy. Besides contact tracing, the general public doesn’t need to know if individuals are sick. And it can be difficult to determine how specific you can be, how much information you can give, without “outing” people.

Now, that depends on the district being able to trace the sick people’s steps and tell everyone who was exposed that they need to isolate or get tested. If the district can’t do that, then a bulletin saying “Everyone who was in X building on Y day was exposed” would be appropriate. I’m not sure how much leeway districts would have, legally, with HIPAA and other laws, to do so. I assume there are public health exceptions, but you wouldn’t want to use them unless you have to.

So my answer is maybe?

Comment by Perrid Friday, Aug 28, 20 @ 1:39 pm
The schools should release the numbers of student, staff affected as it finds out. Otherwise, the grapevine will be filled with rumors, lies and all manners of untruths. You know, like it always is.

Comment by Bruce( no not him) Friday, Aug 28, 20 @ 1:42 pm
Our school district seems to have different criteria for each building. You’d think they’d all follow the same guidelines.

Sadly, the ROE here has been MIA.

Comment by Highland, IL Friday, Aug 28, 20 @ 1:43 pm
Parents and older students have a right to all information that doesn’t violate privacy laws. That information should at minimum be available on the schools’ websites, or the district site if there are individual schools that don’t have one.

Comment by Cheryl44 Friday, Aug 28, 20 @ 1:45 pm
It’s a privacy matter. Big fines can come about for disclosure of names from HIPA violations, and what about the lynch mobs that form to accuse the wrong student//staff of a positive test if they were gone for an entirely different reason…. Electronic lynching due to misinformation spreads like wildfire and is permanently associated with someone true or not. Look at what happened with the media/indian activist and KY high school student……

Comment by Silent Majority Friday, Aug 28, 20 @ 1:48 pm
School and number of cases wouldn’t violate HIPAA (if HIPAA even applies to schools). It would help guide parent and community actions. There’s no good reason not to provide it.

Comment by Keyrock Friday, Aug 28, 20 @ 1:51 pm
I can’t imagine ever divulging names. That would have to be a privacy problem. But it would seem that parents should be able to know the prevalence at the schools so that they could make the decision to learn remotely or continue in person instruction.

Comment by A Friday, Aug 28, 20 @ 1:52 pm
YES and mandated to call Capt. Fax at any hour of the day or night to get him to blast out an all points update

Comment by Annonin' Friday, Aug 28, 20 @ 2:05 pm
School districts should be disclosing any new cases, as they occur.
“District XYZ today announces three new positive cases. 1 Staff member, 2 students. Currently there are X staff members and X students considered active cases.
Affected areas of campus/district/building are as follows:…

Comment by DownSouth Friday, Aug 28, 20 @ 2:08 pm
This is a difficult balancing act?…I don’t believe divulging the numbers would violate HIPPA law… if it applies here?… at all?

Comment by Dotnonymous Friday, Aug 28, 20 @ 2:08 pm
If a student in your kid’s classroom comes up positive, contact tracing will be the way you find out. That’s as it should be. Otherwise, I’m for student privacy, and in small schools, there’s no way to avoid unintentional disclosure of individual cases.

Trust the contact tracing protocols and resist the temptation to be nosy gossips. Wear a mask, wash your hands, and take your kid’s temperature every morning before school.

Comment by 47th Ward Friday, Aug 28, 20 @ 2:11 pm
No more information is needed because contract tracing will give those in close contact of a better idea of who it was. Its a never ending spiral if you give them more information (never will be enough for some people). Nothing more is needed and only feeds curiosity.

Comment by Simply Sayin' Friday, Aug 28, 20 @ 2:40 pm
IDPH recommnedation…

If we have a student who has been ill at school and is now a person under investigation (PUI), what do we tell parents?
In general, continue to follow your usual procedures for notification of parents/guardians whose students are ill at school. IDPH will follow up with schools who need more specific guidance.

Comment by Donnie Elgin Friday, Aug 28, 20 @ 2:41 pm
We publicly disclose the closure. We do not publicly disclose the number or name of students. We do not do contact tracing publicly. Parents need to participate in contact tracing for it to work.

Comment by school board member Friday, Aug 28, 20 @ 2:45 pm
47th Ward, I applaud you!

Comment by I Live Here Friday, Aug 28, 20 @ 3:20 pm
We have always gotten a letter from school when there’s been a case of scarlet fever, or pinkeye, or whatever. No names or number of cases, but we know it was in the building. Why would this be handled differently?

Comment by KSDinCU Friday, Aug 28, 20 @ 3:36 pm
I don’t need to know the kid’s name, but if I were a parent I would want to know which school and grade the student was in to start contact tracing if it’s up to the parents to do that. I think it’s asking a lot of parents to be teachers, mothers, fathers, and health inspectors.

Comment by Nameless Friday, Aug 28, 20 @ 3:38 pm
What a shock that the Collinsville school district isn’t forthcoming on information. Half the time when I used to call them I would get hung up on. Of course the numbers and which schools should be provided, that’s called sunshine.

Comment by Collinsville Kevin Friday, Aug 28, 20 @ 3:47 pm
So much misinformation about health information disclosure. HIPAA applies only to ” health care providers, health plans, and health care clearinghouses. In most cases, the [HIPAA]Privacy Rule does not apply to the actions of an employer.” ADA may apply in some cases but only for detailed information.

Comment by Sangamo Girl Friday, Aug 28, 20 @ 3:59 pm
I think schools should be required to provide basic information about COVID cases for the same reason nursing homes should. COVID doesn’t magically stop at the schoolhouse door. The infected staff and students live and work in communities that have a right to know and make informed decisions.

And DHS is reporting statistics for Illinois School for the Deaf to the entire state. https://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?item=123651

Comment by Sangamo Girl Friday, Aug 28, 20 @ 4:12 pm
Yes. If they’re worried about encouraging people to put names to the case count they can round up to the next five or ten and provide a range, but parents have a right to know whether a given building is not seeing cases, holding its own, or losing control.

Comment by CEA Friday, Aug 28, 20 @ 4:33 pm