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AHS confirms respiratory illness outbreak at École des Beaux-Lacs in Bonnyville

A respiratory illness outbreak has been declared at École des Beaux-Lacs School in Bonnyville by a division of Alberta Health Services.
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BONNYVILLE – A respiratory illness outbreak has been declared at École des Beaux-Lacs School in Bonnyville by a division of Alberta Health Services (AHS), the Communicable Disease Control Outbreak Team. 

The notice was sent to those with students attending the Bonnyville school, due to a large number of Beaux-Lacs students reporting being sick with respiratory symptoms. 

Virginie Dallaire, the communications officer with Conseil scolaire Centre-Est, told Lakeland This Week that all schools within its division continue to follow all AHS’s public health guidelines.  

Additionally, hand sanitizer is made available at the entrances of all the division's schools. 

Dallaire said that the division would not be making any further comments on the current respiratory illness outbreak status of École Beaux-lacs School. 

The AHS notice did not attribute the illness outbreak to COVID-19 or a variant of the disease but did provide a link to additional information on isolation recommendations for those who do test positive for COVID-19. 

Symptoms of respiratory illness provided by AHS include coughing, shortness of breath, sore throat, loss or altered sense of taste/smell, runny nose/nasal congestion, fever, and may also include fatigue whether significant or unusual, muscle ache/joint pain, headache, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. 

“The germs that cause respiratory illness can be easily spread from one student to another through coughing and secretions from the nose and mouth,” states the public health notice. 

To help minimize the spread of any respiratory illness, students experiencing symptoms are recommended to stay home. 

Other recommendations include: 

  • Perform hand hygiene frequently by washing their hands with soap and water or using alcohol-based hand sanitizer.  

  • Covering mouths and noses with a tissue, elbow or sleeve when coughing or sneezing.  

  • Throwing away used tissues immediately after sneezing, coughing or wiping noses, followed by hand hygiene as described above.  

Recommendations fall short of suggesting ill students should wear a mask or face covering. 

AHS notes that children and staff are encouraged to complete their routine immunizations, such as COVID-19 and influenza immunizations, as immunizations are an important public health measure. 

Facilities are also recommended to clean surfaces that are frequently touched such as doorknobs, light switches and bathroom taps.  

“Testing is not routinely recommended however your health care provider may recommend testing for clinical management,” continues the public health notice. 

“Students who are ill with respiratory symptoms should remain away from school until their symptoms have improved and they have been free of fever for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medication, and they feel well enough to resume normal activities.” 

Additional information on COVID-19 isolation recommendations can be found at:  https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/topics/Page17239.aspx  

People are also encouraged to contact Health Link Alberta toll free at 811. 

Northern Lights Schools impacted by staff absence 

As of Nov. 4, Northern Lights Public Schools (NLPS) had no schools under a respiratory outbreak notice. 

“Our rates of student absences due to illness have not reached the level where we are required to notify AHS,” Nicole Garner, NLPS communications officer, told Lakeland This Week.  

Schools must report to AHS if student absence due to self-reported illness reaches 10 per cent of the student population. 

The school division, however, continues to experience challenges in relation to staff absences, said Garner. 

“Those absences are higher than what we would have experienced pre-pandemic and we are experiencing difficulty in finding substitutes/classroom supervisors to fill in for teachers and support staff when they are absent,” she said. 
 

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