Sarasota student and parent quarantined after contact with Manatee coronavirus patient
Two people have been quarantined in Sarasota after an employee made contact with a confirmed coronavirus patient at the Doctors Hospital of Sarasota, according to the Sarasota Military Academy.
In a Monday morning Facebook post, the school announced that a parent who works at the hospital made contact “in her professional role” with a suspected coronavirus patient. She will remain under quarantine at home by the Sarasota Department of Health for nine days. Her son is also under quarantine as a precautionary measure.
“Our student and his mother currently are not showing any symptoms and is in good health and spirits,” SMA wrote.
The academy says it is working to disinfect every classroom and common area, and planned to communicate with the Sarasota School District and the Sarasota County Department of Health during a Monday morning conference call.
“We’re doing exactly what we’re supposed to do, following the Department of Health protocol,” said SMA Executive Director of Schools Christina Bowman.
“We’ve done a great job keeping our rooms sanitized. We’re also in flu season, so we did a deep cleaning of light switches and door handles,” she added. “We keep talking to students about washing their hands, not touching their face, breathing into the bend of their arms, and if they’re exhibiting signs, they need to stay home.”
On Friday, students from SMA greeted Vice President Mike Pence at the airport. Pence shook hands and took pictures with SMA students.
While the quarantined student did not attend the airport trip, it’s currently unclear when his mother first made contact with the patient, who tested “presumptive positive” for COVID-19 on Saturday evening, and whether he had any physical interaction with classmates or the campus since then. On Monday afternoon, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officially confirmed the diagnosis.
The Doctors Hospital of Sarasota is treating a Manatee County man in his 60s, who has no known travel history to restricted countries. In a press conference Monday morning, State Surgeon General Dr. Scott Rivkees said the patient is in stable condition.
Another patient in Hillsborough County also tested “presumptive positive” shortly after returning from Italy, where the virus continues to spread and has claimed the lives of more than 30 people.
This story was originally published March 2, 2020 at 11:20 AM.
