Gibson Diagnostic Labs provides strategies on how to protect education staff and students from COVID-19

IRVING, TX – SEPTEMBER 21, 2020 – As a leading clinical diagnostic laboratory, Gibson Diagnostic Labs’ top priority remains the health and wellbeing of members of its community. As schools begin to reopen, it is vital to take proper precautions on maintaining the health and safety of the staff and students.

Although no strategy plan can provide assurance of the removal of all risk, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released guidance and recommendations that, when used alongside federal, state and local health and safety regulations, will help minimize the risk of a significant increase in the COVID-19 spread. These guidelines include conducting healthy school operations, maintaining a healthy work environment for students, and taking into account special considerations for certain occupations within school environments. The guidelines outlined below apply to all students and staff that are currently present in education facilities in some capacity.

The CDC recommends taking the following steps to ensure the safety and wellbeing of staff and students while also providing an environment that is conducive to learning:

• Mandatory off-site quarantine of individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19, show signs of illness or have known close contact with an individual with COVID-19.
• Reinforced social distancing rules and usage of signs or other visual cues, placed six feet
  apart, to show where to stand.
• Increased facility sanitation, especially high-touch surfaces, and enforced handwashing to
  guarantee cleanliness and minimize virus spread.
• Development of new policies for sick staff members to stay home without fear of
  retaliation and opportunities to conduct virtual learning.
• Designated isolation zones for those who start experiencing symptoms while on school
  grounds. Only designated and trained staff should interact with staff and students showing
  COVID-19 symptoms. At least one designated trained staff member should be available at all
  times.
• Established safe work practices for staff, including appropriate mask policies. Provide
  additional PPE to those staff members that may need it to perform their specific job duties
  (i.e. janitorial staff, nurses).
• Implementation of physical barriers, where possible, between work areas and incorporation
  of required accessibility requirements.
• Weather permitting, opening of windows and doors to increase fresh air circulation.
  Outdoor classes may also be considered where circumstances allow.
• Assurance that ventilation systems operate properly in all areas of the building.
• Ongoing proactive communication with staff and local health officials to maintain best
  practices and ongoing awareness.

With this strategic plan in place, and constantly being re-evaluated and restructured as needed, education facilities can minimize the risks associated with COVID-19, without negative impacts or disruptions to learning.

The Gibson Diagnostic Labs team is ready to assist all patients with personalized, professional service to deliver the highest level of quality diagnostic testing. The staff continues to work diligently to increase testing capacity on a timely basis in response to the public health crisis.

To learn more, please visit the Gibson Diagnostic Lab’s COVID-19 testing page.

You may also visit Gibson Diagnostic COVID-19 for more information.