More information on the flu and COVID-19 is available online at the Centre for Disease Control (cdc.gov) and the BC Centre for Disease Control (bccdc.ca).

Links are also on our website at bcschools.cupe.ca. Please check the site regularly for updates and more information.

In solidarity and safety,

Warren Williams
President, K-12 Presidents Council, Local 9876

View PDF.

Influenza (Flu) and COVID-19 are both contagious respiratory illnesses, but they are caused by different viruses.  Flu and COVID-19 share many characteristics, but there are some key differences between the two.

Signs & Symptoms

Similarities: Both COVID-19 and flu can have varying degrees of signs and symptoms, ranging from no symptoms (asymptomatic) to severe symptoms. Common symptoms that COVID-19 and flu share include:

• Fever or feeling feverish/chills
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Fatigue (tiredness)
• Sore throat
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Muscle pain or body aches
• Headache
• Some people may have vomiting and diarrhea

Differences: Flu viruses can cause mild to severe illness, including common signs and symptoms listed above. COVID-19, different from flu, may include change in or loss of taste or smell.

---

How long symptoms appear after exposure and infection

Similarities: For both COVID-19 and flu, 1 or more days can pass between a person becoming infected and when he or she starts to experience illness symptoms.

Differences: If a person has COVID-19, it could take them longer to develop symptoms than if they had flu. Typically, a person develops flu symptoms anywhere from 1 to 4 days after infection. For COVID-19 typically a person develops symptoms 5 days after being infected, but symptoms can appear as early as 2 days after infection or as late as 14 days after infection, and the time range can vary.

---

How long can someone spread each virus

Similarities: For both COVID-19 and flu, it’s possible to spread the virus for at least 1 day before experiencing any symptoms.

Differences: If a person has COVID-19, they may be contagious for a longer period of time than if they had flu. Most people with flu are contagious for about 1 day before they show symptoms. How long someone can spread the virus that causes COVID-19 is still under investigation.

It’s possible for people to spread the virus for about 2 days before experiencing signs or symptoms and remain contagious for at least 10 days after signs or symptoms first appeared. If someone is asymptomatic or their symptoms go away, it’s possible to remain contagious for at least 10 days after testing positive for COVID-19.

---

How they spread

Similarities: Both COVID-19 and flu can spread from person-to-person, between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 2 meters). Both are spread mainly by droplets made when people with the illness (COVID-19 or flu) cough, sneeze, or talk.

Differences: While COVID-19 and flu viruses are thought to spread in similar ways, COVID-19 is more contagious among certain populations and age groups than flu. Also, COVID-19 has been observed to have more superspreading events than flu. This means the virus that causes COVID-19 can quickly and easily spread to a lot of people and result in continuous spreading among people as time progresses.

---

Complications

Similarities: Both COVID-19 and flu can result in complications, including:

• Pneumonia
• Respiratory failure
• Acute respiratory distress syndrome (i.e. fluid in lungs)
• Sepsis
• Cardiac injury (e.g. heart attacks and stroke)
• Multiple-organ failure
• Worsening of chronic medical conditions
• Inflammation of the heart, brain or muscle tissues
• Secondary bacterial infections

Differences: Most people who get flu will recover in a few days to less than two weeks, but some people will develop complications. Additional complications associated with COVID-19 can include: Blood clots in the veins and arteries of the lungs, heart, legs or brain.

Source: Centre for Disease Control

Contact tracing is a vital tool in limiting the spread of COVID-19 in our schools and communities. It helps people get diagnosed earlier and reduces the chances they’ll spread it to others. The BC
Centre for Disease Control and Provincial Health Services Authority have set out the step-by-step process being used for contact tracing across the province. For more information on contact tracing – including an accessible video and infographic explaining the process – visit bccdc.ca, and links are posted on bcschools.cupe.ca.

In solidarity and safety,

Warren Williams
President, K-12 Presidents Council, Local 9876

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

View PDF.

It is important to take appropriate action if students or staff become sick at school. The flowchart below shows what you should do in these situations. More comprehensive guidance is also available in the Work Safe BC K-12 protocols, available online at worksafebc.com, and linked on our website at bcschools.cupe.ca. Please check our site regularly for more information and updates.

In solidarity and safety,

Warren Williams
President, K-12 Presidents Council, Local 9876

View PDF.

Source: Centre for Disease Control, September 1, 2020.

As a young girl, Phyllis Jack Webstad was gifted a new orange shirt by her grandmother before she was taken to a B.C. residential school. On her first day of classes, the shirt was confiscated and destroyed by a teacher.

Phyllis’ story has come to symbolize the trauma and abuse suffered by thousands of Survivors of the church-run government mandated residential schools. Generations of Survivors have similar stories of being torn from family, community, language and culture.

Inspired by Phyllis’ story, people now wear Orange Shirts on annually on September 30^th. It is the time of year when Indigenous children were taken from their homes to residential schools. Today, it is a time for us all to set the stage for the coming school year to address anti-Indigenous racism and the ongoing legacy of colonialism in BC and across Canada.

Wearing an orange shirt is our way to honour those who survived residential schools and remember those that didn’t. It’s an opportunity to listen, keep discussions on all aspects of residential schools open, learn and understand.

I hope you will join CUPE members across Canada in wearing an orange shirt on September 30^th and take some time to reflect on responsibilities to fostering reconciliation in our schools, our communities and in our union.

In solidarity & safety,

Warren Williams
President, K-12 Presidents Council, Local 9876

 

Orange Shirt Day Resources

Learn more about Orange Shirt Day, listings for events in your area, and more about Phyllis Jack Webstad’s story at orangeshirtday.org.

CUPE’s Walking the Talk: a practical guide to reconciliation for CUPE locals is available online at cupe.ca. This guide provides CUPE locals and members with key resources to better acknowledge and include Indigenous members in our union, and to help locals and members take concrete action towards reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.

The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (nctr.ca) the permanent home for all statements, documents, and other materials gathered by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. It has an extensive collection of education resources on the legacy of residential schools. The NCTR is also hosting Every Child Matters, an online event for youth grades 5-12 on September 30, 2020.

View PDF.

As we return to classrooms and adapt to our new normal, the BC Centre for Disease Control has updated its public health guidance for K-12 settings.

These updates reflect lessons learned over the past few months to minimize the transmission of COVID-19 and maintain a safe and healthy school environment for students, families and staff.

Below you will find a summary of the most significant updates. Links to the complete document can be found at bcschools.cupe.ca. Please check the site regularly for more information and updates.

In solidarity & safety,

Warren Williams
President, K-12 Presidents Council, Local 9876

---

• Updated information on public health actions required when a confirmed case(s) of COVID-19 affects a school, and information on contact tracing and managing clusters (pg. 6-7, Appendix B)
• Updated guidance on physical distancing (pg. 10)
• Updated guidance for staff or students experiencing symptoms of illness, and outlines what should be done before returning to class (pg. 15-17, Appendix C).
• New sections have been added concerning;
  • Ventilation and air exchange (pg. 8)
  • Water stations and fountains (pg. 18)
  • Personal items and school supplies (pg. 18)
• A new Appendix D (pg. 24) provides additional guidance for school meal programs, breakfast clubs and other food access initiatives.

The guidance document has also updated the roles of Medical Health Officers and school health officers (pg. 1-4). The complete document can be found in the BCCDC website school section and linked at bcschools.cupe.ca.

---

Reminder: Any news media calls or inquiries regarding possible COVID-19 exposures or cases, as identified in the Operational Guidelines for K-12, should be directed to your local regional health authority.  Thank you.

View PDF.