As most of you know now, we had a bit of a COVID scare last week when a couple of folks associated with the program tested positive for the disease. We immediately went into response mode, closing down the Child Development Center, and making provisions for deep cleaning of the facility. Of course, the greatest fear was that the disease had been spread to our students and their families as well as our staff.
Because I had been in contact with some of those folks I found myself sitting in a long line of cars last week at Nissan Stadium to undergo my first round of testing. Given what I had read and heard from others I was a little anxious about the swab up the nose but after my 90-minute wait, I pulled into a tent, and honestly, it wasn’t too bad. Then the hard part started — waiting to find out the results — a time of anxiety for the next 5 days. So, when my phone buzzed at 3:30 a.m. on Monday morning I picked it up and breathed a sigh of relief that the result was negative.
I wasn’t the only one with that experience but in the end ALL of our staff and children that had been possibly exposed tested negative. We definitely dodged a bullet, and we were able to reopen our center this past Monday.
Last week’s experience has led me to several insights:
- While we can work hard to reduce the risk of the spread of the disease, we can never fully alleviate it. This is a seriously infectious disease and we never know who is going to show up after being infected somewhere else. While we can try to screen folks, the asymptomatic transmission of COVID is such that we can never weed out potential carriers 100% of the time.
- However, while the risk always remains, taking precautions does work in reducing the spread. Our CDC has been diligent in practicing all sorts of safeguards to avoid transmissions. Masks are required. Classes are distanced from one another. Hand washing and other cleaning is happening almost continually. It is through the excellent work of our Child Development Center staff that we avoided any additional children or staff getting sick and I am extremely grateful for their hard work!
- Reducing the risk only happens because everyone is on the same page regarding stringent safeguards. In many ways, it’s easier for our children to stay safe because they aren’t questioning the need for those safeguards. They simply know that if they don’t wear masks or wash their hands they have the possibility of getting sick. It seems to be the adults that are unable to recognize the simplicity of the message that wearing masks, distancing, and washing hands is the best was to slow down the spread of the disease.
Jesus said that unless we become like a child we will not be able to enter God’s Kingdom. I am grateful for the example of these children who have been left in our care, and I hope I can emulate them in their simple love and care for their friends.
Thanks again CDC staff! You rock!