#FlattenTheCurve

The novel coronavirus, or COVID-19 started in a wet market in Wuhan, China. This has now spread to over 85,000 people around the globe, and caused at least 3,000 deaths, both totals higher than the SARS and MERS epidemics of the past.

This virus can stay in the body for three weeks or more prior to symptoms exhibiting, during which the infected can easily transmit the virus to others given it's high R0 value and infectious asymptomatic period. Since this virus may lay dormant (infectious by not symptomatic) for several weeks or more in some cases, during passing period, lunch, and other crowded times asymptomatic carriers will likely infect others, thus growing infections exponentially. These students will then pass the virus on to their parents who will pass it on to their colleagues and so on. Though the CFR for children is currently low the spread of infection places their parents and elderly grandparents (those at highest risk of complications and hospitalization) at increased and unnecessary risk.

In the light of the new information that the first US death from COVID was in Washington State, King County, where the LWSD schools are located, and there are three more infections discovered within the Lake Washington School District boundary with more likely to come, we are asking Dr. Jane Stavem, the superintendent of the Lake Washington School District to close schools around the district to prevent unnecessary spreading of this virus and to reduce the risk of a repeat of the experience in Wuhan, China where the local health care system became overwhelmed with patients resulting in unnecessary loss of life.

Considering this, we request that Lake Washington School District close all schools and facilities to slow the COVID-19 infection rate, to spread the rate of infections out over time to prevent health care facilities and workers from becoming overwhelmed, and to keep students, their families and their elders safe. Recommend shifting coursework to online / remote assignments as necessary during this period.