Clean

• Clean surfaces using soap and water. Practice routine cleaning of frequently touched surfaces like:
  • Tables, doorknobs, light switches, counter-tops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets, sinks, etc.

Disinfect

• Clean the area or items with soap and water if dirty. Then, use a household disinfectant.
• Always be sure to follow the instructions on the label to ensure safe and effective use of the product. Many products recommend:
  • Keeping surface wet for a period of time (see product label)
  • Precautions such as wearing gloves and making sure you have good ventilation during use of the product.
• Diluted household bleach solutions may also be used if appropriate for the surface.
  • Check the label to see if your bleach is intended for disinfection, and ensure the product is not past its expiration date. Some bleaches, such as those designed for safe use on colored clothing or for whitening may not be suitable for disinfection.
  • Unexpired household bleach will be effective against coronaviruses when properly diluted.
  • Follow manufacturer’s instructions for application and proper ventilation. Never mix household bleach with ammonia or any other cleanser. Leave solution on the surface for at least 1 minute.
  • To make a bleach solution, mix:
    • 5 tablespoons (1/3^rd cup) bleach per gallon of water OR
    • 4 teaspoons bleach per quart of water
• Alcohol solutions with at least 70% alcohol may also be used.

Soft surfaces

For soft surfaces such as carpeted floor, rugs, and drapes

• Clean the surface using soap and water or with cleaners appropriate for use on these surfaces.
• Launder items (if possible) according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Use the warmest appropriate water setting and dry items completely.

Electronics

For electronics, such as tablets, touch screens, keyboards, and remote controls.

• Consider putting a wipeable cover on electronics
• Follow manufacturer’s instructions for cleaning and disinfecting
  • If no guidance, use alcohol-based wipes or sprays containing at least 70% alcohol. Dry surface thoroughly.

Laundry

For clothing, towels, linens, and other items

• Launder items according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Use the warmest appropriate water setting and dry items completely.
• Wear disposable gloves when handling dirty laundry from a person who is sick.
• Dirty laundry from a person who is sick can be washed with other people’s items.
• Do not shake dirty laundry.
• Clean and disinfect clothes hampers according to guidance for surfaces.
• Remove gloves, and wash hands right away.

Clean hands often

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds.
  • Always wash immediately after removing gloves and after contact with a person who is sick.
• Hand sanitizer: if soap and water are not readily available and hands are not visibly dirty, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. However, if hands are visibly dirty, always wash hands with soap and water.
• Additional key times to clean hands include:
  • After blowing one’s nose, coughing, or sneezing
  • After using the restroom
  • Before eating or preparing food
  • After contact with animals or pets
  • Before and after providing routine care for another person who needs assistance
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.

This information is taken directly from the CDC’s website: cdc.gov

This blog is not a substitute for medical advice. Be sure to talk to your child’s medical provider with any questions.

Here are some stay at home ideas to keep kids busy while they are out of school for the next few weeks:

1. Feeling stressed, lonely, isolated or anxious? YouthLine is a teen-to-teen crisis and support help line. From 4pm-10pm daily, teens can call, text or chat with other teens to talk about anything and everything that’s going on with them. Adult counselors are available during other hours.
2. Listen to Astronauts read stories at Story Time From Space
3. Learn-at-Home guides from Scholastic for grades PreK through 12
4. Watch the Healthy Habits video series from Sesame Street and then print the free activity book that goes along with it
5. Burn off extra energy with kids’ dance routines from GoNoodle
6. Try a yoga class from our friends at Imagination Yoga
7. Take a virtual field trip to a museum or theater. Tour everything from Boston’s Children’s Museum to The Louvre in France. Due to closures, New York’s Metropolitan Opera House will also stream a program every night through 3/31. Find the schedule here, then watch here.
8. Cook at home and make a fun recipe!
9. Play interactive games and puzzles from Highlight Kids
10. For older kids, Khan Academy has sample daily educational breakdowns
11. Virtual PE classes with the Trail Blazers stream live Monday – Friday at 10am on Instagram. Follow @BlazerCommunity to tune in.
12. ADAPT Training is offering a free workout class for wheelchair users on Saturday April 18th. They are also launching a 30-day workout program, starting April 21st.
13. Future U and Boeing offer free virtual field trips for those interested in STEM.
14. Disabled Sports USA is offering free live and recorded adaptive exercise and fitness classes online.
15. Learn more about your favorite majestic Disney animals through videos and fun facts on the DisneyNOW App.
16. Disney – Learn to Draw is a complete series of how-to tutorials on drawing Mickey Mouse and other Disney characters.
17. Education.com is sharing an article with 10 fun activities for children with autism.
18. Left Brain Craft Brain is sharing an online article with 40 art projects for kids.
19. Northwest Association for Blind Athletes is offering accessible workout challenges that can be done from home.
20. The Oregon Coast Aquarium is showing free live webcams of their underwater exhibits, including a shark, seabird and otter.
21. Raddish is offering free online resources and cook-along online classes to support families homeschooling their children.
22. Have your child read to therapy dogs at DoveLewis. Daily Facebook live videos are streamed from 1pm-2pm, Monday to Friday. They are also offering more interactive events over Zoom.

While kids are out of school, many districts are offering sack breakfasts and lunches. Here’s a list of where to find meals:

Beaverton School District
The district is serving breakfast and lunch together from 11 a.m. to noon March 16-20 and March 30-31 at 15 curbside pickup locations.

David Douglas School District
Families can pick up sack breakfasts and lunches from 9-11 a.m. March 17-20 at four locations.

Gresham-Barlow School District
Students can pick up readymade breakfasts from 8:30-9 a.m. and lunches from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. March 17-20 and March 30-31 at eight locations.

Hillsboro School District
The district will hand out breakfasts and lunches at 10 a.m. for elementary school students, 11 a.m. for middle school students, and noon for high school students from March 17-20 and March 30-31 at seven hubs. Students are asked to pick up meals at the hub to which their school is assigned.

Molalla River School District
Meal bags containing breakfast and lunch will be distributed to students from 9:15-11:15 a.m. March 17-20 in the parking drive-through at Molalla Elementary School, 910 Toliver Rd.

North Clackamas School District
Pre-made breakfasts and lunches will be served from 7:30-9 a.m. weekdays March 17-31 at four locations. Food packages for families will be available in a drive-through from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. March 17-20 and March 30-31 at the Wichita Center, 6031 S.E. King Rd., Milwaukie.

Oregon City School District
Breakfast and lunch packages can be picked up from noon-1 p.m. March 17-31 at five locations.

Portland Public Schools
Fourteen locations districtwide will serve to-go meals from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. March 17-20 and March 30-31.

Reynolds School District
Meals for students and families will be distributed via curbside pickup from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. March 17-20 at the district’s three middle schools and Reynolds High School.

Tigard-Tualatin School District
Tualatin and Metzger elementary schools will serve grab-and-go breakfasts from 8-8:30 a.m. and lunches from 11 a.m.- 12:30 p.m. for district students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade “during this break.”

Salem-Keizer School District
The district is offering grab-and-go meals to anyone 18 or younger from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. weekdays at 36 locations.

Bend-LaPine School District
The district is providing grab-and-go meals from 10:30-11:30 a.m. March 17-20 and March 30-31 at five locations.

Eugene School District
Free grab-and-go meals are available from 11 a.m.-noon March 17-20 at six locations. A post on the district website said plans were “in development” to provide meals March 30-31.

Updated January 13, 2022

COVID-19 FAQs

What is a variant? Which variants should we know about?

Viruses change constantly, and sometimes those changes (mutations) result in a new strain, or variant. Some variants make the rounds while others disappear completely. This is normal and expected virus behavior.

Omicron is now the dominant strain of SARS-CoV-2 in the United States. It was first detected in South Africa in November 2021 and arrived in the US later that month. Early studies suggest that Omicron is more contagious than Delta, but causes less serve symptoms. Both the Omicron and Delta variants continue to spread quickly in areas with lower vaccination rates.

How does the Omicron variant affect children?

So far, there is no evidence that this variant is any more dangerous to children than other variants. We do know that it spreads more easily from person-to-person, so we must be extra careful and take precautions to minimize risk.

If infected with the Omicron variant and symptomatic, children show common COVID-19 symptoms—fever, cough, cold-like symptoms and possibly GI symptoms.

While testing is available and recommended, it is not 100% accurate as false negatives can occur. Due to the variant being so easy to transmit, until your child is well, they should remain at home.

When should my child be tested for COVID-19?

If your child has been exposed to COVID-19, we recommend they be tested within 3-5 days of exposure. Until you receive your test results, you should stay home and away from others. Please visit the testing section of our website for up to date information regarding testing availability and scheduling.

How long do symptoms last?

The most common symptoms of COVID-19—fever, cough, and other cold-like symptoms—typically appear between 2-14 days from exposure. While there can be long cases of COVID-19, most people recover within two weeks.

What are the current quarantine and isolation instructions?

There are different quarantine instructions for vaccinated and unvaccinated populations. Review our After Testing Guide for the most up to date information regarding quarantine and isolation.

If your child is vaccinated and was exposed, they do not need to quarantine unless they have symptoms.

If your child is unvaccinated and was exposed, they should quarantine for 5 days after the last known contact with COVID-19. You can carefully return to normal activity after those initial 5 days, but should wear a mask around others for 5 additional days.

Should my child return to daycare/school with the cases so high due to the more contagious strain?

Safe, in-person school is important for the mental and physical health of your child. The last school year was challenging for many families, and it is okay to feel overwhelmed with the thought of the new school year approaching. If your child is eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, that is the best protection you can give them for a safe school year. If your child is too young for the vaccine, make sure those around them are vaccinated and if possible, wear masks when you are with those outside of the household.

VISIT GUIDLINES: Providence Health Systems, and most major hospitals in the Portland Metro area, have medical staff stationed at their entrances asking patients screening questions for COVID-19 symptoms. If you are suspected to or have symptoms, a Providence employee may escort you to and from your appointment at Sunset.

We are continuing to follow the guidance of Providence and ask that only the child being seen, and one caregiver attend appointments. If it all possible, please try to keep siblings and additional caregivers at home if they do not have an appointment. If your child or family has symptoms, please only have your family ride in the elevator.

We are encouraging our patients to keep their child’s regular appointments which includes their well child checks and are taking steps to maintain a sterile environment in the clinic and to ensure minimal contact among our patients.

We are dedicated to the health and well-being of you and your family, as well as our staff and other patients. Our physicians are following the guidelines of the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) and the OHA (Oregon Health Authority). According to these authorities, there will be an increased need for patients to stay at home for minor illnesses.

Please call us if you believe your child may have been exposed. It is important to remain at home so as not to infect other individuals. Our medical staff will do their best to triage according to the guidelines of the CDC. Currently, the CDC recommends that persons who think they may have been exposed to COVID-19:

• Stay home at the first signs of illness.
• Take care of mild symptoms at home.
• For symptoms like fever or cough that are severe or cannot be managed at home, call your child’s pediatrician.

We have increased advice phone line staffing; however, we are experiencing extended wait times. We appreciate your understanding and patience.

COVID-19 Symptoms (similar to seasonal influenza):

• Fever
• Cough
• Shortness of breath

To make sure that we are proactive in keeping your family and our staff protected, some of our medical staff may be wearing additional protective equipment like goggles, masks and face shields during appointments.

Ways you can prevent illness:

• Wash hands – wash with soap and water for 20 seconds (the time it takes to sing Happy Birthday) or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if unable to wash hands.
• Avoid touching your face, mouth and nose with unwashed hands.
• Stay home if you are sick.
• Avoid contact with others who are sick.
• When coughing or sneezing do so into your sleeve or into a tissue and then wash your hands.
• Clean surfaces like door handles and counter tops.

You may have heard news reports about a possible connection between COVID-19 and a rare but serious health condition in children called Multi-System Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C). For more information on what is known, symptoms, treatment and prevention, please click here.

At this time, the COVID-19 vaccine is not approved for use in the United States for anyone under 5 years of age.

Sunset is happy to answer your questions about COVID-19. Please call us if you have concerns. Here’s a list of other reliable sources to stay updated:

• For general information, call 211
• OHA Emerging Respiratory Disease page: www.healthoregon.org/coronavirus
• CDC COVID-19 page: www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
• CDC travel notice: wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices
• CDC Quarantine page: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/quarantine-isolation.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Fif-you-are-sick%2Fquarantine.html
• CDC COVID-19 Testing page: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/testing.html
• WHO page: www.who.int/westernpacific/emergencies/novel-coronavirus
• Other helpful resources:
  • https://health.clevelandclinic.org/delta-variant-and-children/
  • https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/COVID-19/Pages/Return-to-School-During-COVID-19.aspx
  • https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/COVID-19/Pages/Cloth-Face-Coverings-for-Children-During-COVID-19.aspx