A serious issue is currently arising in Portsmouth Ohio. 3 suspected cases of COVID-19 have been discovered at SSU. This is a very scary development considering a very large amount of not only staff, but also the parental guardians of children, have underlying health issues that could lead to susceptibility to the virus. Sure, the children may not contract the virus, but their elderly guardians are more likely to. This could lead to very harsh life changes in the child's life given the possibility of losing their guardian to the virus, and I believe none of us want that for any youth. I myself have grandparents who have raised me, and if they were to come in contact with it, they very well would succumb to the virus. We are also currently switching over into the spring season, which means more pollen, which means more allergies, which leads to more sneezing and spread of germs. We must take into consideration the severity of this respiratory virus and think of the people who it could affect, like those with severe asthma. I believe it is not only the duty of the school to protect the children, but also the community against this health threat. I know we just recently experienced something similar to this during flu season, but we cannot control the things that happen in life. If there ends up being a confirmed case of coronavirus from the suspected 3 at SSU, I believe the school should go into a week of being closedown in order to fully sanitize every bit of the school. We have to consider that a large amount of our very own students take college classes at SSU, so they could've made contact with the virus. We need to have time in order to see if the symptoms develop in these students, and if further action is needed. As you are reading this, please consider the health and well-being of your own students, their guardians, and the community as a whole. (Credit to Drew Smith for help writing and making this petition possible.)