COVINGTON, Va. (WFXR) – Covington Middle School has been closed since January 31, after staff and students were released in a precautionary evacuation for a strange odor.
A weekend investigation concluded Covington Middle School had a carbon monoxide leak, coming from the combination of a faulty oven and exhaust system in the cafeteria.
The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) said several people went to the local hospital’s emergency department, and tests showed many had a mild exposure to carbon monoxide.
Carbon monoxide is a toxic, odorless, colorless gas, which is created by the burning of carbon fuels. At extreme levels, it can prove fatal.
According to VDH, symptoms vary from individual to individual but usually involve headaches and fatigue.
Thankfully, carboxyhemoglobin, which is carbon monoxide in the bloodstream, only lasts a few hours, so anyone who was treated initially shouldn’t be concerned.
“There is no need to get tested again, there is no need for treatment,” Cynthia Morrow, the director for VDH’s Roanoke City and Alleghany health districts, said. “The levels that we’re seeing do not need any medical intervention.”
Morrow said anyone who sought medical attention for carbon monoxide after last weekend means they were exposed elsewhere, and it’s not related to the issue at the middle school.
She said people would need to reevaluate their living situations and narrow down a source.
“People who vape can have higher levels of carboxyhemoglobin,” Morrow said. “If you’re sitting with an idling car, you can have elevated carboxyhemoglobin levels, and certainly if we have cold weather and people are using wood stoves.”
Alleghany Highlands Public Schools said it has removed the natural gas oven it believes was responsible for the leak. It also said students will have virtual classes until it’s sure it’s safe for them to return to school.