US student who tested positive for COVID-19 attends classes, thinking they are safe due to being asymptomatic

Seventeen students have been put into isolation as a precaution.
Seventeen students have been put into isolation as a precaution. Photo credit: Getty

A US school has had to be thoroughly cleaned, and 17 students put into isolation after a student with COVID-19 attended classes on Thursday.

The student had returned to their Oklahoma school for the first day of classes knowing they had the virus but thinking they were safe due to being asymptomatic, KFOR reported.

Westmoore High School was alerted to the student's case through an anonymous tip-off last week.

The local schools' public information officer Dawn Jones said the student had told officials "they were under the understanding that since they were asymptomatic, that they did not need to quarantine for the full 14-day-period".

The parents of the child told the school they had miscalculated the end of their required quarantine and thought it was safe to send them to school.

"I don't know why people do things, why they make certain decisions," Jones told KFOR.

The school is now undergoing a deep clean and 17 students who are considered at high risk of contracting the virus have been put into isolation, The Oklahoman reported.

"We will do absolutely everything within our power to safeguard and protect our students and our staff," said Jones.