WSWSU GUIDELINES OF WHEN TO KEEP YOUR CHILD HOME

 DUE TO ILLNESS:

Per Vermont DOH, CDC and American Academy of Pediatrics the following list has been compiled by Jollene Mahon WSWSU Covid Coordinator in collaboration with WSWSU School Nurses.

• Fever of 100.4 ℉ or above, students should remain at home until they are fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication before returning to school

• COVID-19/flu like illness (Follow the VT Dept. of Health Guidance) If a student does not attend school due to suspecting a Covid 19 infection, their parent/guardian may access rapid antigen tests by learning available testing options. Families may call to request pick up of antigen test kits from school or arrange test kits to be sent home with a sibling, pending availability. The parent/guardian can perform 2 antigen tests on the symptomatic student. Antigen tests should be taken as close to 24 hours apart as possible. These tests can also be used for testing symptomatic individuals, or close contacts in the home who may not be fully up to date with their vaccinations. Parents/guardians may contact a Primary Care Provider to access PCR testing. Per current guidance, COVID-19 testing is not required for symptomatic students or staff to return to school. 

  •  Return to school post COVID-19 infection 

    •  A student or staff member may return to school after 5 days of isolation if their symptoms have improved and they have been fever-free for 24+ hours without the use of medication. CDC recommends wearing a mask through day 10 OR If you have access to antigen tests, you should consider using them. With two sequential negative tests 48 hours apart, you may remove your mask sooner than day 10.

    • Close Contact: The Health Department recommends getting tested if you develop symptoms at any time – even if you are vaccinated or have recently had COVID-19. 

    •  If you do not have symptoms but have been in close contact with someone with COVID-19, it is recommended to test five (5) full days after the COVID-19 exposure.

    • If you use an at-home antigen test and the result is negative, test again 48 hours later. If you have a negative PCR or LAMP test, no follow-up test is needed. 

• Return to school after a non-COVID-19 related illness 

  •  A student or staff member may return to school if their symptoms have improved, and they have met school criteria for that illness (e.g., it has been more than 24 hours without fever, diarrhea, or vomiting without use of medication). 

• If the student has been diagnosed with a contagious illness and has been prescribed an antibiotic- required to be on antibiotic for 24 hours before returning to school 

• Diarrhea-Diapered Students - Loose or watery stools that cannot be contained in diaper Toilet Trained Students – Loose or watery stools with a frequency of no more than 2 stools above the child’s normal frequency. Students should be 24 hours symptom free before returning. 

• Vomiting in the last 24 hours- 1 episode in the last 24 hours unless from an explainable cause-examples of explainable causes may include drinking/eating odd food combinations, history of motion sickness on bus. Students should be 24 hours symptom free before returning. 

• Rash with a fever, Impetigo, Scabies

• Eye Discharge/Pink Eye/Bacterial Conjunctivitis- thick green/yellow eye drainage should be evaluated by a doctor. If you have conjunctivitis but do not have fever or other symptoms, you may be allowed to remain at school with your doctor’s approval (note needed). However, if you still have symptoms, and your activities at school include close contact with other people, you should not attend.

• Strep throat- requires to be on antibiotic or Sore Throat/Swollen Glands in Neck- especially with fever (may be strep throat and should be evaluated by healthcare provider)

• Communicable diseases- such as chickenpox or Vaccine Preventable Diseases (Mumps, measles, rubella, pertussis/whooping cough)

• Frequent or persistent cough- Medical attention may be necessary. Coughing could be a symptom of COVID-19. Note: Students with asthma may be cared for in school with a written health care plan and authorization for medication/ treatment. For asthmatic students, coughing/wheezing should improve or resolve with use of inhaler. If it does not resolve or worsens, students must be sent home for further treatment or medical evaluation.

• If not able to participate fully in class-The student does not feel well enough to participate in usual activities, and exhibits signs of extreme fatigue, unexplained irritability or persistent crying

Sources:

https://education.vermont.gov/sites/aoe/files/documents/2022_08_18_edu-vdh-memo-french-levine-covid19-school-sickness-policy-considerations-and-testing-fall-2022.pdf

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/isolation.html

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/if-you-are-sick/steps-when-sick.html

https://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/work-play/Pages/When-to-Keep-Your-Child-Home-from-Child-Care.aspx

https://www.cdc.gov/conjunctivitis/about/transmission.html#:~:text=washing%20your%20hands-,When%20to%20go%20back%20to%20work%20or%20school,people%2C%20you%20should%20not%20attend.

https://www.healthvermont.gov/disease-control/covid-19/covid-19-testing

https://www.healthvermont.gov/disease-control/covid-19/covid-19-symptoms-treatment#:~:text=If%20you%20do%20not%20have,follow%2Dup%20test%20is%20needed.

https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/parents/diseases/varicella.html  

Revised 8/22/22, Updated 07/28/23