Common School Illnesses

Conjunctivitis (Pink Eye)

• Spread by: contact with infected skin or surface and then touching own eye

• Symptoms: red eyes, usually discharge and crusting around eyes

• Eyes may be itchy/watery

• Stay home from school if systemic symptoms present or if child is unable to keep hands away from face

• Non-contagious after 24 hours of treatment or no drainage

Influenza (Flu)

• Spread by: person to person droplets or contact with contaminated surface to self

• Virus can live on surfaces for many hours

• Symptoms: fever, chills, headache, fatigue, nonproductive cough

• Stay home from school until fever free for 24 hours (this may differ during a pandemic or new strain of flu)

• Flu vaccine recommended for everyone 6 months or older

Mumps

• Spread by: contact with eye/mouth droplets

• Symptoms: Fever, swelling of one/both parotid glands

• Mild cases can have no swelling

• Stay home from school until 5 days after onset of parotid gland swelling

• Immunizations for mumps begin at 1 year

Strep Throat

• Spread by: contact with droplets from nose/mouth, direct contact

• Symptoms: fever, sore throat with ‘white spots’ on tonsils, tender or swollen glands

• If sandpaper rash is also noted, Scarlet Fever infection is likely

• Stay home from school until 24 hours after antibiotics and 24 hours being fever-free

Common Cold

• Spread by: breathing in respiratory droplets, direct contact with secretions, touching contaminated object then self

• Symptoms: variable; runny nose, fatigue, coughing, sneezing, possible fever

• Pneumonia, sinus infections bronchitis and croup fall into this category as well

• Stay home from school: No need unless febrile

Pertussis (Whooping Cough)

• Spread by: contact with droplets from nose/eyes/mouth

• Symptoms: 1st cold like s&s, then cough (inspiratory whoop), post-cough vomiting

• Stay home from school: until 5 days on antibiotics or 21 days after cough onset

• Immunizations begin at 2 months

• Vaccine booster at 11 years

Head Lice

• Spread by: direct close contact

• Symptoms: itchy scalp, presence of lice or nits that will not easily come off hair shaft

• Typically lasts 7 to 10 days

• Stay home from school until no more live lice present

Measles

• Spread by: airborne or direct contact with droplets

• Symptoms: rash starting at head and spreading downwards, Koplik’s spots, cough, runny nose, fever, sore throat

• Extremely contagious from 4 days before to 4 days after rash onset

• Stay home from school if at least 4 days from start of rash

Ear Infection

• Spread by: not contagious

• Symptoms: Ear pain, fever, touching ear frequently

• Stay home from school if febrile or in pain, unable to concentrate

Stomach Bugs

• Spread by: many different ways including fecal oral, undercooked meat or contaminated food/water ingestion, person to person, contact with infected surfaces

• Symptoms: diarrhea, nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting, fever, loss of appetite, chills, headache

• Stay home from school until symptoms have stopped for 24 to 48 hours

Chickenpox

• Spread by: contact with the rash, breathing in respiratory droplets

• Symptoms: fever, blister-like rash (rash can scab)

• Stay home from school until all lesions have crusted and at least 5 days after symptoms

• If vaccinated, can return to school with afebrile (and no new lesions) in 24 hours

Fifth Disease

• Spread by: breathing in droplets

• Symptoms: redness of cheeks and body (this may come and go for weeks), may have fever, HA, runny nose

• Does not need to stay home from school unless febrile

Rubella

• Spread by: contact with droplets from nose/eyes/mouth

• CAN travel across placenta to fetus in pregnant women

• Symptoms: red rash traveling from face down the body, may have sore throat, joint pain or fever

• Stay home from school until 7 days after onset of rash

Hand, Foot and Mouth

• Spread by: Breathing in droplets, fecal-oral

• Symptoms: Rash on mouth, hands and bottom of feet, fever, loss of appetite, can be asymptomatic

• Stay home from school if febrile or child unable to avoid contact with others

Impetigo

• Spread by: direct skin contact, contaminated surfaces or nasal secretions

• Symptoms: small red bumps or fluid filled blisters with crusting yellow scabs, typically on face but can go anywhere on body

• Stay home from school until 24 hours after start of treatment