NEWS FROM YOUR SCHOOL NURSE

*COVID-19**

Symptoms of COVID-19

People with COVID-19 have a wide range of reported symptoms – from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus that causes COVID-19.

Symptoms can include:

• Fever or chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• New loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

This list does not include all possible COVID-19 symptoms. Children and adolescents with the virus that causes COVID-19 may experience any, all, or none of these symptoms.

If your child tests positive for Covid-19, the CDC recommendation is that they should stay home 5 days from the symptom start date and wear a mask for 5 additional days upon their return to school.  Your child must be fever free for at least 24 hours without fever reducing medication prior to returning to school.

ATTENTION***Schools and school nurses are not quarantining or keeping track of exposures to Covid-19. Students do not need to be kept home due to exposure to someone who has tested positive for Covid-19 as long as they are not having symptoms themselves***. 

ATTENTION***If your child is absent from school due to a positive Covid test, send in a note to the School Secretary within 3 days of return to school just as you would with any other illness***. 

OUTSIDE OF COVID-19, WHEN SHOULD I STAY HOME FROM SCHOOL??

• FEVER: Students must be without a fever for  24 hours (without medication) prior to return to school

• VOMITING/DIARRHEA: Students must stay home for 24 hours from their last episode of vomiting or diarrhea (without medication)

• COMMUNICABLE/INFECTIOUS CONDITIONS: Students must remain home for 24 hours from their first dose of antibiotics for anything like strep throat, pink eye, etc.! Students may return to school when fever, vomiting, and diarrhea free without medication to control these symptoms and it has been

Important respiratory illness prevention tips:

• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you sneeze or cough; or cough and sneeze into your sleeve (right at the bend of the arm).

• Wash your hands for 20 seconds with soap and water often. Alcohol based hands sanitizers are also useful.

• Avoid touching your eyes, ears, mouth or nose. Germs spread this way.

Also, the CDC recommends the following preventive actions to help prevent the spread of respiratory diseases:

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.

• Stay home when you are sick.  If your child has a fever, he/she should be fever-free for 24 hours prior to returning to school.

• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.

• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.  Additional information about hand-washing is on the back and can be found at this link:  https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/

IF YOUR CHILD IS SICK, KEEP YOUR CHILD AT HOME!

If your child has any of the following, they will be sent home:

** Any of the cardinal symptoms of covid: Fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion, runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea

** Report of direct exposure to covid or having household member symptomatic or being tested or testing positive to covid, report of student being tested for covid, or report of student being placed on quarantine by public health.

• temperature of 100.4 degrees or higher

• vomiting or diarrhea

• symptoms of an eye infection

• an unexplained skin condition

• other conditions as determined by the school nurse

Differences between a cold and the flu:

Common symptoms of flu include:

• high fever

• severe headache

• muscle and body aches

• exhaustion and dry cough

• a child may have vomiting and diarrhea

Symptoms of a common cold include:

• Sneezing & stuffy nose

• sore throat

• hacking cough

• possible low grade fever

Please keep phone numbers updated in the school office. When your child is sick or injured, we need to be able to contact someone immediately! It is also important that the school has your updated address so that you can receive any important messaging sent out by mail!