Principle 4: Screening and Triage

Likely Implementation Level DISTRICT, SCHOOL

Key Recommendations for Consideration

• Provide a checklist for use at home and school to review symptoms each morning and in a suspected case.

• Assess if any materials require translation / interpretation.

• Incorporate the resource into your communication plans.

• Ask parents and caregivers to screen their children each morning.

• Require students and staff to stay home when sick, even without a doctor’s note.

• Specify that a positive response to screening questions (e.g. indicating a student should not come to school) will lead to remote learning services and how these will be rapidly implemented.

• Remind families of the testing resource referral list (see Principle 3.1).

Considerations and Questions for Team Decision-Making and Reflection

• Do you have a language translation / interpretation service you can use?

• Consider tracking symptom information from families, perhaps in your existing system for child and staff sick-day policy.

• Who is responsible for reviewing this daily screening information, and where/when do they do so (for both staff and students)?

• How can we ensure that screening tools can be equitably accessed by all students, families, and staff (e.g. availability of thermometers, access to web-based forms)?

• How will we protect the privacy of students, families, and staff?

Likely Implementation Level SCHOOL

Key Recommendations for Consideration

• Designate an isolation space for suspected cases and protocol for interactions with that individual that reduce exposure.

• Develop a protocol for sanitation of the isolation room.

• Ensure the isolation room has adequate ventilation that does not leak contaminated air into other spaces.

• Ensure there is sufficient PPE for staff who will interact with the suspected case.

• Determine what information will be provided to the students’ parent(s)/caregiver(s), when, and whether by phone or other means.

• Develop strategies for reducing anxiety and traumatic responses, such as training staff and students on calming practices (meditation, breathing, journaling, etc.), incorporating soothing materials into isolation rooms (easy-to-disinfect manipulatives such as fidget tools, music, dimmed lights, etc.), and classroom debriefs that allow students to express feelings in response to incidents.

• Identify supports for staff mental health and anxiety, including referrals to counseling, check-ins, and staff debriefing of traumatic events.

Considerations and Questions for Team Decision-Making and Reflection

• Given school space, and the recommendation that people who are suspected to be infected cannot under any circumstances be isolated together, how many people can the school isolate at a time?

• Who will escort the student to the nurse’s office and make sure they feel safe?

• What information on quarantine, testing, and isolation can be provided?

• How much detail does the school nurse need on protocols for PPE (e.g. when to change gloves provided by CDC)?

• If students and/or staff need to be quarantined, how can they continue their learning or duties virtually?

• What support does your nursing staff need to carry out these responsibilities?