Health and Safety
What is Covid-19 and how does it spread?
Coronavirus, or COVID-19 is a new respiratory virus, not previously seen in humans. The severity of illness ranges from mild to severe, and is primarily spread through respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks, or a person comes in contact with a surface that has the virus on it and then the person touches their nose/mouth/eyes.
What are the symptoms of Covid-19?
Symptoms include: Fever over 100 degrees F orally and/or chills, cough, shortness of breath and/or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose (unrelated to other conditions), nausea, vomiting, diarrhea.
What if my child or someone in our household is showing symptoms of Covid-19?
If your child, or anyone in your household is experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, please keep your child home from school and call their healthcare provider to be referred for a COVID- 19 test, and/or further evaluation. If a student or staff member has COVID-19 like symptoms, they may return to school after they have tested negative for COVID-19, have improvement in symptoms, and have been without a fever for at least 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medications. If a provider makes an alternative diagnosis for the COVID-19 like symptoms, the individual may return to school based on the recommendation for that alternative diagnosis (such as flu or strep throat).
If a student or staff member present COVID-19 like symptoms and chooses not to be tested, they may return to school 10 days from the start of symptoms, as long as their symptoms have improved, and they have been without fever for at least 24 hours prior to their return to school without the use of fever reducing medications.
If my child becomes sick at school, why do I have to pick him/her/them up within 30 minutes?
If a student is assessed and found to have symptoms that are suspicious of COVID-19, it is very important to have your child picked up in the 30 minute timeframe so that other students and staff aren’t exposed, and potential spread can be contained. Additionally, ill students will be monitored in a designated isolation room, and that room will need to be cleaned thoroughly and made available for other students.
Should my child be wearing a face mask or covering?
Face coverings are an important to help reduce the spread of COVID-19, and are effective, especially when used in combination with physical distancing and proper hand washing. Some people are infected with COVID-19 and don’t have symptoms (asymptomatic). Masks help reduce the spread by containing the infected person’s respiratory droplets from traveling to other people.
That being said, during remote learning from home your child does not need to wear a face mask or covering. Face masks and coverings are required for all children attending in-person classes and will be mandatory when/if we return to a hybrid model.
Is there a specific kind of face mask or cloth face covering that my child should have?
There are no specific brands of face coverings that are recommended; the important factors are to find face coverings that fit your student properly (covering the nose and mouth), and are comfortable so that your child is more likely to keep one on. N95 or other masks with a front valve/vent will not be allowed. These types of masks pass droplets and potential contaminants into the air. Bandanas and gaiter face coverings are not allowed because they do not seal the face, are very thin, and tend to be touched and adjusted more frequently by the user.
My child has Food Allergies. How will that be handled?
All classrooms will remain allergen aware. Please inform your child’s teacher and your School Nurse of your child’s food allergy or allergies. Students may need to eat in alternative spaces outside of the cafeteria to comply with physical distancing guidelines. Distancing of 6 feet will create a natural buffer and safe zone for students with life threatening allergies. Alternative eating spaces will be wiped down, lunches will be retrieved, hand hygiene performed, mask removed, student will eat, reapply mask, space wiped down again. Hand hygiene with soap and water by student with allergies should be performed as hand sanitizer does not remove allergens.
Again, during remote learning from home it will be the family/households responsibility to monitor allergy issues and concerns.
Does it matter if my kids get all of their immunizations? They are doing remote learning!
Staying up to date on immunizations is critical. It is one of the most effective ways to combat vaccine preventable diseases. Waltham Public Schools, following the guidance from the State, will continue to require updated and current immunizations for ALL enrolled students - whether learning is in-person or remote. If families are unable to see their healthcare provider for a yearly physical, an appointment for vaccines can still be scheduled. This is usually called a “NURSE” visit. Waltham Public Schools will work with families to ensure that students are current on all standard vaccinations before they return to in-person or remote learning.