Health Updates January 2025

1. If you are notified your student has been exposed to a respiratory virus, keep an eye out for symptoms. If they have symptoms (see chart below) use a home COVID test (see below to order free tests) to determine if they are positive for COVID PRIOR to sending them to school. We can also test at school if you do not have test kits at home.
2. Keep your student home if they are sick! And, call us to report symptoms of COVID, Influenza, or gastrointestinal illness. And, any positive cases in your household.
3. If someone in your household is sick, it's OKAY for everyone to wear masks inside to prevent the spread within your family.

• You can go back to your normal activities when, for at least 24 hours, both are true:
  • Your symptoms are getting better overall, and
  • You have not had a fever (and are not using fever-reducing medication).
• When you go back to your normal activities, take added precaution over the next 5 days, such as taking additional steps for cleaner air, hygiene, masks, physical distancing, and/or testing when you will be around other people indoors. This is especially important to protect people with factors that increase their risk of severe illness from respiratory viruses.
• Keep in mind that you may still be able to spread the virus that made you sick, even if you are feeling better. You are likely to be less contagious at this time, depending on factors like how long you were sick or how sick you were.
• If you develop a fever or you start to feel worse after you have gone back to normal activities, stay home and away from others again until, for at least 24 hours, both are true: your symptoms are improving overall, and you have not had a fever (and are not using fever-reducing medication). Then take added precaution for the next 5 days.

Students who have active symptoms of a respiratory illness may be asked to wear a mask until they are picked up by a parent to prevent spreading to others.