Guidance For Parents from Health Offices

This past week we were finally able to see our Return to Learn plan put to work! The students did a phenomenal job of wearing their PPE, hand washing, and cleaning!

Throughout the course of the week many questions arose about how typical cold or allergy symptoms would be handled. We quickly came to the conclusion that parents need more guidance as to how this year will look. This time of year is prime allergy season combined with the school environment, viruses, bacteria, and illness are common. Kids are still going to have their typical hay fever, allergies, coughs, sore throats, headaches, and more; however, COVID-19 changes the way we, as school nurses, have to look at those ailments. Guidance has been provided to schools all over the country by the CDC, Public Health, and the Department of Education; school nurses and administration all over the country are following the same guidance. Parents were emailed a document titled ‘Evaluating Sick Students and Staff’, and this is the exact document Cedar Falls Schools is following when dealing with a sick student or staff member. You can find it on the District’s Return to Learn site: https://sites.google.com/cfschools.org/cedarfallscommunityschoolstlch/home

During a “typical” year, nurses can evaluate a child and have a good idea through assessment if it is allergies, strep throat, stomach bug, etc. Conversely, this school year due to COVID-19, school nurses cannot determine by assessment alone that those symptoms are “just typical.” The evaluation tool recommended by the Department of Ed has split symptoms into high and low risk categories. It states that a high risk symptom is considered a newly developed cough, shortness of breath, or loss of taste or smell. Low risk symptoms include fever, headache, muscle/body aches, fatigue, sore throat, runny nose, congestion, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. All of the symptoms listed overlap with many common ailments that can typically be dealt with at home, but as school nurses we are bound to follow the guidance the state of Iowa has provided.

How might this look different for you as a parent or guardian?

If your student is sent to the school nurse with one of the high risk symptoms or two or more low risk symptoms, state guidelines are directing the school to notify parents and have that child sent home. At this point, it is recommended you contact your healthcare provider to determine if your child needs to be examined and/or tested for COVID-19.

If an alternative diagnosis is found (e.g. strep throat, allergies, common cold) the student can follow the school illness policy. The normal policy states that a student may return 24 hours after starting antibiotics, if needed and symptoms should be improved. The student should be fever free for 24 hours without the use of a fever-reducing medicine.

If the parent chooses to not contact a healthcare provider and no COVID 19 test was administered, the state mandates that the student shall remain home for 10 days from the onset of symptoms and the symptoms must improve.

We realize each situation is unique and you will have questions. Please do not hesitate to call our school nurse for guidance. Public Health has been very active in helping us navigate these uncharted waters and will continue to assist us.

We ask for your patience moving forward and if your child is sick, please keep them home. Again, we realize all of the “typical” illnesses are still out there and not everything is COVID-19, but COVID-19 can present itself as any of the listed symptoms above, so we will continue to follow state guidance and be extra diligent with any sign or symptom connected with COVID-19.