Too Sick for School
It's normal for children to get sick from time to time. But when should a parent keep a child home?
Below are some guidelines to help you make the decision about when to keep your child home from school. The recommendations are based on the guidelines provided by the Communicable Disease Program of the Washington County Department of Health and Human Services. They were developed to help prevent the spread of potentially contagious disease.
SYMPTOMS OF ILLNESS |
THE STUDENTS MAY RETURN AFTER...(The list bellow indicates the shortest time to stay home. A student may need to stay home longer for some illnesses.) |
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Fever-free for 24 hours without taking fever-reducing medicine. |
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Symptoms improving for 24 hours (no cough or cough is well controlled and breathing comfortably). Urgent medical care may be needed. |
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Symptom-free OR with orders from doctor to school nurse. Follow fever instructions if fever is present. Urgent medical care may be needed. |
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Symptom-free for 24 hours OR with orders from doctor to school nurse. |
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Symptom-free for 24 hours OR with orders from doctor to school nurse. |
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Symptom-free, which means rash is gone or sores are dry or can be completely covered by a bandage OR with orders from doctor to school nurse. |
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Symptom-free, which means redness and discharge are gone OR with orders from doctor to school nurse. |
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After the school has orders from doctor or local health authority to school nurse. |
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Symptom-free, which means return to normal behavior OR with orders from doctor to school nurse. |
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After the school has orders from doctor to school nurse AND after measures are in place for student’s safety. Please work with the school staff to address special health care needs so the student may attend safely. |
Home is the best place for a child who is ill. If your child is sick with a diagnosed communicable disease, please notify the school as soon as possible. This notification will greatly assist others who, due to medical reasons and/or treatments, have weakened immune systems and may require immediate and specialized care.