Schools should expect students and staff to get sick during the school year:
When students or anyone in direct contact with students get sick, schools should follow the following guidelines:
Exclusion of sick students or staff:
- Fever, especially with a new rash or behavioral changes.
- Persistent vomiting.
- Persistent diarrhea. Diarrhea that causes ‘accidents,’ is bloody, or is more than two bowel movements above what is ‘normal’ for the person in 24 hours.
- Sores that are draining fluid and cannot be covered.
- Worsening respiratory virus symptoms (stuffy or runny nose, cough, sore throat) not caused by something else, like allergies.
Specific readmission guidelines include:
- No fever for at least 24 hours (without using fever-reducing medicine – ie Tylenol, Motrin, etc).
- Fever with a new rash has been checked by a doctor and fever is gone.
- Fever with productive cough has been checked by a doctor and fever is gone.
- Open sores are crusted over and under medical treatment.
- Vomiting has resolved overnight, and the child can hold down food/liquids in the morning.
- Diarrhea has improved, no more accidents and no more than two bowel movements above what is ‘normal’ for the child in 24 hours. Bloody diarrhea should be evaluated by a healthcare provider before return.
- Respiratory symptoms are getting better overall for at least 24 hours. Consider additional actions to prevent spreading the illness after return (normally for five days).
Source: Schools | Department of Health | Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Please contact our school health service team if you have questions.
