PHOENIX – As schools reopen for another year, the focus is on improving student attendance.
But the start of school comes at a time when the number of COVID-19 cases is rising. This raises the question: At what point is a child too sick for school?
School absences skyrocketed during the pandemic and have not yet recovered.
Nearly one in four students is chronically absent, meaning they miss 10% or more of the school year, according to the latest data analyzed by the Associated Press.
One reason for the persistently high absenteeism rate: After years of COVID-19 quarantine, parents are more cautious about sending their children to school if they may have contagious diseases.
When a child is absent from school, even if it is an excused absence such as a sick day, it is more difficult for him or her to maintain academic success.
That’s why schools and health professionals are trying to change the culture around sick days.
They would like to tell parents the following:
COVID guidelines have changed
During the pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urged people who tested positive for COVID-19 to isolate themselves at home for a certain number of days and to quarantine after exposure to the coronavirus.
In some situations, people with mild illnesses have been urged to stay at home until symptoms have subsided.
These standards and the caution underlying them remained in place years after schools reopened for in-person instruction.
This meant that children often missed large portions of school after becoming infected with or exposed to COVID-19 or other diseases.
This spring, COVID-19 guidelines were officially changed.
The CDC now recommends treating COVID-19 like other respiratory illnesses, such as influenza or RSV.
24 hours fever-free
If a child has a fever, he or she should stay home, regardless of the illness.
A child can return to school if his or her fever has gone for 24 hours without fever-reducing medication.
Other symptoms should improve.
What about other symptoms?
According to schools and the American Academy of Pediatrics, a child who does not have a fever can safely be sent to school despite some signs of illness such as a runny nose, headache or cough.
If symptoms do not improve or are severe, such as a dry cough, contact your child’s doctor.
Instructions on how to deal with vomiting and diarrhea vary from school district to school.
According to guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics, students should generally stay home until symptoms stop.
Older children may be able to manage mild diarrhea at school.
“If your child has not had a fever or vomited in the last 24 hours, come to school.
“That’s what we want,” said Abigail Arii, director of student support services in Oakland, California.
According to a Los Angeles Unified School District policy, students with mild symptoms such as a runny nose or cold can attend school, but should stay home if they have vomiting, diarrhea, severe pain, or a fever of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.
Similar policies are in place in school districts across the U.S., including Texas, Illinois and New York.
When should you wear a mask?
According to the CDC, people should take extra precautions for five days after returning to school or other normal activities.
To prevent the spread of disease, wearing masks and maintaining social distancing are no longer mandatory but are recommended.
Experts also recommend washing your hands frequently and ensuring cleaner air, for example by opening windows or turning on an air purifier.
School districts say parents should keep all of their students’ health screenings and immunizations up to date so they don’t miss extra days of school.
