S/O Coronavirus School Closing considered in your area?

[Disneylover99]

Our board’s year round policy is that students can/will be sent home if they have a fever. And they should be fever free for at least 24 hours before returning.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Our board’s year round policy is that students can/will be sent home if they have a fever. And they should be fever free for at least 24 hours before returning.

I think that's pretty standard in basically all schools.

What we were talking about was the idea that anyone with the appearance of being sick being sent home even with just a cough for example. Hard to be in the spot the schools are in but I would hope they would at least do testing too. Can you imagine me an allergy sufferer being sent home for 2 weeks (or more I guess depending on the procedure) because of that? And what if I return and I'm fine for a while then get a cough again because of the mucus and phlegm am I sent home again. Repeat that til the end of the school year I guess.

 

[Disneylover99]

I think that's pretty standard in basically all schools.

What we were talking about was the idea that anyone with the appearance of being sick being sent home even with just a cough for example. Hard to be in the spot the schools are in but I would hope they would at least do testing too. Can you imagine me an allergy sufferer being sent home for 2 weeks (or more I guess depending on the procedure) because of that? And what if I return and I'm fine for a while then get a cough again because of the mucus and phlegm am I sent home again. Repeat that til the end of the school year I guess.

I only mentioned fever, but the policy states students should stay home when they have fever, cough, vomiting, and or diarrhea. It doesn’t state the reason for the cough. We will send students home who are coughing non-stop, but we use discretion. Obviously someone who suffers from allergies is not going to be sent home, unless of course they are coughing non-stop.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I only mentioned fever, but the policy states students should stay home when they have fever, cough, vomiting, and or diarrhea. It doesn’t state the reason for the cough. We will send students home who are coughing non-stop, but we use discretion. Obviously someone who suffers from allergies is not going to be sent home, unless of course they are coughing non-stop.

That makes at least a bit more sense allows room for normal issues. Sometimes I get coughing fits where I cough a lot in a row but I wouldn't be coughing non-stop throughout the day. Coughs here and there for sure though.

But if you see me cough I think that would be a bit much to send me immediately home and keep me home especially for 14 days (if that's what they are doing) without something else being looked at. If someone presents with a fever, cough and shortness of breath together that would be more cause for concern (if you have a fever that would fall under normal policy anyways) than "hey I heard you cough some" kind of thing.

 

[Farro]

I think that's pretty standard in basically all schools.

What we were talking about was the idea that anyone with the appearance of being sick being sent home even with just a cough for example. Hard to be in the spot the schools are in but I would hope they would at least do testing too. Can you imagine me an allergy sufferer being sent home for 2 weeks (or more I guess depending on the procedure) because of that? And what if I return and I'm fine for a while then get a cough again because of the mucus and phlegm am I sent home again. Repeat that til the end of the school year I guess.

I don't think anyone mentioned being sent home for two weeks...

This is what was reported and seems reasonable to me in light of the current situation:

CPS Chief Health Officer Kenneth Fox and CDPH Commissioner Allison Arwady urged staff or students who have traveled anywhere that has experienced an outbreak to stay home for 14 days after they return.
Anyone who’s sick should call a doctor and stay home from school, and student absences will be marked excused, Fox and Arwady said in the letter. If a student goes to school sick, their parent or guardian will be called immediately to schedule a pick-up.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I don't think anyone mentioned being sent home for two weeks...

If you're being sent home because you present symptoms of the virus what good would it do to go against what every single other entity out there is doing which is self-isolate for 14 days?

Now if they tested you, which is what I mentioned I feel they should be doing if they are going to send you home, that might adjust that self-isolation and put you more on a monitoring thing.

Being sent home because you have a fever any other day is different than being sent home with the explanation that it's being connected to a virus with presently a 14 day isolation period. I guess what I'm saying is you can't have it both ways. Either you're sent home because you have the appearance of being just sick or you're being sent home because you have the appearance of being sick with the coronavirus in which case what happens after will differ.

FWIW I'd feel the same way if it happens in my area. It's not as if the schools have the perfect solution (it ain't easy being in their positions right now) but I wouldn't advocate for going to the other extreme.

 

[Farro]

If you're being sent home because you present symptoms of the virus what good would it do to go against what every single other entity out there is doing which is self-isolate for 14 days?

Now if they tested you, which is what I mentioned I feel they should be doing if they are going to send you home, that might adjust that self-isolation and put you more on a monitoring thing.

Being sent home because you have a fever any other day is different than being sent home with the explanation that it's being connected to a virus with presently a 14 day isolation period. I guess what I'm saying is you can't have it both ways. Either you're sent home because you have the appearance of being justg sick or you're being sent home because you have the appearance of being sick with the coronavirus in which case what happens after will differ.

FWIW I'd feel the same way if it happens in my area. It's not as if the schools have the perfect solutions but I wouldn't advocate for going to the other extreme.

Again, call Chicago Public Schools. I'm sure they'd love to discuss it!

 

[DLgal]

My son has a persistent allergy cough every day, sometimes all day. He is a high school sophomore. All his teachers and the school nurse are aware that it's just allergies. We have all agreed that unless he has OTHER symptoms of illness (fever, sore throat, vomiting, headache), he will be left alone.

I imagine that most students with known allergies won't be sent home. My son would literally never be in school if he couldn't be there with a cough.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Again, call Chicago Public Schools. I'm sure they'd love to discuss it!

Ah..I see you bring it up, we're not allowed to discuss. Gotcha

 

[Farro]

Ah..I see you bring it up, we're not allowed to discuss. Gotcha

Never change, Click-Mickelson, never change.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Never change, Click-Mickelson, never change.

Nah where would be the fun in that

 

[DopeyDame]

If you're being sent home because you present symptoms of the virus what good would it do to go against what every single other entity out there is doing which is self-isolate for 14 days?

Now if they tested you, which is what I mentioned I feel they should be doing if they are going to send you home, that might adjust that self-isolation and put you more on a monitoring thing.

Being sent home because you have a fever any other day is different than being sent home with the explanation that it's being connected to a virus with presently a 14 day isolation period. I guess what I'm saying is you can't have it both ways. Either you're sent home because you have the appearance of being just sick or you're being sent home because you have the appearance of being sick with the coronavirus in which case what happens after will differ.

FWIW I'd feel the same way if it happens in my area. It's not as if the schools have the perfect solution (it ain't easy being in their positions right now) but I wouldn't advocate for going to the other extreme.

Tested you for what? School health aids (because very few schools have actual RNs on site all day) can't even do a normal flu test, they certainly don't have access to coronavirus testing.
So they have a thermometer. Schools already send kids home with a fever. But now it sounds like some districts are going to send kids home even without a fever.
But there's no testing they can easily do to send kids home or not.

 

[Disneylover99]

If you're being sent home because you present symptoms of the virus what good would it do to go against what every single other entity out there is doing which is self-isolate for 14 days?

Now if they tested you, which is what I mentioned I feel they should be doing if they are going to send you home, that might adjust that self-isolation and put you more on a monitoring thing.

Being sent home because you have a fever any other day is different than being sent home with the explanation that it's being connected to a virus with presently a 14 day isolation period. I guess what I'm saying is you can't have it both ways. Either you're sent home because you have the appearance of being just sick or you're being sent home because you have the appearance of being sick with the coronavirus in which case what happens after will differ.

FWIW I'd feel the same way if it happens in my area. It's not as if the schools have the perfect solution (it ain't easy being in their positions right now) but I wouldn't advocate for going to the other extreme.

Are there school nurses in all the schools in the States? We don’t have them in our Province. If a child is sick, their parents get called and somebody needs to pick them up immediately. There is nobody at school to assess them.

 

[DopeyDame]

Are there school nurses in all the schools in the States? We don’t have them in our Province. If a child is sick, their parents get called and somebody needs to pick them up immediately. There is nobody at school to assess them.

No. Definitely not school nurses in most schools in the US.
In our district, each school has a nurse assigned to it. That nurse usually has a caseload of 4 or 5 schools, depending on the size of the schools. She's responsible for working on 504 plans, doing whatever teacher training is necessary for medically fragile/complicated kids, reviewing health forms. She's also the person that called me ad-nauseum when their was a paperwork problem with my DD's vaccine list. Except for kids who have specific, chronic medical issues, nurses in our district do very little student-interaction.
We also have a health aid. She's not an RN, or even an LPN or anything. She's the one that will take a temperature and call mom as needed. She's usually in the building, but there's no backup, so if she has a meeting or is sick or whatever, we have the secretary at the front desk.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Tested you for what? School health aids (because very few schools have actual RNs on site all day) can't even do a normal flu test, they certainly don't have access to coronavirus testing.
So they have a thermometer. Schools already send kids home with a fever. But now it sounds like some districts are going to send kids home even without a fever.
But there's no testing they can easily do to send kids home or not.

I'm thinking if you're sent home for concerns over Coronavirus the health department, maybe moreso right now when it's still very new, should be involved in which case they can be doing the testing (CDC or whoever you know what I mean). That's one of the reasons I actually think it may be over the top because of resources. Even then you can turn up positive later so you would want to be monitored. I'm only saying this because the conversation was "if you show any symptoms of the virus" not that you appear to have a cough, or have a fever or whatever. It's being connected to something not being considered an everyday policy type thing.

I say this without fully knowing if my husband's company would be doing the same with anyone who is told to self-isolate but they are a private business using different criteria than what the PP mentioned the schools are doing. His work is international travel and specific international places at this point for restrictions. Showing up with a cough isn't going to get you sent home or told to work from home. The two people at his competitor's place that are on self-isolation are being monitored by the health department.

I think that's why schools have to tread carefully in their decision making especially when it's purely symptoms without known exposure. It's a drain on many other things--childcare, food, federal funding for schools, and many other things. It's all very new so I can't blame anyone for trying to be cautious but it doesn't mean I don't think going to an extreme is the thing to do either.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Are there school nurses in all the schools in the States? We don’t have them in our Province. If a child is sick, their parents get called and somebody needs to pick them up immediately. There is nobody at school to assess them.

It depends on the district and the schools. A lot can come down to resources available in one's area.

I always had a nurse in every school who did basic things (I couldn't tell you their credientials as it's been way too long nor did I pay attention to that when in school). I went to the nurse for a variety of things. There were times where one of my parents couldn't pick me up from school say if I had a fever or was feeling really ill or vomiting, etc so I would wait it out in the nurses office until they could. My mom wasn't able to just drop everything all the time nor could my dad. Sometimes I just needed to rest maybe because of a headache (more common for those who had migraines) or menstrual cramp issues and needed pain relievers or whatnot. There was usually a room or two where there was a bed (not like an actual bed but ones you see in exam rooms) that one could lie down on and the lights could be turned off. Now these days it may be different in respects to it.

 

[Disneylover99]

No. Definitely not school nurses in most schools in the US.
In our district, each school has a nurse assigned to it. That nurse usually has a caseload of 4 or 5 schools, depending on the size of the schools. She's responsible for working on 504 plans, doing whatever teacher training is necessary for medically fragile/complicated kids, reviewing health forms. She's also the person that called me ad-nauseum when their was a paperwork problem with my DD's vaccine list. Except for kids who have specific, chronic medical issues, nurses in our district do very little student-interaction.
We also have a health aid. She's not an RN, or even an LPN or anything. She's the one that will take a temperature and call mom as needed. She's usually in the building, but there's no backup, so if she has a meeting or is sick or whatever, we have the secretary at the front desk.

As far as I know, there are no nurses even hired by our board any more, let alone assigned to any school. Our temperature taking consists of the teacher feeling a child’s forehead. Lol.

 

[Music City Mama]

I skimmed right by this thread the other day, but can now add to it, unfortunately. The first case of coronavirus in TN is in my county -- and our entire school system (which is pretty big) is shutting down for a couple of days for a deep cleaning. I can only assume the person (a 44 year old male who traveled out-of-state recently, not internationally) has a kid in one of the schools and they can't say which, so they just close all of them for this.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Our temperature taking consists of the teacher feeling a child’s forehead. Lol.

I think I would be terrible at that lol. I'm awful judge of my own temp when I try without a thermometer.

I did go ahead and look at the school district I'm assigned in and the statement is "Each school in the _____ Public Schools has a full-time nurse on hand. School nurses provide valuable services, including emergency care, medication dispensation, and health screenings. School nurses solicit cooperation with parents to uphold the following policies and procedures, which are for the protection of each and every student in the school."

I just looked up the school district I grew up in (which borders the one being spoken about above) and the statement is "_____ _____ School District has a Registered Nurse assigned to each school."

The next big school district in my area their statement is: "School health services are provided through school nurses at each school. Their goal is to promote the health and safety of students by helping them acquire health knowledge and by responding directly to students' health needs."

We're in a metro though--most of it IMO is going to come back to whether you have the resources or not to have school nurses at every school, or even a school nurse versus just someone who is more an assistant. Def. appears to be different than your Province where the school nurse just isn't there as a matter of norm.

 

[Disneylover99]

I think I would be terrible at that lol. I'm awful judge of my own temp when I try without a thermometer.

You get used to it. Usually, you can take one look at them and know when they’re sick anyways. They‘re often sleepy and lethargic when they’re feverish and they have “sick eyes”. Not a very professional medical diagnosis, but that’s what we call it. Lol.