09/27/2021 COVID Family Update

Assumption BVM School

COVID Information and Questions & Answers

September 27, 2021

COVID 19 is a disease caused by a virus called SARS-CoV-2. Most people with COVID-19 have mild symptoms, but some people can become severely ill. Although most people with COVID-19 get better within weeks of illness, some people experience post-COVID conditions. Post-COVID conditions are a wide range of new, returning, or ongoing health problems people can experience more than four weeks after first being infected with the virus that causes COVID-19. Older people and those who have certain underlying medical conditions are more likely to get severely ill from COVID-19. Vaccines against COVID-19 are safe and effective.  ~Taken from CDC website: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/non-us-settings/overview/index.html  

The symptoms of COVID 19 are:

Fever or chills

New cough

Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

Fatigue

Muscle or body aches

Unusual Headache

New loss of taste or smell

Sore throat

New congestion or runny nose

Nausea or vomiting

Diarrhea

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

1.    What do I do if my child is sick?

If your child is not feeling well, please keep them home and contact the office to share their symptoms.  Your child should stay home for 24 hours.  During that time, monitor symptoms and note if symptoms are getting worse or changing.  If symptoms worsen or change, they will need to stay home for 10 days or get tested for COVID.  With a negative test and being symptom-free for 24 hours, they may return to school.  If the COVID test is positive, the student will quarantine for 10 days and be symptom-free for 24 hours before returning to school.  

2.    What do I do if my student tests positive for COVID?

The student will quarantine for 10 days and must be symptom-free for 24 hours before returning to school.  

3.    What do I do if someone in my family (living in the same house) has been tested?

If someone in your family needs to be tested due to close contact or COVID symptoms, keep all students home until the results come back.  We understand in cases this may take up to 2-3 days.  However, staying home will help prevent the spread of the virus in case the result is positive.  If the family member is positive, see question 4.  

4.   What do I do if someone in my family(living in the same house) tests positive for COVID?

If a family member tests positive, please contact school with the date of the test result (with no symptoms) or date the symptoms began.  Keep your student home for 10 days.  To shorten the time away from school, you can have the student tested 3-5 days after the positive result. With a negative test result, they may return to school 7 days after the (the family member’s) positive result.  If the result is positive, the student will quarantine for 10 days and be symptom-free for 24 hours before returning to school.  

 5.  What do I do if my child has been in close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID?

If your child has been told they have been in close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID, please keep them home for 2 days.  Monitor for symptoms.  If symptoms appear, they will need to stay home for 10 days or get tested for COVID.  With a negative test and being symptom-free for 24 hours, they may return to school.  If the COVID test is positive, follow the guidance from your healthcare provider.

6.   What is close contact?

 A close contact is anyone who was within 6 feet of an infected person for a total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period (for example, three individual 5-minute exposures for a total of 15 minutes). An infected person can spread COVID-19 starting from 2 days before they have any symptoms (or, if they are asymptomatic, 2 days before their specimen that tested positive was collected).

7.    What can I do and tell my student to do to prevent COVID?

There are a number of ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19 infection. These include:

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick
  • Remember that some people without symptoms can still spread the virus
• Stay at home when you are sick
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then dispose of it properly
• Use a face covering when physical distancing is difficult or when going into closed spaces
  • Physical distancing should be at least 3 ft.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces
• Perform hand hygiene with soap and water or use alcohol-based hand rub
  • Hand Rub should contain at least 60% alcohol
  • Hand washing should be done for at least 40-60 seconds based on WHO’s recommendations