CDC Releases Updated Guidelines for Reopening Schools

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have released new guidelines for reopening schools, and authorities said parents should take the initiative in working to prevent COVID-19 from affecting schools.

The CDC also released a checklist that includes some homework for parents and a summary of what should happen if students get sick at school.

In it, he says that parents should check their children every day for symptoms.

While the guidelines do not recommend that schools conduct universal assessments, officials strongly recommend that families check students for signs of illness every day before sending them out the door. Students who are ill should NOT go to school, and that includes if your child has a temperature of 100.4 degrees or more.

Other symptoms may include:

• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Fatigue
• Muscle or body aches.
• Headache
• New loss of taste or odor.
• Sore throat
• Stuffy or runny nose
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea

If you have those symptoms, contact your school. Another recommendation: Parents should make sure their children know how to wash their hands properly and when to wash.

The CDC especially said before and after eating, sneezing, coughing, and adjusting a face covering.

Talk to your child about precautions to take at school, including:

• Wash and disinfect hands more frequently.
• Maintain physical distance from others.
• Use a cloth that covers the face
• Avoid sharing objects with other students.
• Use gel alcohol

He also recommends making sure your information is up to date at school, including emergency contacts, that you are up to date with all recommended vaccinations, and that you have transportation plans.

Parents should also be familiar with the COVID-19 test sites in case their child develops symptoms.

In the event that a student develops symptoms of COVID-19 while at school, the CDC said the student should be placed in isolation, then sent home or taken to a health facility.

While a single case of COVID-19 in one school probably does not warrant closing the entire school, the CDC said that if the transmission of the virus within a school is greater than that of the community, or if the school is the source of an outbreak, administrators should work with health officials to determine if the temporary closure of the school is necessary.

Authorities said parents should also have multiple masks, labeled with a permanent marker, and children should practice putting on and taking off without touching the fabric.

Since the school experience will be very different from the previous one, the CDC recommends talking to your child and explaining that all of these steps are being taken to keep everyone safe and healthy. It also provides information on stress and coping skills during the COVID-19 pandemic.