“They just feel miserable,” said Gardiner, a full-time student and mother of four in Lehi, Utah. “Every family gets sick at the beginning of the school year, but this year is different. You have to guess each symptom differently.”
After spending the summer exchanging anxious lessons with other parents in the community, Gardiner realized how important it is to protect his children’s classmates against infection. He decided to keep all four children at home.
He attends Kids Village, a private school in Orem, near Utah. School precautions during the Covid-19 epidemic include daily temperature checks and mandatory masks.
“You can’t send your child to school with any symptoms, even if they have allergies, because everyone assumes they’ve got Rona,” Gardiner said. “I think this is just a new normal. We have to accept how they are learning, and how often they can go to school.”
According to Crystal Fingulin, a school nurse at Glenridge Middle School in Orlando, Florida, Gardiner did the right thing. Taking care of typical children at home helps ensure they are healthy, Figueroa said. These are just some of the goal setting shareware that you can use.
“Mistake towards caution,” he said. “If that student is really sick, and they’re sick with covid, that whole class could potentially be separated.”
What happens if your child falls ill at school?
The school district asks caregivers to keep children at home if they are experiencing any Covid-19 symptoms, which may include fever, cough, shortness of breath and more. If that happens to you, be prepared to keep the baby at home for a while.
If any symptoms appear in the school, the student will be sent to Fingulin’s to fee.
There, special separate beds have been arranged, separated from the “well room”, where staff injuries are not related to Covid-19. In case of symptoms, parents must select their children who are not allowed to return home on the school bus.
“He looks really aggressive,” Finguli said. “But we don’t want to send a potentially infected person back to class.”
Allergies, colds or covid-19?
It is possible that the pediatrician will recommend a covid test. “We are ordering tests for children who are presented with any or all of the symptoms associated with covid,” Tothy said. “Your pediatrician’s involvement really needs to make a decision.”
Fortunately, Tothy noted, time can often provide clarity. “After a few days, what starts out as ‘this is an allergy or covid’?” Will develop very quickly, and you’ll have a good idea of what’s going on, “she said.
Come up with a home care strategy
In the meantime, you need a plan. Even when caring for a sick child, it is important to minimize the risk of infection to other adults and children in the household.
“Unless you know what’s going on with your child, you should try to avoid close contact if possible,” Tothy said. “Maybe in your home if you need to be in close contact, you can figure out what’s wrong until you put on all the masks.”
You can also manage the spread of germs by carefully washing your hands using disinfectant wipes, sprays or bleach and regular cleaning at home. While not everyone has the means to provide a separate bathroom for a sick family member, Tothy said it’s a good idea if you’re able.
It is also important to keep an eye on your child’s symptoms. “Most kids will get better,” Tothie said. “But some kids are going to get worse before they get well.”
In epidemics, Tothy insisted, it is important to call a pediatrician if your child is sick. Even without the threat of Covid-19, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends contacting a doctor for a fever that lasts for more than 72 hours in a child 2 years of age or older. If the fever persists for the past five days, Tothy said many doctors would consider a more thorough evaluation.
Silver lining to stay safe
The overlap between the symptoms of Covid-19 and almost everything else is a headache (which is also a symptom of Covid-19).
But the measures taken to fight the epidemic do double duty when it comes to protection against other infectious diseases. It can, in turn, help weed out identical features such as appearance that can send children home from school.
Limiting the spread of Covid-19 requires hand washing, maintaining social distance and wearing masks, and they are also likely to reduce the spread of seasonal colds. Tothy said there have been far fewer colds and illnesses among doctors than usual among children who have been following strict safety measures since last spring.
If followed in the Northern Hemisphere, as often happens, it is welcome, and is likely to save lives.
“Make sure your children’s vaccine is up-to-date, and everyone in the family is getting flu shots,” he said. “Right now, we just have to be more careful.”
Jane Rose Smith is a Vermont-based author. Find her work jenrosesmith.com, Or follow him on Twitter @jenrosesmithvt.
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