Should Your Sick Child Go To School? Paulding Puts Out Guidance

PAULDING COUNTY, GA – The Paulding County School System put out guidance Wednesday on sending a sick child to school.

The following letter is posted to the school's website.

Dear Parents,

One of the challenges we face during the winter months is an increase in illnesses, especially respiratory and viral ailments like the flu. The Centers for Disease Control say this is the worst flu season in nearly a decade. We are seeing an increase in absences for students and staff, but we want to assure you that we are taking precautions to keep our schools as clean and safe as possible, and provide families information on how they can help keep our students healthy.

To prevent the spread of illnesses, we recommend your child stay home from school if experiencing cold or flu symptoms. Please consider the following guidelines.

When making a decision about sending your child to school, it’s best to keep them home if they have any of these symptoms:

• Fever‐greater than 100°F and your child should stay home until at least 24 hours after they no longer have a fever. This should be determined without the use of fever‐reducing medicines (any medicine that contains ibuprofen or acetaminophen).
• Vomiting (even once)
• Diarrhea
• Chills
• General malaise or feelings of fatigue, discomfort, weakness or muscle aches
• Frequent congested (wet) or croup cough
• Continuous thick, colored nasal drainage

To help prevent the flu and other colds, teach your children good hygiene habits:

• Wash hands frequently
• Do not touch eyes, nose or mouth
• Cover mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing. Using a paper tissue, throw it away and then wash hands
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick

Colds and influenza are the most contagious during the first 48 hours. A child who has a fever should remain at home until they are “fever free” for a minimum of 24 hours.

In an effort to prevent the spread of germs in the school, our custodians are taking great care in wiping down hard surfaces like door handles, desks, countertops, phones, water fountains and stair railings. They are using disinfectant products that kill germs and viruses like the flu, and they are wiping down these surfaces frequently.

Our school nurses are contacting parents when they see students with cold and flu-like symptoms. If any situation becomes serious, we will follow established protocols and involve the appropriate health officials.

We will continue to do all that we can to provide a safe, clean and healthy learning environment for our students and staff as we continue to deal with winter illnesses and address any concerns you may have. Thank you for your help in keeping our schools a clean and healthy environment.

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