Sick Day Guidelines

Our main priority is the health of our students and staff. We are encouraging all parents to talk to their children about how infectious diseases can spread and review preventative measures that can reduce their risk of illness. To assist in your decision regarding whether or not to send your child to school, please consider the following recommendations and guidelines.

When to Keep Your Child at Home

Please take your child’s temperature before sending to school if he or she is having symptoms.

Consider keeping your child at home for an extra day of rest and observation if he or she has any of the following symptoms:

• Very stuffy or runny nose and/or cough
• Mild sore throat (no fever or exposure to anyone that has been ill)
• Headache
• Mild stomach pain

Definitely keep your child home for treatment and observation if he or she has any of the following symptoms:

• Fever (greater than 100.4 degrees)
• Vomiting and/or diarrhea
• Loss of taste or smell
• Frequent congested (wet) or croupy cough
• Lots of nasal congestion with frequent blowing of nose
• General malaise or feeling of fatigue, discomfort, weakness, muscle aches or chills.

Preventative Measures

To help prevent illness, please review with your children how an infectious disease can spread.

Diseases are transmitted when an infected person touches and/or exchanges body fluids with someone else by coughing, sneezing or even talking. An infectious agent may linger on an inanimate object such as door knob or faucet and can be transmitted by touching the surface.

We are encouraging the following preventive measures:

• Avoid contact with people who are sick
• Stay at least 6 feet away from others
• Wash your hands often, with soap and water, for at least 20 seconds
• Use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available
• Wear a cloth face cover
• Clean and disinfect often

Should you have any questions, please contact your School Nurse, Beverly Pritchard, BSN, RN at (423) 439-8674 or pritchardb@etsu.edu.