Nurse Information

The time of year has come when colds and flu present. There has been some reported cases of flu in the Elementary. It is difficult to distinguish between a cold and the flu because the symptoms can be very similar. Colds are usually distinguished by a runny nose and sneezing. However, the flu comes on very quickly, lasts longer, and is much more serious than a cold. Headache, chills, fever, dry cough, and body aches are all symptoms of the flu. The flu is so widely spread due to mode of transmission. The flu is an airborne virus- spread from one person to another by droplets from coughing, sneezing, or even speaking. The following are guidelines to assist you in deciding when to keep your child home from school:

Irritability, decreased appetite, tired, achiness. Changes in a child’s normal behavior can sometimes signal the start of an illness.

Fever of 100 degrees or higher. A child needs to be “fever free” for 24 hours without using fever reducing medication before returning to school.

Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. Please keep your child at home while they are experiencing these symptoms.

Remember, it is an extremely long day for a child who is sent to school ill. Not only is it difficult to concentrate and learn, it is a disruption in the classroom when a student is coughing or blowing their nose. Remaining at home will help minimize the spread of the viruses and infections among the student body.