What happens if my child or someone in my family tests positive for COVID-19?
Please alert the school health office if you or anyone in your household tests positive for COVID-19 so we can contact trace, alert potential “close contacts,” and help stop transmission within school and our community. Information will be kept confidential and those notified will only know that they have been identified as a “close contact” of a case and proper protocols to follow. Please keep all members of your household quarantined at home for 14 days or 10 days after symptoms begin and three days without fever.
Will the school have a contact-tracing protocol and inform me if my child has come into contact with a positive case? What is the definition of a positive COVID-19 contact or “close contact?"
Multiple members of our school health team and administration are certified in contact tracing. This will help facilitate rapid contact tracing when needed to decrease transmission and quarantine those potentially affected In accordance with CDC guidelines. If your child has been in close contact with a person with confirmed COVID-19, you will receive a phone call and email notifying you with instructions and protocols that must be followed for your family’s safety. The definition of a “close contact” is that your child was within six feet of a confirmed case for 15 minutes or more. This does not mean that your child has or will contract COVID-19, but due to the potential exposure, and per CDC guidelines, we ask that you quarantine your child at home, talk to your health care provider about testing and start Viewpoint’s remote learning program.
Definition of Positive Contact: Child exposed/close contact (within six feet for 15 minutes or more) of a confirmed COVID-19 positive person two days prior to COVID test or onset of their symptoms. In such a case student must Quarantine at home, and obtain COVID-19 test as soon as possible:
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If COVID-19 positive and no development of symptoms, remain home for 10 days after exposure
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If COVID-19 positive and symptoms, remain home for 10 days since symptoms began and 72 hours without fever
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If COVID-19 negative test, remain home for 14 days or can return earlier if second COVID negative test on day 10 after exposure
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Without COVID-19 test, can return after 14 days, 72 hours fever free and symptoms improving
What is the protocol when a student comes down with virus symptoms while on campus and when can a previously sick child return to school?
When a student presents with a temperature greater than or equal to 100.4 and/or student with any COVID symptoms (such as but not limited to fever, cough, body aches, sore throat, lethargy, etc.) that does not resolve with cooling down for 15 minutes, the student will be isolated until the parent picks up the student. The school recommends that the student see their pediatrician or health care provider as soon as possible.
The student can return to school:
With COVID-19 positive test:
- If no symptoms and 10 days have passed since the date of positive COVID-19 diagnostic test OR If illness symptoms, must be 72 hours fever free with symptoms improving and at least 10 days since symptoms first appeared.
With COVID-19 negative test:
- If negative test on day one, illness symptoms, no alternative diagnosis, must be 72 hours fever free and have negative COVID-19 test on day 10
- If negative test and alternative diagnosis (such as strep throat), 72 hours fever free, improving symptoms and at least 10 days since symptoms first appeared
Without COVID-19 test:
- Can return after 14 days, as long as 10 days since first symptoms, 72 hours fever free, and symptoms improving.
Do we need to get the Influenza Vaccination?
In addition to ensuring that all students are up-to-date on vaccines per California State Law, Viewpoint School is strongly recommending that all students, staff, and faculty receive a flu vaccine. Flu vaccines are critical in decreasing the chance of catching the flu as well as decreasing chance of the serious secondary complications such as pneumonia. It is possible to have COVID-19 and flu, as well as other respiratory illnesses, at the same time. Getting vaccinated for the flu will help decrease respiratory complications, potential co-infections and confusion when a student or staff member in our community becomes sick because symptoms of flu and COVID-19 are similar. It will be hard to tell the difference between both viruses based on symptoms alone, and further testing will be needed to help confirm a diagnosis.