Deciding when to keep your child home from school is never an easy call. If they’re a little stuffy, should they stay home? What if they’re coughing? Is it allergies? A cold? COVID? It’s enough to make any parent or caregiver’s head spin. <\/p>
“We know that there are many benefits beyond just education in having kids attend school in person, but to safely do that, parents and caregivers need to be aware of what to look for, when to keep kids home and when it’s OK to send them back,” says Dr. Jenna Wheeler<\/a>, a pediatric critical care physician at Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children. “We’re entering flu and respiratory virus season, and it’s important to help prevent the spread of all of these illnesses.”<\/p> “We’re entering flu and respiratory virus season and it’s important to help prevent the spread of all of these illnesses.”<\/p>— Dr. Jenna Wheeler, pediatrician<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure> Not sure when a child should head back into school after they’ve been ill? Here are some general guidelines and recommendations (followed by more detailed information) from Dr. Sara Siddiqui<\/a>, a pediatrician and clinical assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics at NYU Langone’s Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital in New York and Dr. Brandon Smith<\/a>, associate medical director of the Harriet Lane Clinic at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, as well as Wheeler:<\/p> According to Siddiqui, the following are reasons to keep a child home from school:<\/p> “When unsure, call the pediatrician for advice on how to proceed and whether or not a child needs to be evaluated in the office,” Siddiqui adds. <\/p> Read more:<\/strong><\/p>Key takeaways<\/h3>
General recommendations for returning to school after illness*<\/h2>
Symptoms<\/strong><\/th> Keep kids home until they:<\/strong><\/th><\/tr><\/thead> Fever<\/strong><\/td> Have tested negative for COVID and are fever-free without fever-reducing medicine for 24 hours. <\/td><\/tr> Cold or cough<\/strong><\/td> Have been symptom-free, particularly if there’s a fever, for 24 hours.<\/td><\/tr> Vomiting<\/strong><\/td> Feel better, and it’s been 24 hours since the last vomiting episode.<\/td><\/tr> Diarrhea<\/strong><\/td> Haven’t had diarrhea in 24 hours and are feeling better. (If a specific cause of the diarrhea has been diagnosed, they may need to stay out of school longer.)<\/td><\/tr> Rash or hives<\/strong><\/td> Have been fever-free for 24 hours and are released by their pediatrician, as it depends on rash type. <\/td><\/tr> COVID-19<\/strong><\/td> Have been fever-free for 24 hours and 5 days have passed from the onset of symptoms.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table> When should I keep my child home from school?<\/h2>