Revised 8.8.2024
McGuffey’s protocols are based on current government recommendations and on the judgment and assessment of the Head of School and staff in the classrooms. Please note the revision date above. Parents will be informed by email when there are substantive edits to the page.
The following is per CDC guidance covering any respiratory illnesses including Covid, RSV, and Influenza.
Phase One
If a student or staff member is sick with respiratory virus symptoms, they will stay home. These symptoms can include fever, chills, fatigue, cough, runny nose, and headache, among others.
- Students and staff may return to school when, for at least 24 hours, both are true:
- Symptoms are improving overall (see notes), and
- Fever has dissipated (without the use of fever-reducing medication).
- Notes
- A fever is not always present so attention will be paid to other symptoms.
- Improving is when a person no longer feels ill; they can do their daily routine just as they did before they were ill, and any remaining symptoms are very mild or infrequent.
- Severity of symptoms is loosely connected to contagiousness.
Phase Two
When returning to school, precautions over the next five days will be added including hygiene, masks, and/or testing.
- People may still be able to spread the virus that made them sick, even when they are feeling better.
- If a fever develops or symptoms worsen after returning to school, students and staff members will again stay home as instructed in Phase One.
Example 1: Person with fever and symptoms.
Example 2: Person with fever but no other symptoms.
Example 3: Person with fever and other symptoms, fever ends but other symptoms take longer to improve.
Example 4: Person gets better and then gets a fever.
If you never had symptoms but tested positive for a respiratory virus, you may be contagious. For the next five days: take added precautions, such as taking additional steps for cleaner air, hygiene, masks, physical distancing, and testing when you will be around other people indoors.
CDC Guidance on Covid Testing
- Plan in advance of any illness so you can be ready to get tested quickly. Have enough tests and masks on hand for your entire household.
- Antigen tests can be used for screening before gathering with others, especially to help protect people in your life who have risk factors for severe illness. However, false negatives are possible; false positives are uncommon.
FDA Guidance on Covid Testing
| If you tested negative with an at-home antigen test and you: | Then |
| Have COVID-19 symptoms AND were exposed | Assume you have COVID-19 and your initial test did not detect the virus. Take public health precautions to prevent spreading an illness to others and take recommended steps after exposure. Test again after 48 hours. Consider getting a laboratory-based molecular COVID-19 test or call your healthcare provider. |
| Have COVID-19 symptoms and no known exposure | You could still have COVID-19 and your initial test did not detect the virus, or you may have another illness. Take public health precautions to prevent spreading an illness to others. Test again after 48 hours. Consider getting a laboratory-based molecular COVID-19 test or call your healthcare provider. |
| Do not have COVID-19 symptoms but WERE exposed | You could still have COVID-19 and your initial test did not detect the virus. Take recommended steps after exposure. Test again after 48 hours, and again 48 hours after a second negative test, for a total of 3 tests over 5 days. Consider getting a laboratory-based molecular COVID-19 test or call your healthcare provider. Continue to take public health precautions to reduce your risk of getting COVID-19. |
| Do not have COVID-19 symptoms and no known exposure | It is unlikely you have COVID-19, but you should still test again after 48 hours, and again 48 hours after a second negative test, for a total of 3 tests over 5 days. Continue to take public health precautions to reduce your risk of getting COVID-19. |
