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WCS Illness Guidelines

Published January 17, 2014

Cold and flu season is in full swing in Middle Tennessee. To prevent the spread of germs and illness, we ask that parents whose children have been sick follow the district's illness guidelines to determine if their child should stay home from school.

If you think that your child might have a fever, please check his/her temperature before sending him/her to school. Your child should not be sent to school until he/she has been fever free for at least 24 hours without taking a fever reducing medication.

Your child cannot come to school for at least 24 hours after a fever, strep, vomiting or diarrhea.

Here are some additional ways to help protect you and your family from the flu and other illnesses this winter.

Handwashing is easy to do, and it's one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of many types of infection and illness in all settings—from your home and workplace to schools and hospitals. Clean hands can stop germs from spreading from one person to another and throughout an entire community.

What is the right way to wash your hands?

  • Wet your hands with clean running water (warm or cold) and apply soap.
  • Rub your hands together to make a lather and scrub them well; be sure to scrub the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
  • Continue rubbing your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the "Happy Birthday" song from beginning to end twice.
  • Rinse your hands well under running water.
  • Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry.

Washing hands with soap and water is the best way to reduce the number of germs on them. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers can quickly reduce the number of germs on hands in some situations, but sanitizers do not eliminate all types of germs.

Additional information can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/