Return after flu

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What are your guidelines for students returning after having the flu? My campus is currently in freakout mode because a student who was diagnosed on Tuesday is here today. However, per their MD note they returned on Tuesday, they could come back to school either yesterday or today or once they are fever free for 24 hours w/out meds. According to parents student had no fever yesterday and is not running a fever today, therefore, they are here. Teachers are panicking due to the cough this student has.

Is there anything else I can do? Technically this student is cleared to come back per MD note (and assuming parents are telling the truth about no fever yesterday), but we're a really small school. It won't take much to make our attendance drop to the point of closure for illness. If you consider the several I've sent home the last 2 days for ILI, I have to say I'm a little on edge too.

Thanks for any help!

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Specializes in school nursing.

A residual cough from an illness can sometimes take weeks to go away. If they are fever free and not coughing to the point where the teacher can't teach, I'd personally let them stay. But use your judgement. Have you talked to his parents this morning?

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.

The exposure has already occurred before the fever showed it's head. As we all know, the cough is going to be present until everything that isn't supposed to be there is cleared. Try not to worry about it too much.

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Specializes in School Nursing.

I forget if you're a public or private. If you're public there isn't much you can do since he's been cleared by an MD, so take a deep germ-free breath once you're outside!

If you're private, the principal can panic and do whatever ?

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1 minute ago, CanIcallmymom said:

A residual cough from an illness can sometimes take weeks to go away. If they are fever free and not coughing to the point where the teacher can't teach, I'd personally let them stay. But use your judgement. Have you talked to his parents this morning?

Just now, OldDude said:

The exposure has already occurred before the fever showed it's head. As we all know, the cough is going to be present until everything that isn't supposed to be there is cleared. Try not to worry about it too much.

Ok great! This is what I've told them already! I think I just needed to hear some reinforcement since I'm getting so much push back right now. I did speak with the student's dad who personally said they were fever free yesterday as well as this morning. My admin assistant checked their temp when they got to school and confirmed there was no fever. I feel confident in my decision to let them stay. I think I just needed someone else to say they agree. Thanks guys!

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2 minutes ago, LikeTheDeadSea said:

I forget if you're a public or private. If you're public there isn't much you can do since he's been cleared by an MD, so take a deep germ-free breath once you're outside!

If you're private, the principal can panic and do whatever ?

We're public!

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Specializes in School Nursing.

Wow- they're in a panic over one case of the flu? It's peaking right now.. you'll likely get a few more.

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13 minutes ago, lifelearningrn said:

Wow- they're in a panic over one case of the flu? It's peaking right now.. you'll likely get a few more.

We have 2 confirmed cases, but several that have been sent home for flu like illness. I won't be surprised at all if more come up. With a campus of only 250 that includes K-12, my admin is a little concerned about the attendance rate. But yep. My teachers are just panicking because "FLU!".

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Both my 13 year-old DS and husband just got over Flu A. It was terrible. DS came down with fever on a Tuesday night and after our appointment when he was diagnosed (Wednesday), the doctor said "he's fine to go back as long as the fever has been gone for 24 hours". That didn't happen until Saturday, unfortunately. My husband came down with it Saturday afternoon and by Monday the fever was gone, so he went back to work Tuesday. This was two weeks ago and both only just stopped coughing.

As a side note, both had flu vaccines in October. DH did Tamiflu but we opted out for DS.

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Specializes in ICU/community health/school nursing.
3 hours ago, KeeperOfTheIceRN said:

My campus is currently in freakout mode because a student who was diagnosed on Tuesday is here today.

THEY'RE DROPPING LIKE FLIES!

Not much to add here. Stay strong. I asked the custodial staff to do a terminal clean of all the rooms....who knows if it helped but it helped the teachers feel better.

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1 hour ago, ruby_jane said:

THEY'RE DROPPING LIKE FLIES!

Not much to add here. Stay strong. I asked the custodial staff to do a terminal clean of all the rooms....who knows if it helped but it helped the teachers feel better.

Hahahaha I have heard this phrase a bagillion times!!!

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Specializes in school nursing.
1 hour ago, KeeperOfTheIceRN said:

Hahahaha I have heard this phrase a bagillion times!!!

That's the phrase we used in the ER to tell our custodial staff.

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