I am often asked by parents and staff what parameters I use to send a student home who has a cold and/or cough. In the winter season, here in Vermont, if all students and staff stayed home when they had the sniffles or a tickle in the back of their throat, we would not see each other until spring. Therefore, these are the general guidelines that I use.

As long as a student can manage their cough and secretions they can stay at school. What does this look like? The student coughs and sneezes into their elbow. The student uses a tissue to blow their nose, throws the tissue in the trash and immediately washes their hands. If the student coughs or sneezes into their hands, they wash their hands immediately.

If a student is not managing the cough and secretions (even after being taught how to, and this includes washing hands fairly independently), then I would consider sending them home, depending on how bad the cough and secretions are. Sharing of some germs is inevitable in life. But, if the sharing is beyond the norm, then it may be a good time to deal with the germs at home where we can keep from spreading them further in public.

Sometimes, no matter how well a student is managing their coughs and colds, they are miserable and unable to attend in class because of the frequent use of tissues and hand washing or frequent coughing, that it makes more sense to be at home where they can rest up and come back to school in the next day or so.

Sincerely,

Nurse Kristen

kristen.taylor@cesuvt.org

899-4680