As the CDC shifts recommended guidelines for COVID-19 protocols, schools work to keep up with the latest practices. 

SFHS school nurse Holly Coy has worked with State health officials to keep up with the changes.

At the beginning of the pandemic,  if a student tested positives for COVID, they were asked to quarantine for 14 days. At the beginning of this school year, that was reduced to 10 days. Things continue to be updated as more information becomes available. 

More recently, the CDC has suggested a 5 day quarantine and then, if a person is symptom free, they can resume work or school while wearing a mask in public for another 5 days.

“If the student tests positive for COVID, their parents should call the health office and let us know that they tested positive and we will discuss with the family the different options for how long they need to stay home and whether the option and reasons will be to return after 5 days,” said Coy.

Exposure protocols have also changed. Last year people in classrooms could be quarantined through contact tracing. That meant that if a student was in a classroom with a student who tested positive or rode a bus with them and were within six feet of that person for a prolonged period, they would be asked to quarantine. Those procedures have changed dramatically this year. 

“If the student was exposed to somebody who tested positive for Covid, they should definitely let their parents know,” said Coy. “If they have questions about if they’ve been exposed, there are different answers we can give them based on the exposure.”