According to a post on North Cumberland Elementary School’s Facebook page, the school system advises keeping a sick student home to protect others from contracting a virus.  However, it does not advise keeping a healthy child home to prevent that child from being exposed to the flu virus.  This has some parents concerned.  Many parents have requested the school system to close down while sick students recover and others avoid contracting an illness at school.  Several East Tennessee school districts were closed today (Monday) and will remain closed tomorrow to give sick students a chance to recover and hopefully prevent healthy ones from getting the flu, as well as time for the schools to disinfect the rooms.

BELOW IS THE POST FROM THE SCHOOL WHICH INCLUDES SYMPTOMS TO WATCH FOR:

Cumberland County School District works with Cumberland County Department of Public Health to help protect children from spreading communicable diseases. Keeping children home when they are too sick for school protects other students and staff from potential illness. If your child has these symptoms please contact your child’s primary physician for further instructions.

Symptoms that child is too sick for school
If your child has any of the following symptoms, please keep him/her home, or make appropriate childcare arrangements. It will be necessary to pick your student up from school as soon as possible if he/she shows any of the following symptoms at school:
Fever: temperature of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. The child must not have a fever for 24 hours before returning to school without treatment of Tylenol/Ibuprofen or other antipyretics.
Vomiting: child should not return to school for 24 hours following the last episode of vomiting
Lice, scabies: Children may not return to school until they have been treated. Children with scabies can be admitted after treatment.
Diarrhea: more than one watery stool in a 24 hour period, especially if the child acts or looks ill
Chronic cough and/or a runny nose: continual coughing and greenish nose discharge. Conditions may be contagious and may require treatment from your healthcare provider.
Sore throat: especially with fever or swollen glands in the neck
Rash: body rash, especially with fever or itching
Ear infection: with fever. Without fever can attend school, but the child may need medical treatment and follow-up. Untreated ear infections can cause permanent hearing loss.
Eye infection: Eye infection: pink eye (conjunctivitis) or thick mucus or pus draining from eye