LEISD RESPONSE TO STAFF/STUDENT EXPOSURE:  COVID-19

(Updated December 15, 2020 SY 20-21 Public Health Planning Guidance TEA)

This document refers to “close contact” with an individual who is test-confirmed to have COVID-19. The definition of close contact is evolving with our understanding of COVID-19, and individual scenarios should be determined by an appropriate public health agency. In general, close contact is defined as:

a. being directly exposed to infectious secretions (e.g., being coughed on); or

b. being within 6 feet for a largely uninterrupted or sustained extended contact period throughout the course of a day of approximately 15 minutes; however, additional factors like case/contact masking (i.e., both the infectious individual and the potential close contact have been consistently and properly masked), ventilation, presence of dividers, and case symptomatology may affect this determination.

Either (a) or (b) defines close contact if it occurred during the infectious period of the case, defined as two days prior to symptom onset to 10 days after symptom onset. In the case of asymptomatic individuals who are test-confirmed with COVID-19, the infectious period is defined as two days prior to the confirming lab test and continuing for 10 days following the confirming lab test.

Any individuals who themselves either: (a) are test-confirmed to have COVID-19; or (b) experience the symptoms of COVID-19 (listed below) must stay at home throughout the infection period, and cannot return to campus until the school system screens the individual to determine any of the below conditions for campus re-entry have been met:

• In the case of an individual who was diagnosed with COVID-19, the individual may return to school when all three of the following criteria are met:

i. at least one day (24 hours) has passed since recovery (resolution of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications);

ii. the individual has improvement in symptoms (e.g., cough, shortness of breath); and

iii. at least ten days have passed since symptoms first appeared.

• In the case of an individual who has symptoms that could be COVID-19 and who is not evaluated by a medical professional or tested for COVID-19, such individual is assumed to have COVID-19, and the individual may not return to the campus until the individual has completed the same three-step set of criteria listed above.
• In the case of an individual that is asymptomatic but has received a positive COVID-19 test result, the individual may not return to the campus until ten days have passed since a positive test.
• If the individual has symptoms that could be COVID-19 and wants to return to school before completing the above stay-at-home period, the individual must either (a) obtain a medical professionals’s note clearing the individual for return based on an alternate diagnosis, though for health privacy reasons the note does not need to indicate what the alternative diagnosis is, or (b) obtain an acute infection test (at a physician’s office, approved testing location, or other site) that comes back negative for COVID-19.
• If the individual has tested positive for COVID-19 and believes that the test was a false positive, and wants to return to school before completing the above stay-at-home period, the individual must either (a) obtain a medical professionals’s note clearing the individual for return based on an alternate diagnosis, though for health privacy reasons the note does not need to indicate what the alternative diagnosis is, or (b) obtain two PCR acute infection tests (at a physician’s office, approved testing location, or other site) at least 24 hours apart that come back negative for COVID-19.

As of December 2, 2020, the CDC amended their guidance to allow two shorter options for the stay-at-home period. Based on current CDC guidance, the stay-at-home period can end for individuals experiencing no symptoms:

• 10 days after the last close contact, so long as they continue to monitor themselves daily for symptoms and take appropriate precautions (more consistent mask wearing, eating lunch away from others, etc) through day 14
• 7 days after the last close contact, after receiving a negative test result (administered at least 5 days after the last close contact), so long as they continue to monitor themselves daily for symptoms and take appropriate precautions (more consistent mask wearing, eating lunch away from others, etc) through day 14
• For staff who are necessary to preserve school operations, school systems can choose not to require any stay-at-home period, so long as the affected staff continue to monitor themselves daily for symptoms and take appropriate precautions (more consistent mask wearing, eating lunch away from others, etc) through day 14

SYMPTOMS OF COVID-19:

• FEVER 100.0 OR GREATER
• LOSS OF TASTE/SMELL
• COUGH
• DIFFICULTY BREATHING
• SHORTNESS OF BREATH
• FATIGUE
• HEADACHE
• CHILLS
• SORE THROAT
• CONGESTION OR RUNNY NOSE
• SHAKING OR EXAGGERATED SHIVERING
• SIGNIFICANT MUSCLE PAIN OR ACHE
• DIARRHEA
• NAUSEA OR VOMITING

Bowie County Schools must report to the DSHS Region 4/5N School Task Force. They are a team created to strictly focus on Covid cases in our regions’ school districts.  They are currently assisting school staff by providing mitigation guidance, facilitating school reporting, conducting contact investigations on all school related cases and providing guidance information from both TEA and CDC recommendations

To access FAQs from DSHS click HERE.