Parents and guardians can use these symptom checklists to determine when to keep their child at home based on the level of COVID-19 transmission in their community (e.g. Is the community in Protect Your Neighbor or Safer at Home or Stay at Home). School staff can also use this tool to determine if they need to stay at home. Any student or staff diagnosed with COVID-19 or who is a close contact of a COVID-19 case should not go to school and should isolate or quarantine according to public health recommendations.
These lists refer only to new symptoms or a change in usual symptoms. A student/ staff should not be kept home for usual symptoms they experience due to a chronic condition unless they are worse than usual. These guidelines are in addition to your regular school guidance (for example, a child with vomiting should also not attend school based on usual school guidance).
If your child is/ you are experiencing any potentially life-threatening symptoms please call 911.
Low Community Transmission (Protect Your Neighbors):
If any of the following symptoms are present, keep the child at home/ stay at home, inform the school of symptoms, and reach out to a health care provider about COVID-19 testing and next steps for treatment.
❏ Feeling feverish, having chills, or temperature 100.4°F or higher.
❏ New or unexplained persistent cough.
❏ Shortness of breath.
❏ Difficulty breathing.
❏ Loss of taste or smell.
Sustained Community Transmission (Safer at Home or Stay at Home):
If any of the following symptoms are present, keep the child at home/ stay at home, inform the school of symptoms, and reach out to a health care provider about COVID-19 testing and next steps for treatment.
❏ Feeling feverish, having chills, or temperature 100.4°F or higher.
❏ New or unexplained persistent cough.
❏ Shortness of breath.
❏ Difficulty breathing.
❏ Loss of taste or smell.
❏ Fatigue.
❏ Muscle aches.
❏ Headache.
❏ Sore throat.
❏ Nausea or vomiting.
❏ Diarrhea.
❏ Runny nose or congestion.
