Mountainside School District Respiratory Illness/COVID Protocols

April 22, 2024

Dear Parents/Guardians:

As you may be aware the CDC has changed the COVID-19 guidelines.  In addition, the NJDOH just released updated respiratory virus guidelines for K-12 schools. After receipt and consideration of this information, the Mountainside School District is adjusting our protocols to reflect these changes and recommendations. While COVID-19 remains a concern, its threat has lessened and this guidance offers a unified approach to preventing the spread of common viruses like COVID-19, influenza and RSV. Since these viruses share transmission methods, symptoms, and prevention strategies, below are clear steps for exclusion and prevention to limit the spread when students or staff are ill, regardless of the specific virus.

Exclusion and Preventing Transmission: Students and staff with symptoms of any respiratory virus should stay home and away from others until:

• The individual is fever free for 24 hours without fever reducing medication AND
• Symptoms are improving, which means the individual is no longer feeling ill and able to participate in school and other activities as they did before they were ill.
• There is no longer a set time for staff or students to be absent when testing positive for COVID-19. It’s all based on symptoms.

Students and staff can return to school once they meet the indicators above, but are highly recommended to take additional precautions for the next five days when they are around other people indoors. These precautions include:

• Wearing a well fitting mask
• Practicing good hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette 
• Physical distancing when around other people

*Symptoms of a respiratory virus can include: fever, chills, fatigue, cough, runny nose, headache, chest discomfort, sore throat, muscle and body aches.

The following link provides examples of scenarios that may occur: https://www.cdc.gov/respiratory-viruses/prevention/precautions-when-sick.html