Health, Safety and Sickness Protocols

Step 1 | Symptom check : Does your child have any of these symptoms?

• Fevers or chills OR a temperature 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or higher
• Sore throat
• New uncontrolled cough that causes difficulty breathing (for students with chronic allergic/ asthmatic cough, a change in their cough from baseline)
• Diarrhea, vomiting, or abdominal pain
• New onset of severe headache, especially with a fever
• Runny nose

Answer yes if the symptom is NEW or DIFFERENT from how your child usually is, or is UNEXPLAINED. Trust your judgement. You know best how your child looks and acts when they are getting sick.

Please note that the CDC website provides a slightly different list of symptoms.

Step 2: Fever check

If your child does not have symptoms, and if the program is choosing to check temperatures, they will take your child’s temperature to check for fever. Some programs may ask you to take your child’s temperature with a thermometer yourself instead. A fever is a temperature over 100.4o F when you take your child’s temperature at home or at the program.

Important Note | Visual Check (SFPDH Guidance | Schools, Childcares, and Programs for Children and Youth) 

The visual check allows LFSF to send a child home if the child looks ill when they arrive, even if the parent or guardian says the child has no symptoms. Look at the child or youth for signs of illness like flushed cheeks, difficulty breathing, fatigue, or extreme fussiness. If the child is flushed or breathing rapidly from heat or exercise, give them time to cool down, then see if they still look ill.

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[Source: SFDPH Guidance | For Parents and Guardians: COVID-19 Health Checks at Schools, Childcares, and Programs for Children and Youth]

 

Call your doctor.

If your child does not have a regular doctor or clinic: contact the clinic on your child’s health insurance card.

If your child has Medi-Cal: call the clinic on their SFHP or Anthem Blue Cross card. Tell them your child is assigned to the clinic, and they need a COVID-19 test to return to childcare or camp.

If your child does not have health insurance or a regular doctor call:

•  SFDPH New Patient Appointment Call Center for COVID-19 at 415-682-1740
• Mission Neighborhood Health Center at 415-552-3870 x2217

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[Source: SFDPH Guidance | For Parents and Guardians: COVID-19 Health Checks at Schools, Childcares, and Programs for Children and Youth]

If your child gets tested, they can return after:

• A negative COVID-19 test

AND

• 24 hours with no fever, without taking medicines to lower a fever, like acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin),

AND

• Symptoms have improved.

The symptoms do not have to be completely better.

You must show proof of your child’s negative test, for example, the test result or a message from your clinic or test site that the test was negative.

When your child gets tested, let the clinic or test site know that you will need this. This is usually the fastest way for your child to return to their program.

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If your child is not tested, they can return after:

• 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared

AND

• Symptoms improved

AND

• 24 hours with no fever, without taking medicines to lower a fever, like acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin).

 

Exceptions: Doctor’s Note or Clinic Note
Sometimes a child’s symptoms are clearly due to another cause, such as strep throat or hand-foot-andmouth disease. In this situation, the provider may clear a child to return to camp or childcare. This does not mean that the child does not have COVID-19. Many children with COVID-19 do not have any symptoms. It only means that a definitive cause other than COVID-19 was found for the symptoms that kept the child out of the program. If you have a note from a doctor or clinic saying that the child may return sooner, the program should accept the note, even if your child was not tested for COVID-19. The note may be an email, electronic message or part of an after-visit summary. This is not common.

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[Source : SFDPH Guidance | For Parents and Guardians: COVID-19 Health Checks at Schools, Childcares, and Programs for Children and Youth]