COVID-19 and Respiratory Illness Guidance

Maintaining a healthy and safe environment for all students, staff, and visitors remains among the Hawthorne School District's first priorities. Our district continues to adopt and implement various procedures to address COVID-19 and other respiratory virus impacts across all of our sites. We encourage all of our school community members to learn about COVID-19 and take simple actions to help prevent its spread and protect one another from severe illness.

Student Guidance

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has published the COVID-19 and Acute Respiratory Illness (ARI)
Community Guidelines applicable to all persons in general settings. While these guidelines are applicable to all students, additional protection may at times be needed. Additional information can be found on the COVID-19 Community Guidelines page.

To count the days:

● For students with symptoms, Day 0 is the first day of symptoms.
● For students with a positive COVID test who never develop symptoms, Day 0 is the day the first positive test was collected. If symptoms later develop, the new Day 0 is the first day of symptoms.

Student Guidance
Instructions for Students Feeling Sick with Cold, Flu, or COVID-19 Symptoms	Students feeling sick with cold, flu, or COVID-19 symptoms should: Stay home away from others until they have not had a fever for 24 hours (without using fever-reducing medication) and other symptoms are improving. LAC DPH recommends that they test negative before resuming normal activities. COVID-19 can spread quickly, especially when someone feels sick. Wear a well-fitting mask around others while they feel sick. Masks can help prevent spread of germs, including COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses. Get tested. Testing helps make sure they get the right treatment and don't spread germs to others. If they test negative but continue to feel sick, they should test again 48 hours later. If they continue testing negative, consider talking to their doctor about testing for other respiratory pathogens, especially if they are high-risk for severe illness. Avoid contact with high-risk individuals for 10 days after they start feeling sick. This includes the elderly, people who reside temporarily or live in a congregate facility or people who are immunocompromised. Consider getting treatment for COVID-19 or influenza. Talk to their provider about options. When returning to normal activities, it is important to take added precautions such as practicing good hygiene, taking additional steps to improve ventilation, and wearing a well-fitting mask around others for 10 days. This is especially important to protect people at higher risk of getting very sick from respiratory viruses.
Instructions for Students with COVID-19	Parents/guardians are strongly encouraged to notify their child's school regarding a COVID-19 infection so that we can take additional steps to help keep our school community safe. Students who have tested positive for or have been diagnosed with COVID-19 by a healthcare provider should: If they have symptoms: Follow the steps above for students feeling sick with cold, flu, or COVID-19 symptoms. If they do not have symptoms, they do not need to stay home as long as they: Wear a well-fitting mask around others for 10 days after they tested positive. Monitor for symptoms. If they start feeling sick, immediately follow instructions above for students feeling sick with cold, flu, or COVID-19 symptoms. Avoid contact with high-risk individuals for 10 days after they tested positive. Higher risk individuals include the elderly, people who reside temporarily or live in a congregate facility or people who are immunocompromised. When returning to normal activities, take added precautions such as practicing good hygiene, taking additional steps to improve ventilation, and wearing a well-fitting mask around others for 10 days. This is especially important to protect people at higher risk of getting very sick from respiratory viruses. Parents/guardians are strongly encouraged to inform anyone that has been near their child around two days before and while they have felt sick, or were potentially infectious, that they have been exposed. They should follow the instructions for people exposed to COVID-19 located on the LACDPH COVID-19 Community Guidelines webpage.
Instructions for Students Exposed to COVID-19	Students who have been exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID-19 do not need to quarantine and are able to attend school, provided they are not experiencing any symptoms and follow the instructions for people exposed to COVID-19 below. Additional information can be found on the COVID-19 Community Guidelines page. If they are a close contact to someone with COVID-19, students are strongly recommended to adhere to the following guidance: Wear a well-fitting mask around others for 10 days after their last exposure. Since it is possible to be infected without symptoms, exposed individuals could unknowingly spread COVID-19. It's especially important if they have contact with high-risk individuals like people who reside temporarily or live in a congregate facility or people who are immunocompromised. Monitor their health for 10 days after their last exposure. If they start feeling sick, immediately follow instructions above for students feeling sick with cold, flu, or COVID-19 symptoms. Get tested 3-5 days after they were last exposed. If they recently recovered from COVID-19 in the last 90 days, review testing recommendations.

Student Guidance

Instructions for Students Feeling Sick with Cold, Flu, or COVID-19 Symptoms

Students feeling sick with cold, flu, or COVID-19 symptoms should:

Stay home away from others until they have not had a fever for 24 hours (without using fever-reducing medication) and other symptoms are improving. LAC DPH recommends that they test negative before resuming normal activities. COVID-19 can spread quickly, especially when someone feels sick.
Wear a well-fitting mask around others while they feel sick. Masks can help prevent spread of germs, including COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses.
Get tested. Testing helps make sure they get the right treatment and don't spread germs to others. If they test negative but continue to feel sick, they should test again 48 hours later. If they continue testing negative, consider talking to their doctor about testing for other respiratory pathogens, especially if they are high-risk for severe illness.
Avoid contact with high-risk individuals for 10 days after they start feeling sick. This includes the elderly, people who reside temporarily or live in a congregate facility or people who are immunocompromised.
Consider getting treatment for COVID-19 or influenza. Talk to their provider about options.

When returning to normal activities, it is important to take added precautions such as practicing good hygiene, taking additional steps to improve ventilation, and wearing a well-fitting mask around others for 10 days. This is especially important to protect people at higher risk of getting very sick from respiratory viruses.

Instructions for Students with COVID-19

Parents/guardians are strongly encouraged to notify their child's school regarding a COVID-19 infection so that we can take additional steps to help keep our school community safe. Students who have tested positive for or have been diagnosed with COVID-19 by a healthcare provider should:

If they have symptoms:
- Follow the steps above for students feeling sick with cold, flu, or COVID-19 symptoms.
If they do not have symptoms, they do not need to stay home as long as they:
- Wear a well-fitting mask around others for 10 days after they tested positive.
- Monitor for symptoms. If they start feeling sick, immediately follow instructions above for students feeling sick with cold, flu, or COVID-19 symptoms.
- Avoid contact with high-risk individuals for 10 days after they tested positive. Higher risk individuals include the elderly, people who reside temporarily or live in a congregate facility or people who are immunocompromised.

When returning to normal activities, take added precautions such as practicing good hygiene, taking additional steps to improve ventilation, and wearing a well-fitting mask around others for 10 days. This is especially important to protect people at higher risk of getting very sick from respiratory viruses.

Parents/guardians are strongly encouraged to inform anyone that has been near their child around two days before and while they have felt sick, or were potentially infectious, that they have been exposed. They should follow the instructions for people exposed to COVID-19 located on the LACDPH COVID-19 Community Guidelines webpage.

Instructions for Students Exposed to COVID-19

Students who have been exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID-19 do not need to quarantine and are able to attend school, provided they are not experiencing any symptoms and follow the instructions for people exposed to COVID-19 below. Additional information can be found on the COVID-19 Community Guidelines page. If they are a close contact to someone with COVID-19, students are strongly recommended to adhere to the following guidance:

Wear a well-fitting mask around others for 10 days after their last exposure. Since it is possible to be infected without symptoms, exposed individuals could unknowingly spread COVID-19. It's especially important if they have contact with high-risk individuals like people who reside temporarily or live in a congregate facility or people who are immunocompromised.
Monitor their health for 10 days after their last exposure. If they start feeling sick, immediately follow instructions above for students feeling sick with cold, flu, or COVID-19 symptoms.
Get tested 3-5 days after they were last exposed. If they recently recovered from COVID-19 in the last 90 days, review testing recommendations.

Please see COVID-19 Testing for available testing resources and Parent/Student Resources for additional resources in the area. Reach out to your student's school office for any questions or concerns.

Reducing the Risk of Respiratory Illnesses

It is important to know which situations are riskier than others. Respiratory viruses, including the virus that causes COVID-19, spreads more easily in:

Crowded spaces
Closed spaces with poor air flow
Close contact settings especially where people close by are talking, singing, coughing, shouting, sneezing, or breathing heavily

Los Angeles County Department of Public Health collects information on indicators of COVID-19, influenza, and Respiratory Syncytial Virus activity year-round. These indicators track the intensity, spread, and temporal trends of viral respiratory illness in LA County. Knowing the current local activity of respiratory viruses may help you in deciding which protective measures to take, especially for those who are or those who spend time with people at high risk for severe disease.

	Getting vaccinated is the best way to prevent severe illness. Safe, updated immunizations are available for all three respiratory virus diseases. Visit ph.lacounty.gov/ip for more information and to find a location near you. The Public Health InfoLine is open seven days a week from 8am to 8pm at1-833-540-0473. Information is also available in many languages 24/7 by calling 2-1-1.
	Stay home when sick. If you have any symptoms of respiratory illness, stay away from others until you feel better.
	Test for COVID-19 if: You are sick with cough, cold, flu, or COVID-19 symptoms, OR Have been exposed, especially if you or someone you have contact with are at high risk for severe disease. Consider testing for flu in addition to COVID-19 if you are at high risk of severe illness. If you test positive for COVID-19, follow Community Guidelines.
	Talk to your healthcare provider about possible treatment if you think you have COVID-19, even if your symptoms are mild. Treatment can prevent you from getting very sick but should be started soon after your symptoms begin. Plan ahead to avoid delays: Visit ph.lacounty.gov/covidmedicines to learn how you can get medicine if you get COVID symptoms.
	Wear a mask that fits and filters well. You should mask when you feel sick, have been exposed to someone who is sick, or when community risk is higher. See ph.lacounty.gov/masks for more information on the types of masks and when they must be worn in Los Angeles County.
	Improve ventilation (air flow). Open windows and doors, use fans and portable air cleaners, run heating and air, and upgrade filters. When possible, choose outdoor spaces for group activities. For more information see the CDC webpage Improving Ventilation in Your Home.
	Practice good everyday hygiene, like washing your hands and covering your coughs and sneezes. Washing your hands is one of the best ways to avoid getting sick and spreading germs that cause respiratory illnesses and diarrhea.

Adapted from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health's Respiratory Viruses webpage. Additional information can be found by visiting the CDC's How to Protect Yourself and Others webpage.