Nurse Updates

Dear Families,

We hope you have a happy and healthy holiday break!

As we return from break, please remind your child(ren) to wash hands and cover coughs/sneezes with the inside of their elbow to help reduce the spread of any illnesses.

Thank you for your help in keeping our schools healthy!

Below you will find information on the following:

• Health Topics
• Strep Throat
• Blood Donations (January is National Blood Donor Month)
• Tdap and Flu Vaccines
• Illness Protocol
• COVID Guidance
• Medications at School
• Stock Medications at Middle School and High School
• Our Health Staff

Thank you!

Nicole Wollert

District Nurse

nicole.wollert@westfieldpioneers.org

There has been an increase in strep throat over the past few weeks. Here is some general information about strep throat.

Strep throat is caused by bacterial infection from the bacteria Streptococcus pyogenes.

• Spread/Transmission: through inhalation of respiratory droplets from an infected person or through shared food/drinks; also from touching surfaces with the bacteria and then touching your nose, mouth, or eyes.
• Typical Symptoms: throat pain, painful swallowing, fever, headache, red/swollen tonsils sometimes with white patches/streaks of pus, tiny red spots on the back of the roof of the mouth, swollen/tender lymph nodes in your neck, nausea or vomiting, body aches, and rash.
• Treatment: antibiotics to reduce the duration and severity of symptoms.
• Prevention: wash your hands, cover mouth when coughing/sneezing, and avoid sharing personal items (drinking glasses, eating utensils, etc).
• Return to School Criteria: students who have been diagnosed with strep throat would need to stay home from school until they have been on appropriate antibiotics for at least 12 hours and have been fever-free for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication.

If your child has symptoms, we recommend contacting their doctor's office.

We want to make sure we are doing everything we can to limit the spread of it so thank you in advance for your help.

For more information on Strep Throat, please visit the WI DHS website https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/publications/p4/p42092.pdf.

References: Mayo Clinic and WI DHS websites

National Blood Donor Month is celebrated in January and helps raise awareness of the need for blood donors.

Here is some general information on blood donation:

• Statistics:
• Every two seconds, someone in the US needs blood and/or platelets for surgeries, cancer treatments, childbirth, anemia, serious injuries, blood disorders, and more (per the US Department of Health and Human Services).
• One donation can help save more than one life.
• Prior to blood donation:
• You can make an appointment by visiting the Red Cross website or by downloading their app.
• Make sure your diet consists of iron-rich foods (such as red meat, fish, poultry, beans, spinach, iron-fortified cereals or raisins)
• Get a good night's sleep the night before.
• Eat healthy foods and drink extra liquids.
• If you are donating platelets, avoid taking aspirin for two days prior to your appointment.
• The day of blood donation:
• Drink extra water before your appointment (goal of 16 extra ounces of water).
• Eat a healthy meal and avoid fatty foods.
• Make sure to bring your driver's license, donor card, or two other forms of ID.
• Bring your medication list, including prescription and over-the-counter medications.
• Wear a shirt with sleeves you can roll up to your elbows.
• After blood donation:
• Enjoy a snack and a refreshment.
• Drink an extra 32 ounces of liquids in the next 24 hours and keep eating iron-rich foods.
• Avoid heavy lifting, and vigorous exercise for the rest of the day.
• If you experience dizziness or lightheadedness, sit or lie down until you feel better.

Resources: Red Cross website and America's Blood Centers website

Marquette County Health Department is offering free Tdap doses for any student, regardless of insurance/VFC qualification. They were provided by the state of WI to get school-aged kids up to date on vaccines so anyone age 7 and over who needs one could get one.

They also still have some flu vaccines left for any age school-aged children, which are also free to anyone regardless of insurance/VFC qualification.

Please contact the Marquette County Health Department if you are interested in your child(ren) receiving these vaccines.

If your child has a fever over 100 degrees, is vomiting, or has diarrhea, your child should stay home from school. Your child may return to school when they have been free of fever/vomiting/diarrhea for at least 24 hours.

Your child should also stay home from school if he/she has an unidentified rash or live head lice.

If your child has a rash, your child may return to school when their doctor recommends. Please provide a note to your child's school office from their medical provider indicating when they may return.

If your child has live head lice, he/she may return to school after they are treated as long as there are no longer any live lice.

Your child should stay home if he/she has an eye infection and is unable to avoid touching their eyes.

If your child has a communicable disease, please refer to this chart for guidance on when they may return to school.

We are continuing to recommend families follow the CDC's guidance, which can be found here.

We are continuing to follow our illness protocol that we followed prior to COVID - if a student has a fever, vomiting, or diarrhea, then they should stay home until they are free of fever/vomiting/diarrhea for at least 24 hours.

If a student has multiple COVID-like symptoms (cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle/body aches, new loss of taste or smell, headache, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, fever or chills), then they should contact their medical provider's office for guidance.

If a student tests positive for COVID or was in close contact with an individual who tested positive, the student should follow their doctor's guidance. Documentation from their doctor must be provided to the school office stating the student should be excused from school and their return date in order for the student's absence to be excused. Just as prior to COVID, student absences that occur without a doctor's note will be unexcused until proper documentation is provided.

If your child needs medication at school, please fill out a medication consent form (see below) and drop off the medication (in its original packaging) at your child's school office.

If it is an over-the-counter medication, such as Tylenol, etc, then only a parent/guardian signature is needed on the medication form.

If it is a prescription medication, then a medical provider's signature is also required.

A medical provider's signature would also be required if the dosage written on the form by the parent/guardian differs from the recommended therapeutic dose on the medication label.

We are not able to administer medications to students without a medication form completed. Students are not allowed to keep their own supply of medication in their lockers.

Exceptions to this are albuterol inhalers for students with asthma, glucagon for students with diabetes, and epinephrine for students with severe allergic reactions; a medication form still needs to be completed for these medications even if the student is carrying the medication themselves.

All other needed medication must be administered through the school office.

As a courtesy, the School District of Westfield will offer stock (school supplied) Acetaminophen and Ibuprofen to middle school and high school students (ages 12 and over) while at school as needed during the current school year.

Parent/guardian consent is needed for students to receive these stock medications.

Stock medication will be administered as follows:

• Acetaminophen 500 mg tablet - One tablet every 6 hours for headache/pain
• Ibuprofen 200 mg tablet - One tablet every 6 hours for headache/pain

This consent covers occasional use only, and will be given at the discretion of the school nurse or designated school staff. Any student that requires any of the listed medications on a regular basis will be asked to provide their own supply of medication and will need a medication consent form filled out by the student's parent/guardian and physician. School supplied medications will not be given to students more than ten times during the school year. If your child reaches the tenth time, a letter will be sent home, alerting you that your child has depleted their doses for the school year.

School supplied medications will only be given to students during the school day; they will not be available on school sponsored trips, athletic events, or after school activities.