Health

Safety tips for attending school during COVID-19

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As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, families and caregivers might worry about their children getting the COVID-19 virus at school.

Unfortunately, COVID-19 outbreaks do happen in school settings. But global research has shown, at least with early variants, that when schools use multiple prevention strategies, the spread of the COVID-19 virus in schools can be lower than or similar to community spread.

What can you do to protect your school-aged child? Consider the strategies schools and families can follow to protect students’ health.

Encouraging COVID-19 vaccination

COVID-19 vaccines are available for children age 6 months and older in the U.S. A COVID-19 vaccine and booster doses might prevent your child from getting the COVID-19 virus or becoming seriously ill or hospitalized due to COVID-19. Getting a COVID-19 vaccine can also help keep your child in school and more safely participate in sports and other group activities too.

Wearing face masks

School policies vary when it comes to face masks. However, whether or not you’re vaccinated, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends wearing a face mask in indoor public spaces if you’re in a community with a high number of new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. Wearing the most protective face mask that you’ll wear regularly, fits well and is comfortable while indoors can limit the spread of the COVID-19 virus. The CDC recommends that students and staff who have been exposed or think they’ve been exposed to COVID-19 wear a mask around others for 10 days after their last exposure.

If your child wears a face mask in school, consider these tips:

Have your child wear the most protective mask possible that fits well and is comfortable.
Provide your child with a clean mask and a backup mask each day. Consider giving your child a clean, resealable bag to store the mask during lunch.
Label your child’s mask so it’s not confused with other children’s masks. Tell your child to never wear another child’s used mask.

Proper ventilation

Improving ventilation in schools can reduce the number of COVID-19 virus particles in the air. Opening multiple windows and doors, using fans, or changing the heating, ventilation, air conditioning or air filtration systems can help. During transportation to and from school, keeping windows open a few inches also can improve air circulation.

Handwashing

Schools and parents should encourage students to frequently wash their hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Children should cover their mouths and noses with an elbow or a tissue when coughing or sneezing. Children also should avoid touching their eyes, noses and mouths. To ensure thorough handwashing, kids can be taught to keep washing their hands until they have sung the entire “Happy Birthday” song twice (about 20 seconds).

Staying home when sick and getting tested

Students who have symptoms of an infectious illness should stay home from school and get tested for COVID-19. Possible symptoms of COVID-19 in children include:

Fever
Cough that becomes productive
Chest pain
New loss of taste or smell
Changes in the skin, such as discolored areas on the feet and hands
Sore throat
Nausea, vomiting, belly pain or diarrhea
Chills
Muscle aches and pain
Extreme fatigue
New severe headache
New nasal congestion

Everyone with COVID-19 should stay home and isolate from others for at least five full days. School policies might vary on when a child who has had COVID-19 can return to school.

If you are recovering from COVID-19, the CDC recommends wearing the most protective face mask that you’ll wear regularly, fits well and is comfortable. Wear the mask while you are around other people through day 10. Children who are too young to wear a mask should be cared for in as separate a space as possible by a caregiver who is wearing a mask.

Aug. 23, 2022

Schools and childcare programs. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/parent-faqs.html. Accessed Aug. 16, 2022.
Stay up to date with your vaccines. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/stay-up-to-date.html. Accessed April 20, 2022.
How to protect yourself and others. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html. Accessed April 20, 2022.
Information for pediatric healthcare providers. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/pediatric-hcp.html. Accessed April 28, 2022.
Quarantine and isolation. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/quarantine-isolation.html. Accessed April 28, 2022.
COVID-19 guidance for safe schools and promotion of in-person learning. American Academy of Pediatrics. https://www.aap.org/en/pages/2019-novel-coronavirus-covid-19-infections/clinical-guidance/covid-19-planning-considerations-return-to-in-person-education-in-schools/. Accessed April 20, 2022.
When and how to wash your hands. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/when-how-handwashing.html. Accessed April 20, 2022.
Caring for someone sick at home. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/if-you-are-sick/care-for-someone.html. Accessed April 29, 2022.
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COVID-19 community levels. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/science/community-levels.html. Accessed Feb. 28, 2022.
COVID-19 pandemic: Helping young children and parents transition back to school. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/childrensmentalhealth/features/COVID-19-helping-children-transition-back-to-school.html. Accessed April 28, 2022.
Guidance for COVID-19 prevention in K-12 schools. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/k-12-guidance.html#anchor_1625661984621. Accessed Aug. 16, 2022.
COVID-19 vaccines for children and teens. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/recommendations/children-teens.html. Accessed Aug. 16, 2022.
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AskMayoExpert. COVID-19: Outpatient and inpatient management (child). Mayo Clinic; 2021.

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