Staying healthy with RSV, COVID-19, and cold/flu season

Cold and flu season is here, along with ongoing cases of RSV and COVID-19. Please do your part to help ensure our schools are healthy places to work and learn.

Every Morning

• Send your child to school with a water bottle every day.
• Have your child stay home if they are sick with a fever, chills, fatigue, cough, runny nose or headache or if their temperature is above 100 degrees.
• Call your child’s school to report an absence.

COVID-19 Updates

• Call your child's school to report a positive COVID-19 or Influenza test.
• Students who are sick can go back to normal activity when, for at least 24 hours, both are true
• Their symptoms are getting better overall and
• They have not had a fever and are not using fever-reducing medications. 
• At-home COVID-19 test kits are available for families to order at covidtests.gov.

Vaccines

• Vaccination remains the #1 way to help stop the spread of disease and illness. 
• Bloomington Public Health offers immunization clinics on the first and third Tuesday from 12:30-4 p.m. Please call 952-563-8900 to schedule an appointment.
• Find more COVID-19 vaccine options on the Minnesota COVID-19 website.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)

• RSV infection is a common respiratory illness that can affect persons of any age. It is the most common cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia in infants and children under 2 years of age. RSV infection spreads quickly to adults and children alike. Outbreaks of RSV occur almost every year during the winter and early spring.   
• Your child may have a cough, watery eyes, runny nose or stuffiness, or sneezing. Symptoms may last for 7 days. People with severe RSV may wheeze and/or have lung congestion. RSV can be serious for premature babies and people with heart, lung or immune system problems. If your child is infected, it may take 2 to 8 days for symptoms to start.

COVID-19

• COVID-19 is a highly contagious viral illness. It is a common infection that may be prevented by vaccination.
• Your child may have a fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, body aches, headache, vomiting/diarrhea, or a new loss of taste or smell. Your child may also be infected and have no symptoms. If your child has been infected, it may take 2 to 14 days for symptoms to start.

Influenza (also known as flu) 

• The flu is a common viral respiratory infection.
• Symptoms include chills, body aches, fever or headache. Your child may also have a cough, runny or stuffy nose and sore throat. Illness may last up to 7 days. If your child has been infected, it may take 1 to 4 days (usually 2 days) for symptoms to start.