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Respiratory Illness Guidance

Find information about common respiratory illnesses and learn how to keep your family safe.

General Guidance

To help people lower the risk from a range of common respiratory viral illnesses, including COVID-19, flu, and RSV, you should stay home and test immediately if you experience any of these signs and symptoms:

  • Fever
  • Cough
  • Body aches 
  • Runny nose
  • Headache
  • Sore throat 
  • Fatigue
  • Loss of taste or smell (more common with COVID-19)

Prevention

  • Get vaccinated
  • Practice good cough etiquette by covering your cough or sneeze
  • Wash your hands often with soap and water, and avoid touching your face
  • Clean and disinfect surfaces often 
  • Consider wearing a mask if:
    • You need to leave your home when you are sick
    • You are taking care of someone who is sick
    • You are around immunocompromised individuals
    • You are indoors with a large group of people, especially when these diseases are in high transmission in the community
  • If you are sick, stay home, rest, and contact your doctor if symptoms worsen
  • You may not return to school until you are fever-free for a minimum of 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications

COVID-19 Guidance

COVID-19 is caused by a coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2. Older adults and people who have severe underlying medical conditions such as heart or lung disease, diabetes, and severe autoimmune conditions seem to be at a higher risk for developing more serious complications from COVID-19 illness.

COVID-19 can affect anyone, and the disease can cause symptoms ranging from mild to very severe. For some other illnesses caused by respiratory viruses (such as influenza), some people may be more likely to have severe illness than others because they have characteristics or medical conditions that increase their risk.

The best way to prevent COVID-19 is to get vaccinated, wear a face mask, and stay in settings with adequate ventilation.

What to do if you test positive

  • Staff or students who test positive for COVID-19 should stay home for at least 24 hours and until both are true: fever-free without using fever-reducing medications and symptoms are improving overall. If symptoms persist, continue to stay home until symptoms resolve.

  • Wear a mask around other people, including around others in the household.

  • Avoid sharing personal household items, like cups, towels, and utensils.

  • Monitor for symptoms. If the individual develops an emergency warning sign, seek emergency medical care immediately.

Close Contacts/ Exposed

  • Those exposed to COVID-19 are no longer required to be excluded (quarantine).

Influenza

Influenza is a contagious respiratory illness that affects the throat, nose, and lungs. People of all ages are susceptible to the flu. Symptoms are similar to those of COVID-19, including fever, chills, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches, fatigue (tiredness), vomiting, and diarrhea. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, test for both COVID-19 and the Flu. If you test positive for the flu, stay home until you are fever-free for 24 hours without using fever-reducing medications.

How to prevent the spread of influenza in schools

  • Appropriate handwashing with soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available. Encourage hand washing after coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose. 
  • Not touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with dirty hands. 
  • Wearing gloves when handling respiratory secretions or objects contaminated with respiratory secretions of any patient’s respiratory secretions. 
  • Disinfecting frequently touched surfaces and objects, including toys and doorknobs. 
  • Avoiding close physical contact when sick by: 
  • Staying at home while sick 
  • Avoiding hugging, kissing, or shaking hands, 
  • Moving away from people before coughing or sneezing 
  • Coughing and sneezing into a tissue and then throwing it away, or coughing and sneezing into the upper sleeve, completely covering the mouth and nose.
  • Getting vaccinated annually is the best way to reduce the risk of flu infection and its complications. The Influenza vaccine is recommended for all individuals ages six months and older.

RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus)

Respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, is a common respiratory virus that usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms. Most people recover in a week or two, but RSV can be serious, especially for infants and older adults.

In the United States, RSV is the most common cause of bronchiolitis (inflammation of the small airways in the lung) and pneumonia (infection of the lungs) in children younger than one year of age. Most RSV infections go away on their own in a week or two. There is no specific treatment for RSV infection, though researchers are working to develop vaccines and antivirals (medicines that fight viruses).

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