Difference between revisions of "Know if You're Too Sick to Go to Work or School"

[[Category: Respiratory Health]]

#Stay in bed if you have a fever. If you have a fever over 100F you should stay home from work or school and not go back until your body temperature has been normal (usually 98.6F) for 24 hours. If you need to take medication to get your temperature to be normal, that doesn’t count. You are still sick and likely infectious.<ref name="rf1">https://www.cde.state.co.us/healthandwellness/illnesspolicyhowsickistoosickenglish</ref><ref name="rf2">http://www.cdc.gov/flu/takingcare.htm</ref>

#Stay at home if you have uncontrollable coughing. Coughing that feels like it comes from deep within your lungs could be a sign of a serious infection. Don’t go to work or school. Contact your doctor to see if you should get your cough checked out.<ref name="rf3">http://www.bloomfield.org/uploaded/schools/Conant/Conant_Registration_Docs_2015/whentokeepsickchildrenhomefromschool82709_1.pdf</ref>

#Do not go into work or school if you are vomiting. Stay away from others until you are no longer vomiting and the doctor says that you are not contagious.<ref name="rf1" /> Persistent vomiting will cause dehydration and weakness.

#* If you are unable to keep any liquid down and are at risk of becoming severely dehydrated, you may need to go to an emergency room. If necessary, they will rehydrate you with intravenous fluids. Symptoms of dehydration include weakness, headaches, infrequent urination, passing dark or cloudy urine, and crying without tears <ref name="rf4">http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dehydration/basics/symptoms/con-20030056</ref>.

#Take a sick day if you have diarrhea. A very loose or watery stool can often be a sign of infection. Remain near the bathroom and do not try to go to work or school until you are better.<ref name="rf1" />

#Stay home and consult a doctor if you have a strange rash. If you have a rash that has open wounds with fluid leaking out or is rapidly spreading, you should call your doctor. Do not go into work or school until your doctor determines that it is not contagious.<ref name="rf1" />

#Avoid spreading colds to others. You probably don't need to stay home if you just have a cold. If you are not so sick that you need to stay home, there are still some simple precautions that you can take to protect others. You can:<ref name="rf5">http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/common-cold/basics/prevention/con-20019062</ref>

#Do not send your child to school if he has a disease which is preventable by a vaccine. If your child comes in contact with other children that are unvaccinated or have weakened immune systems, he may put them at risk. Wait until your doctor declares your child healthy enough to return to school. These diseases include:<ref name="rf6">http://www.dodea.edu/StudentServices/Health/sickChild.cfm</ref>

#* Measles. This disease has cold-like symptoms and red spots. The infected person is contagious for four days before the rash starts and the first four days of the rash’s presence. Wait until your doctor gives the ok before sending your child back to school.<ref name="rf7">http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/measles/basics/symptoms/con-20019675</ref>

#* Mumps. It is characterized by flu-like symptoms and swollen salivary glands.<ref name="rf8">http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/mumps/basics/symptoms/con-20019914</ref> Follow the instructions from your doctor and school officials to determine how long to keep your child home.

#* Rubella. This disease has flu-like symptoms and a pink rash. It can cause birth defects in unborn babies if the mother catches it.<ref name="rf9">http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/rubella/basics/symptoms/con-20020067</ref> Ask your doctor and the school nurse when your child can return to school.

#* Pertussis (whooping cough). This illness has flu- and cold-like symptoms and severe coughing which can make it difficult to breathe.  Ask your doctor and the school nurse how long your child will be infectious.<ref name="rf10">http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/whooping-cough/basics/symptoms/con-20023295</ref>

#* Chicken pox.  This disease has flu-like symptoms and a rash of fluid-filled red bumps. An infected person is contagious for two days before the rash starts and then until all the spots have scabbed over. Ask your doctor when it’s ok to send your child back to school.<ref name="rf11">http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/chickenpox/basics/symptoms/con-20019025</ref>

#Keep your child at home if he has pink eye. Pink eye, also called conjunctivitis, is an infection where the eye becomes red and leaks sticky yellowish-greenish goo.<ref name="rf6" />

#Have your child stay at home for a day after a diagnosis of impetigo. However, once your child is receiving treatment under a doctor’s supervision, it should be ok for your child to return to school, unless your doctor advises against it.<ref name="rf6" />

#Let your child stay home if he has strep throat. This infection is characterized by a sore throat. Bring your child to the doctor because he may need antibiotics.<ref name="rf1" />

#Keep your child out of school for a week if he has hepatitis A.  This is a very contagious liver infection which causes nausea, vomiting, pain near the liver, joint pain, dark urine, clay-colored stool, and yellow skin and eyes. If you think your child has hepatitis A, bring him to the doctor immediately.<ref name="rf12">http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hepatitis-a/basics/symptoms/con-20022163</ref>

#* If it takes longer than a week for your child to feel well enough to go back, you may need to keep him home for longer.<ref name="rf1" />

#Consult a doctor if your child has an earache or fluid draining from the ear. If the pain comes from an infection, your child may need antibiotics.<ref name="rf3" />

#* Ear pain can be caused by bacterial or viral infections. If left untreated, ear infections can lead to hearing loss.<ref name="rf13">http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/ear-infections/basics/symptoms/con-20014260</ref><ref name="rf14">http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/ear-infections/basics/definition/con-20014260</ref>

#Do send your child to school once treatment has begun for many other infections. Consult with your child’s doctor and school nurse. It may be possible for your child to attend school or daycare, if your child has one of the following common infections:<ref name="rf6" /><ref name="rf1" />

#* Scabies. This is a caused by a mite that burrows in the skin and lays eggs. It causes red bumps and tracks under the skin and is intensely itchy and contagious. See your doctor for prescription medications which will get rid of the infection.<ref name="rf15">http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/scabies/basics/treatment/con-20023488</ref>

#* Lice. Lice are insects that live on human hair and lay their eggs in it. They cause itching, but do not carry dangerous diseases. The sticky eggs must be carefully removed with a fine-tooth comb. If you need to, you can keep your child home for a day or two to give you time to provide treatment. Medicated shampoos are also available over-the-counter and by prescription.<ref name="rf3" />

#* Ringworm. Ringworm is a fungal infection that causes a rash with a characteristic red ring. Take your child to the doctor to see if he needs anti-fungal medications. The infected area must remain covered when he goes to school.<ref name="rf16">http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/ringworm/basics/definition/con-20021104</ref>

#* Fifth’s Disease. This illness causes flu-like symptoms and at towards the end, a red rash that frequently occurs on the face and elsewhere on the body. Because of the red rash that appears on the cheeks, this disease is also called slapped-cheek disease. Once the rash develops, your child is not likely to be contagious. Your child should see a doctor if he has sickle cell anemia or a weakened immune system.  It is also dangerous for unborn babies when they are exposed.<ref name="rf17">http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/parvovirus-infection/basics/symptoms/con-20023045</ref><ref name="rf1" />

#* Hand, foot, and mouth disease. This disease has painful blisters in the mouth and a red rash on the hands and feet. It may also have a fever and sore throat. If the child is drooling and has mouth sores, then he should stay home.<ref name="rf18">http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hand-foot-and-mouth-disease/basics/symptoms/con-20032747</ref><ref name="rf1" />

#Avoid getting too close to people when you are sick. If you must go to work or school when you are sick, you can still minimize the chances that you will infect others by keeping a distance. You can:<ref name="rf19">http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/stopgerms.htm</ref>

#* Wear a face mask, to prevent accidentally breathing on others.<ref name="rf20">http://www.cdc.gov/flu/pdf/protect/cdc_cough.pdf</ref>

#Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze. This will prevent you from spraying little droplets with germs on others and on common surfaces that people touch.<ref name="rf20" />

#Wash your hands often and thoroughly. Do this before preparing food, after using the bathroom, after blowing your nose, after sneezing, after coughing, and before caring for or touching others. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend following these steps:<ref name="rf21">http://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/when-how-handwashing.html</ref>

#Go to the doctor if there are signs of a serious infection or complications. If you or your child have any of these symptoms, see a doctor:<ref name="rf2" />

#* Fever. For infants and young children, check with your doctor even for low fevers of 100 F, or for a newborn that has a lower than normal temperature.<ref name="rf22">http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/fever/in-depth/fever/art-20050997</ref><ref name="rf23">http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/fever/basics/symptoms/con-20019229</ref>   

#* Fever for more than 3 days<ref name="rf23" />