Health Protocols
CDC Updates Respiratory Virus Guidance
On March 1, 2024, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated and simplified its respiratory virus precautions. These easy-to-use recommendations can help prevent the spread of illness.
As a reminder, screening tools for schools and parents are available here:
The recommendations suggest returning to normal activities when, for at least 24 hours, symptoms are improving overall, and if a fever was present, it has been gone without use of a fever-reducing medication. Students must also be free from vomiting or diarrhea for at least 24 hours without the use of medications.
Once people resume normal activities, they are encouraged to take additional prevention strategies for the next 5 days to curb disease spread, such as taking more steps for cleaner air, enhancing hygiene practices, wearing a well-fitting mask, keeping a distance from others, and/or getting tested for respiratory viruse
August 2023 Monkeypox Protocols
Monkeypox is a rare disease caused by infection with the monkeypox virus. This virus is spread through excessive, direct, skin-skin contact with an infected individual.
An infected person will immediately be quarantined upon suspicion and/or confirmation of the monkeypox infection. Per IDOH guidelines, New Castle Community Schools will notify the New Castle Health Department of any infectious communicable disease such as monkeypox.
The Indiana Department of Health (IDOH) & CDC do not recommend contact tracing and quarantining in schools. Therefore, New Castle Schools will not quarantine students or staff for individuals in close contact with an infected person. Parents, however, will be notified if a student in their child’s class/school has been diagnosed with monkeypox.
Although the CDC and IDOH do not specifically recommend additional cleaning in the area of a positive case, NCCSC will perform extra cleaning of the room in question.
Please practice proper handwashing, know the symptoms of monkeypox, and report any monkeypox symptoms immediately to your healthcare provider, school health assistant or Corporate RN.