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Concise descriptions and recommendations for exclusion of cases from school.
Source: Iowa Department of Health & Human Services
|
Disease |
Usual Interval Between Exposure and First Symptoms |
Main Symptoms |
Minimum Exclusion from School |
| *Chickenpox |
10-21 Days |
Mild symptoms and fever, pocks are blistery, and scabs develop for most on covered parts of the body |
Seven days from onset of rash until all blisters have crusted |
| Conjunctivitis [Pink Eye] |
24-72 Hours | Tearing, redness, puffy lids, and discharge | Until treatment begins or physician approves return |
| COVID-19 {SARS-CoV-2} |
2-14 Days | Fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea | Five days after symptoms start and 24 hours with no fever and improved symptoms |
| Erythema Infectiosum [5th Disease] |
4-20 Days | Usual age is 5-14 years, unusual in adults, brief prodrome or low grade fever followed by erythema (slapped appearance on cheeks), lace-like rash on extremities lasting a few days to three weeks, and rash seems to recur | After diagnosis; no exclusion from school |
| *German Measles [Rubella] |
14-21 Days | Usually mild, enlarged glands in neck and behind ears, and brief rash | Seven days from onset of rash; keep away from pregnant women |
| *Haemophilus Meningitis | 2-4 Days | Fever, vomiting, lethargy, and stiff neck and back |
Until physician approves return |
| *Hepatitis A |
Varies from 15-50 Days |
Abdominal pain, nausea, fever, and skin/eyes may or may not turn yellow | Fourteen days from onset of clinical disease and at least seven days from onset of jaundice |
| Impetigo | 4-10 Days | Inflamed sores with pus | Twenty-four hours after antibiotic therapy has started or until physician approves return; avoid contact with drainage from lesions and cover lesions when attending school |
| *Measles | 10 Days to Fever 14 Days to Rash |
Begins with fever, conjunctivitis, runny nose, cough, and then blotchy red rash | Four days from onset of rash |
| Meningococcal Meningitis |
2-10 Days |
Headache, nausea, stiff neck, and fever |
Until physician approves return |
| *Mumps |
12-25 Days |
Fever, swelling, and tenderness of glands at angle of jaw |
Five days after onset or until symptoms have resolved |
|
Pediculosis |
7 Days for Eggs to Hatch | Lice and nits (eggs) in hair | No need to send home upon diagnosis and return to school after initial treatment; no-nit policy is recommended |
| Ringworm | 4-10 Days | Scaly red patch; usually ring shaped |
No exclusion from school; exclude from gymnasiums, pools, and contact sports |
| Scabies |
2-6 Weeks for Initial Exposure |
Tiny burrows in skin caused by mites | Until 24 hours after treatment |
| Scarlet Fever Scarlantina Strep Throat |
1-3 Days | Sudden onset, vomiting, fever, later a fine rash (not on face), and rash usually only with first infections | Twenty-four hours after antibiotics started and no fever |
|
*Whooping Cough [Pertussis] |
6-20 Days |
Head cold, slight fever, cough, and characteristic whoop after two weeks |
Five days after start of |
READMISSION TO SCHOOL
It is advisable that school authorities require written permission from the health officer, school physician, or attending physician before any student is readmitted to school following any disease which requires exclusion, not mere absence, from school.
Reviewed: 7/13; 11/17; 12/20
Revised: 4/11; 10/14; 4/18; 8/21; 10/23