Safer, Smarter Schools FAQs
Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses, some causing illness in people and others that circulate among animals, including camels, cats and bats. Rarely, animal coronaviruses can evolve and infect people and then spread between people.
COVID-19 is a disease caused by a coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2.
COVID-19 is spread in three main ways:
- Breathing in air when close to an infected person who is exhaling small droplets and particles that contain the virus.
- Having these small droplets and particles that contain virus land on the eyes, nose, or mouth, especially through splashes and sprays like a cough or sneeze.
- Touching eyes, nose, or mouth with hands that have the virus on them.
Symptoms of COVID-19 include fever or chills, loss of smell or taste, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue muscle or body aches, light-headedness or dizziness, headache, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea. This list does include all possible symptoms.
The CDC recommends that those who tested positive for COVID-19 should not re-test routinely for 90 days after recovering from your symptoms. You may continue to test positive for three months or more without being contagious to others. For this reason, you should only be tested if you develop new symptoms of possible COVID-19 within 90 days of having COVID-19.
Individuals can become susceptible to reinfection approximately 90 days following the onset of infection. For this reason, students who are past the 90 days should be tested.
The Louisiana Department of Health provides school isolation and quarantine recommendations that are constantly being updated as new information and recommendations are received. Based on these recommendations, and special circumstances depending on the positive tests results of your child’s class, school or individual results, further guidance will be provided accordingly.
There are a few things you can do to help protect yourself from COVID-19, see the CDC guidelines, which include:
- Wear a mask when you are in public
- Stay 6 feet away from others
- Get vaccinated
- Avoid crowds and poorly ventilated spaces
- Wash your hands often
- Clean and disinfect high touch surfaces daily