If a student or staff member has symptoms that may be related to COVID-19 they should:

• seek care from a health care provider for an alternate diagnosis or a PCR test;
• if PCR testing is not accessible/affordable, rapid antigen tests may be used (at-home test)
  • at-home tests are available at each school at no charge to families (please request one if needed)
  • families may also order or pick up free at-home tests from various community agencies
  • visit https://covid19.ncdhhs.gov/home-covid-19-tests for more information.

Individuals with a negative test result may return to school:

•  when they are free of fever, vomiting and diarrhea for at least 24 hours (without the use of symptom reducing medication - Tylenol, Advil, Pepto Bismol, etc.) along with improvement of other symptoms and feeling well.

If a student is diagnosed with COVID-19,  the individual/parent should contact the school and report the diagnosis to the COVID Point Person.  Staff should report using the FCS Employee COVID-19 Reporting Form. The individual may not return to any FCS school or facility until all three of the following criteria are met:

• at least 24 hours have passed since recovery (including the absence of fever, vomiting and diarrhea without the use of medications - Tylenol, Advil, Pepto-Bismol, etc.);
• the individual has improvement in symptoms  (e.g., cough, shortness of breath) and is feeling well;

AND

• at least five days have passed since symptoms first appeared.  The first day of symptoms is considered day zero.
• **Students and staff with positive test results will be required to wear a well-fitted mask through day 10 from onset of symptoms or positive test result.  **For positive test results without symptoms, the date of the test is considered day zero.
• **Staff who test positive for COVID-19 are required to stay home until approved to return to work by the District.

Students and staff who choose not to test or see a health care provider will be presumed positive, required to isolate through day five and  will be required to wear a well-fitted mask through day 10 from onset of symptoms.

If a student or staff member has been in close contact in the past 14 days with someone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19, they should:

• Monitor well for symptoms of illness (fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, unexplained body aches, sore throat, runny nose, stuffy nose/congestion, vomiting, diarrhea, new onset of severe headache)

• Test on/after day 5 from the last date of contact

• Remain at home and seek care/testing if any symptoms occur or if they have a positive test result (report positive test results to the school)

• Wear a well-fitted face mask around others for at least 10 days after last date of contact

 
Franklin County Schools will no longer conduct contact tracing for individual cases.  Families can monitor the number of reported/known case counts in their school communities weekly via the FCS COVID dashboard.  Particularly during periods of high community spread (as defined by the CDC), families should presume they have had possible exposure and take precautions as listed above.