From The Tribune staff reports
TRUSSVILE — Several students were sent home from Trussville City Schools during the first week of class, after some of the students exhibited symptoms of coronavirus.
“We have to send kids home if they have been exposed to somebody with symptoms of COVID-19,” Neill said. “Or we have to send them home if they have been exposed to a positive.”
The symptoms are in the Back to School toolkit from the Alabama Department of Public Health. Those symptoms include runny nose, coughing, chills, fever, sore throat, shortness of breath, fatigue, headache, body aches, loss of taste or smell, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea.
“Everybody that has symptoms has to go home,” Neill added. “We don’t know if it’s COVID-19 or not but everybody that’s been around them has to go home, too.”
Neill said one example was when a child at Paine Elementary School had a cough. The child was sent home and two other students who had been within 6 feet of him were also sent home. The child had a rapid results test that was negative for coronavirus. Another child at Paine had a stomach ache and a headache. He and five others were sent home. Neill said the school staff and school nurses are being vigilant and watching for any symptoms.
“This is the standard operating procedure,” Neill said. “It would be helpful for parents to know we are following the toolkit.”
Neill said all schools have seen students with symptoms and all of those students and those they were around were also sent home. So far, she said there have been no positive test results.
“We are being so careful,” Neill said. “We are hyperfocused on this thing, trying to stay healthy, stay open and stay in school.”
The Tribune has requested exact numbers of students that were sent home.