At first there was talk of 15 days, eventually it was lowered to 10. The latest recommendation from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control, for its acronym in English) is five days of isolation for those with the COVID virus- 19, or direct contacts without symptoms.
The idea is that the virus must be prevented from spreading, with the least possible impact on the economy and the academic performance of students , Infobae reported .
But not everyone agrees. And depending on the place, and the institution, the rules are different. For South Florida public schools, the rules are even different between neighboring Miami-Dade and Broward counties.
In the case of Miami Dade County public schools, which conglomerate 392 establishments and have 340,000 students, the rule remains that if a minor has a positive test for COVID-19, they must be isolated for 10 days, whether or not they have symptoms, regardless of whether the test is repeated during that period and is negative.
“We understand that it is frustrating for parents with so many different rules. But if one person tests positive, we want to make sure as much as possible that we are going to maintain a safe environment for everyone else, ”said Brenda Wilder, director of student health services for the Miami Dade School District.
In contrast, in Broward, where there are 110,000 students in 241 schools, the rule indicates that a student with COVID 19 must isolate himself at home for ten days. However, if in that period of time the test is repeated and it is negative, as long as 24 hours have passed without symptoms, you can return to class. The other option for returning to school is to present a medical certificate signed by a professional stating that the student is no longer contagious.
“ We are trying to make sure that we minimize contagion and that we are taking care of the entire community. It is not just about the individual, but about the other individuals who share a class with that person. Ómicron is not selective. But it is also important to minimize the losses that missing classes generate in the student. Therefore, even if you were positive for COVID 19, if you have not had a fever for 24 hours and have almost no symptoms, if you have a negative test after a few days, you can go back to class. But we ask parents that if their child has symptoms, it is essential that they isolate him, “reported Broward Superintendent of Schools, Vickie Cartwright, who also confirmed that yesterday a record was set in her district with 5,400 students absent in classrooms for being isolated by the virus.
The situation is more difficult when it comes to students who were direct contact with COVID-19 but they are not the patients. The state of Florida indicates that if the minor does not have symptoms, he can return to school immediately.
In both districts, the importance of face-to-face classes is highlighted, as some students still bear the consequences of the virtual class period they experienced in 2020.
