Special thanks to Nurse Amy for answering these commonly asked Covid-related questions! And click here for a full outline of when to keep your student home from school
What is the difference between isolation and quarantine?
When someone has Covid, they are in isolation. When someone is identified as a close contact of someone with Covid, they are quarantined.
What is the isolation timeline?
The first day of symptoms OR the day of a positive test (whichever is earlier) is Day 0. A student who has Covid is required to isolate for 10 days following the onset of symptoms or positive test result. They are allowed to return to school on Day 11 if all symptoms have subsided. Here’s a great link to the calculator MNPS uses to determine a student’s return to school following quarantine:
https://covid19.tn.gov/prevention/quarantine-isolation-calculator/
What is the quarantine timeline?
If a student is identified as a close contact of someone with Covid, that student is required to quarantine and monitor for symptoms. The last day of exposure is Day 0, and the student is allowed to return to school under one of these conditions:
If no testing has been done and no symptoms have developed, the student may return to school on Day 11 without testing.
OR
A student may return to school on Day 8 with a negative PCR (preferred) or antigen test taken on Day 5 or later.
The quarantine calculator can be found here: https://covid19.tn.gov/prevention/quarantine-isolation-calculator/
What is the definition of a “close contact”?
A close contact is normally someone who was within six feet of an infected individual for a total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period. However, MNPS is following alternate guidelines, devised by the CDC, for the K-12, school-based population. So, for students, the distance has been reduced to within 3 feet rather than within 6 feet.
How are close contacts identified?
Students at Dan Mills are placed in very small groups within their class. These groups of 3-4 students travel together throughout the day. They sit near one another in their classroom, during related arts, and at lunch. This is done to minimize the number of students who might be exposed to an infected individual and to quickly identify those students.
What kind of Covid test is acceptable?
A PCR test is required for all symptomatic individuals. A PCR or antigen test (with results read by a professional) is accepted in order to be released early from quarantine.
Are results from an over the counter antigen Covid test acceptable?
No. MNPS requires testing by an outside agency/third party. While OTC antigen tests are helpful indicators for at-home use, they do not provide sufficient documentation of a Covid infection.
How do we send in Covid test results?
Screenshots or pictures of test results can be sent to your child’s homeroom teacher, the office, or Nurse Amy at Amy.Powell@nashville.gov.
Where can I go to get a Covid test?
In addition to the standard testing sites, there are pop-up testing sites around the city when testing demand is high. You can find information for all of these by checking the testing calendar on https://www.asafenashville.org/. The Metro Health Department also publishes this information on Twitter and their Facebook page.
If one of my children wakes up with symptoms, do I need to keep my other children home from school?
No. The other children can go to school while you await test results for the symptomatic child. However if that child tests positive, the other children will need to quarantine immediately. This means that if a symptomatic child’s test results come back during the school day, any unvaccinated children in the home will need to be picked up from school to immediately begin their quarantine and monitor for symptoms.
If I have a 12+ year-old child in MNPS who is fully vaccinated, do they need to quarantine?
No. If a student is vaccinated, they do not need to quarantine. However if they do develop symptoms, they will need to test for Covid, stay home while awaiting results, and begin isolation if the test result is positive.
If a student forgets a mask, at what point are they given one?
Extra masks are located in the lobby or vestibule, so students who forget to wear one are immediately given one when they walk in. They do not enter through the doors of the main part of the building without a mask.
Who do I contact with attendance questions?
You can contact the Dan Mills front office for questions related to attendance.
Who do I ask for details about school work?
Please contact your child’s teacher if you have questions about school work.
If a student is deemed as a “close contact” and must quarantine, do the student’s siblings also need to quarantine? What are best practices within a household? Should the “close contact” child refrain from interacting unmasked with siblings if possible?
Siblings of a quarantined student do not need quarantine unless their sibling tests positive for COVID. A “close contact” child should limit their interaction with siblings as much as possible and it is advised they are both masked when in the house. If your child is quarantined due to a close contact your child should stay home and refrain from outings and activities outside the home during their quarantine.