Keeping healthy with RSV, COVID-19, and cold/flu season

Cold and flu season is here, along with ongoing cases of RSV and COVID-19. Please do your part to help ensure our schools are healthy places to work and learn.

Every Morning

• Do a daily health check, including a temperature check.
• Have your child stay home if they are sick, including if their temperature is above 100 degrees.
• Send your child to school with a water bottle each day.

COVID-19 Updates

• Call your child's school to report a positive COVID-19 or Influenza test.
• Students who are positive for COVID-19 must isolate for five days and return to school wearing a mask for days 5-10. 
• At-home COVID-19 test kits are available for students in their school’s Health Services office.
• We are no longer asking close contacts to quarantine. If you are a close contact to someone who tests positive for COVID-19, the date of your exposure is considered day 0. Day 1 is the first full day after your last contact with someone who has had COVID-19. Mask for 10 days and test on day five. If you develop symptoms, isolate immediately and get tested.
• Our District recommends masks if the Hennepin County community level is in red. We are currently green (as of 11/16/22).

Vaccines

• Bivalent vaccines are updated booster vaccines that protect against the original strain of COVID-19 and the Omicron variants currently circulating (BA.4 and BA.5).
• People 5 years of age and older are now able to receive an updated Bivalent booster dose at least two months after their final primary series dose or last booster shot.
• Bloomington Public Health offers immunization clinics every other Tuesday from 12:30-4 p.m. Please call 952-563-8900 to schedule an appointment.
• Find more COVID-19 vaccine options on the Minnesota COVID-19 website.

Updated Mask Guidance

• When the Hennepin County COVID-19 level is red, masks are required for everyone in our school health offices. 
• When the Hennepin County COVID-19 level is green or yellow, it is recommended that only symptomatic students mask when entering health offices. 

If you have any questions about this information, please contact your healthcare provider, your school nurse, or Richfield Health Services Supervisor Michelle Whiteside at michelle.whiteside@rpsmn.org.

Richfield Public Schools

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)

• RSV infection is a common respiratory illness that can affect persons of any age. It is the most common cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia in infants and children under 2 years of age. RSV infection spreads quickly to adults and children alike. Outbreaks of RSV occur almost every year during the winter and early spring.   
• Your child may have a cough, watery eyes, runny nose or stuffiness, or sneezing. Symptoms may last for 7 days. People with severe RSV may wheeze and/or have lung congestion. RSV can be serious for premature babies and people with heart, lung, or immune system problems. If your child is infected, it may take 2 to 8 days for symptoms to start.

Influenza (also known as flu) 

• The flu is a common viral respiratory infection.
• Symptoms include chills, body aches, fever, and headache. Your child may also have a cough, runny or stuffy nose, and sore throat. Illness may last up to 7 days. If your child has been infected, it may take 1 to 4 days (usually 2 days) for symptoms to start.

COVID-19

• COVID-19 is a highly contagious viral illness. It is a common infection that may be prevented by vaccination.
• Your child may have a fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, body aches, headache, vomiting/diarrhea, or a new loss of taste or smell. Your child may also be infected and have no symptoms. If your child has been infected, it may take 2 to 14 days for symptoms to start.