Shenango Valley News

Farrell Area High School/Ums recently issued the following announcement.

Updated COVID Guidelines

Farrell Area School District COVID-19 Quarantine Guidelines for Testing Positive

If You Test Positive for COVID-19 (Isolate)

Everyone, regardless of vaccination status:

• Stay home for 5 days.  Day 0 is the date of symptom onset, or the date the test specimen was collected if the person was asymptomatic.  
• On day 6, if you have no symptoms or your symptoms are improving, you can return to school.  If your doctor is suggesting to stay out of school longer, follow your doctor’s order.
• Continue to wear a well-fitting mask in school on days 6-10.

Note: Your child may attend school after 5 days as long as they are NOT experiencing ANY of the symptoms below:

• Fever (100.4 or higher within the last 24 hours without fever reducing medication)
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Cough
• Chills
• Muscle aches or pain
• Headache
• Nausea/Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Fatigue

Please call the nurse at any time for questions, concerns, or to update on how your family is doing.

Effective: January 5, 2022

Farrell Area School District COVID-19 Quarantine Guidelines for Close Contact to a Positive Case

Individuals who DO need to quarantine after exposure to COVID-19:

• People who are NOT vaccinated.
• People who have completed the primary series of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine OVER 6 months ago and have NOT received a booster vaccination.
• People who have completed the primary series of the J&J vaccine over 2 months ago and have NOT received a booster vaccination.

Individuals in this category must quarantine at home for 5 days, and then wear a mask around others for an additional 5 days.  The day of exposure counts as day 0.  Use the COVID-19 symptoms tracker below to monitor for signs and symptoms.  The person can return back to school on day 6 if they are symptom free, and they must wear a mask for the next 5 days.  It is recommended that the person have a COVID test completed on day 5, but not required.  If the individual started having symptoms or had a positive test, refer to the guidelines for testing positive.

Individuals who do NOT need to quarantine after exposure to COVID-19:

• People who received a booster vaccination and more than 2 weeks have passed.
• People who have completed the primary series of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine within the last 6 months.
• People who have completed the primary series of J&J within the last 2 months.

Individuals in this category do NOT need to quarantine at home, however they should wear a mask around others for 10 days.  Monitor for signs and symptoms of COVID-19 and quarantine at home if the individual has any of the symptoms from the chart below.  It is recommended that the person have a COVID test completed on day 5, but not required.  If the individual started having symptoms or tested positive, refer to the guideline for testing positive.

COVID-19 Symptoms

• Fever (100.4 or higher)
• Cough
• Shortness of breath
• Difficulty breathing
• New Olfactory Disorder: A loss in the ability to smell or a change in the way odors are perceived
• New Taste Disorder: A loss in the ability to taste or a distorted perception of flavor
• Congestion or runny nose
• Chills
• Sudden chills or shivering with a rise in temperature, often with sweating
• Myalgia: muscle aches or pain
• Headache
• Sore throat
• Vomiting or Nausea
• Diarrhea
• Fatigue

Please call the nurse at any time for questions, concerns, or to update on how your family is doing.

Effective: January 5, 2022

Original source can be found here.