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Allergy Season

As Allergy Season quickly approaches, please know some of the symptoms of allergies and how to help prevent them from arising in yourself or your child.  Many allergy symptoms can be the same as COVID-19 symptoms.  Seasonal allergies can result from grass, weed, tree pollen, or molds. Cat and dog dander allergies are common. 

Symptoms include:

• itchy eyes and skin
• itchy nose or throat
• sneezing
• nasal congestion
• wheezing
• rash

Many over-the-counter medications can help keep these symptoms at bay.  Please speak with your pediatrician about what might be best for your child if they typically suffer from allergies.  We want to help avoid any dismissals from school for symptoms that may also be consistent with COVID-19 symptoms! Please ask your child’s pediatrician for a note so that we have record of their diagnosis and any medications they may be taking. 

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Please continue to follow the NAPS COVID guidelines:

Caregivers must monitor their children each day for COVID-19 symptoms and should not send their child to school when sick.  

By sending children to school, a caregiver is self-certifying that their child does not have COVID-19 symptoms and that they have considered possible exposure to COVID and made the appropriate decision per these guidelines.

Please STAY HOME if you have any of the symptoms listed:

• Fever (100.0° Fahrenheit or higher), chills, or shaking chills 

• Cough (not due to other known cause, such as chronic cough)

• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath

• New loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Muscle aches or body aches

• Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea

• Headache when in combination with other symptoms

• Fatigue, when in combination with other symptoms

• Nasal congestion or runny nose (not due to other known causes, such as allergies) when in combination with other symptoms

OR:

You have had close contact with a person known to be infected with Covid-19 in the last 14 days

OR:

You have traveled outside of Massachusetts in the past 14 days (except lower risk states)

If you have any of the above symptoms, contact your primary care provider for further instructions and get a test for active COVID-19 infection prior to returning to school unless another diagnosis was determined to cause your symptoms. A list of test sites is available here, and Massachusetts also has an interactive testing map. 

1. Wear a mask
2. Wash your hands
3. Watch your distance (stay 6ft. apart)