SNACS Protocols for Prevention, Monitoring, and Exposure for COVID-19
The COVID-19 BA2.86 Variant is rising in northern Nevada, the state, and the nation.
Schools and early care and education (ECE) programs are an essential part of the infrastructure of communities as they provide safe, supportive learning environments for students and children and enable parents and caregivers to be at work. Schools and ECE programs like Head Start also provide critical services that help to mitigate health disparities, such as school lunch programs and social, physical, behavioral, and mental health services. This guidance from the CDC helps SNACS and SNACS Preschool remain open and help their administrators support safe, in-person learning while reducing the spread of COVID-19. Based on COVID-19 hospital admission levels, this guidance provides flexibility so schools and ECE programs can adapt to changing local situations, including periods of increased community health impacts from COVID-19. SNACS works directly with the Washoe County School District, Washoe County Social Services, and the Northern Nevada Public Health Department to prevent, mitigate, and respond to COVID-19.
SNACS and SNACS Preschool use a core set of infectious disease prevention strategies as part of their normal operations. The addition and layering of COVID-19-specific prevention strategies should be tied to the COVID-19 hospital admission levels and community or setting-specific context, such as availability of resources, health status of students, and age of population served. Enhanced prevention strategies also may be necessary in response to an outbreak in the school and preschool setting. This CDC guidance is meant to supplement—not replace—any federal, state, tribal, local, or territorial health and safety laws, rules, and regulations with which SNACS programs must comply.
SNACS programs play critical roles in promoting equity in learning and health, particularly for groups disproportionately affected by COVID-19. People living in rural areas, people with disabilities, immigrants, and people who identify as American Indian/Alaska Native, Black or African American, and Hispanic or Latino have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19. These disparities have also emerged among children. SNACS administrators and public health officials can promote equity in learning and health by demonstrating to families, teachers, and staff that comprehensive prevention strategies are in place to keep students, staff, families, and school communities safe and provide supportive environments for in-person learning. Reasonable modifications or accommodations, when necessary, must be provided to ensure equal access to in-person learning for students with disabilities.
Though this guidance is written for COVID-19 prevention, many of the layered prevention strategies described in this guidance can help prevent the spread of other infectious diseases, such as influenza (flu), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and norovirus, and support healthy learning environments for all.
SNACS works closely with and follows procedures required by the Northern Nevada Public Health Department to navigate and mitigate COVID-19 to ensure a safe and healthy school environment. Families can help by monitoring for symptoms, home test screening, or lab testing if symptoms arise. Families are requested to report any student illnesses/absences to the front office by calling (775) 677-4500.
Strategies for Everyday Operations
SNACS programs take various actions every day to prevent the spread of infectious diseases, including the virus that causes COVID-19. The following strategies for everyday operations are in place at all COVID-19 hospital admission levels, including low levels.
Staying Up to Date on Vaccinations
SNACS and SNACS preschool works with the health departments to promote equitable access to vaccination. Staying current on routine vaccinations is essential to prevent illness from many infections. According to the CDC, COVID-19 vaccination helps protect eligible people from getting severely ill with COVID-19. For COVID-19, staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations is the leading public health strategy to prevent severe disease. Not only does it provide individual-level protection, but high vaccination coverage reduces the burden of COVID-19 on people, schools, healthcare systems, and communities.
Staying Home When Sick
People who have symptoms of respiratory or gastrointestinal infections, such as cough, fever, sore throat, vomiting, or diarrhea, should stay home. Testing is recommended for people with symptoms of COVID-19 as soon as possible after symptoms begin. If a person with COVID-19 symptoms tests negative for COVID-19, they should consider getting tested for other respiratory illnesses that could be spread to others, such as flu. If tested using an antigen test, negative tests should be repeated following FDA recommendations. People at risk of getting very sick with COVID-19 who test positive should consult with a healthcare provider right away for possible treatment, even if their symptoms are mild. Staying home when sick can lower the risk of spreading infectious diseases, including COVID-19, to other people. For more information on staying home when sick with COVID-19, including recommendations for isolation and mask use for people who test positive or who are experiencing symptoms consistent with COVID-19, see Isolation and Precautions for People with COVID-19.
Under applicable laws and regulations, SNACS and SNACS Preschool support flexible, non-punitive, and supportive sick leave policies and practices. These policies support employees caring for a sick family member and encourage sick workers to stay home without fear of retaliation, loss of employment, or other negative impacts. SNACS provides excused absences for students who are sick with a doctor’s note and supports children who are learning at home if they are sick but well enough to complete class work. Students are provided with additional time to complete assignments missed during absences. SNACS and SNACS Preschool ensure that employees and families know and understand these policies and avoid language that penalizes or stigmatizes staying home when sick.
Ventilation
Classroom teachers optimize ventilation and maintain improvements to indoor air quality to reduce the risk of germs and contaminants spreading through the air.
When COVID-19 hospital admission levels increase or in response to an outbreak, schools and ECE programs can take additional steps to increase outdoor air intake and improve air filtration. For example, safely opening windows and doors, including on school buses and ECE transportation vehicles, and using portable air cleaners with HEPA filters, are strategies to improve ventilation. Schools and ECE programs may also consider holding some activities outside if feasible when the COVID-19 hospital admission level is high.
Hand Hygiene and Respiratory Etiquette
Washing hands can prevent the spread of infectious diseases. SNACS and SNACS Preschool staff teach and reinforce proper handwashing to lower the risk of spreading viruses, including the virus that causes COVID-19. They monitor and reinforce these behaviors, especially during key times in the day (for example, before and after eating, after using the restroom, and after recess), and should also provide adequate handwashing supplies, including soap and water. If washing hands is not possible, they provide hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol. Hand sanitizers are stored up, away, and out of sight of younger children and should be used only with adult supervision for children ages 5 years and younger.
SNACS and SNACS Preschool staff teach and reinforce covering coughs and sneezes to help keep individuals from getting and spreading infectious diseases, including COVID-19.
Cleaning
SNACS and SNACS Preschool clean surfaces at least once a day, multiple times per day for classroom table tops, to reduce the risk of germs spreading by touching surfaces. For more information, see Cleaning and Disinfecting Your Facility. Additionally, SNACS Preschool staff follow recommended cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfection procedures in their setting, such as after diapering, feeding, and exposure to bodily fluids. See Caring for Our Children.
COVID-19 Hospital Admission Levels and Associated Prevention Strategies
CDC’s COVID-19 hospital admission levels help communities and individuals make decisions about what COVID-19 prevention strategies to use based on whether their community is classified as low, medium, or high. These levels take into account COVID-19 hospitalization admission rates. Recommendations outlined for the COVID-19 hospital admission levels are the same for schools and ECE programs as those for the community. Schools and ECE programs that serve students from multiple communities should follow prevention recommendations based on the COVID-19 hospital admission level of the community in which SNACS and SNACS Preschool are located.
SNACS and SNACS Preschool administrators work with local health officials to consider other local conditions and factors when implementing prevention strategies. School-specific indicators—such as rates of absenteeism among students and staff or the presence of students or staff who are at risk of getting very sick with COVID-19—can help with decision-making. Additional community-level indicators that might be considered in decision-making about COVID-19 prevention are pediatric hospitalizations, results from wastewater surveillance, or other local information.
When the COVID-19 hospital admission level indicates an increase, particularly if the level is high or SNACS or SNACS Preschool is experiencing an outbreak, layered prevention strategies, described below, to maintain safe, in-person learning and keep programs safely open.
Masking
Wearing a well-fitting mask or respirator consistently and correctly reduces the risk of spreading the virus that causes COVID-19. At a high COVID-19 hospital admission level, universal indoor masking in schools and ECE programs is recommended, as it is in the community at large. Policies for the use of masks in school nurse offices should follow recommendations outlined in the Infection Control: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) guidance. Recommendations for masking in nurses’ offices may depend on factors such as COVID-19 hospital admission level, outbreak status, and patient access. People who have known or suspected exposure to COVID-19 should also wear a well-fitting mask or respirator around others for ten days from their last exposure, regardless of vaccination status or history of prior infection.
Anyone who chooses to wear a mask or respirator should be supported in their decision to do so at any COVID-19 hospital admission level, including low. At a medium and high COVID-19 hospital admission level, immunocompromised or at risk for getting very sick with COVID-19 should wear a mask or respirator that provides greater protection. Since wearing masks or respirators can prevent the spread of COVID-19, people who have a household or social contact with someone at risk for getting very sick with COVID-19 (for example, a student with a sibling who is at risk) may also choose to wear a mask at any COVID-19 hospital admission level. Schools and ECE programs should consider flexible, non-punitive policies and practices to support individuals who wear masks regardless of the COVID-19 hospital admission level.
Schools with students at risk for getting very sick with COVID-19 must make reasonable modifications or accommodations to ensure that all students, including those with disabilities, can access in-person learning. Schools might need to require masking in settings such as classrooms or during activities to protect students with immunocompromising conditions or other conditions that increase their risk of getting very sick with COVID-19 under applicable federal, state, or local laws and policies. For more information and support, visit the U.S. Department of Education’s Disability Rights webpage. Students with immunocompromising conditions or other conditions or disabilities that increase the risk of getting very sick with COVID-19 should not be placed into separate classrooms or otherwise segregated from other students.
Because mask use is not recommended for children ages younger than 2 years and may be difficult for very young children or for some children with disabilities who cannot safely wear a mask, ECE programs and K-12 schools may need to consider other prevention strategies—such as improving ventilation and avoiding crowding—when the COVID-19 hospital admission level is medium or high or in response to an outbreak. K-12 schools or ECE programs may choose to implement universal indoor mask use to meet the needs of the families they serve, which could include people at risk for getting very sick with COVID-19.
For more information about masks please visit Types of Masks and Respirators.
Testing
Diagnostic Testing
Schools and ECE programs may offer diagnostic testing (but are not required to) for students and staff with symptoms of COVID-19 or who were exposed to someone with COVID-19 in the K-12 or ECE setting, or refer them to a community testing site, healthcare provider, or to use an at-home test. Each COVID-19 test with an emergency use authorization (EUA) has a minimum age requirement. Schools and ECE programs should only use appropriate tests for the person being tested. For more information on when someone should test, where to get tests, and what results mean, please visit COVID-19 Testing: What You Need to Know.
Screening Testing
Screening testing identifies people with COVID-19 who do not have symptoms or known or suspected exposures so that steps can be taken to prevent further spread of COVID-19.
Management of Cases and Exposures
Students or staff who come to SNACS or SNACS Preschool program with symptoms or develop symptoms while in attendance will be asked to wear a well-fitting mask or respirator while in the building and be sent home and encouraged to get tested. Symptomatic people who cannot wear a mask should be separated from others as much as possible; children should be supervised by a designated caregiver who is wearing a well-fitting mask or respirator until they leave school grounds.
Staff or students with COVID-19 should isolate away from others and do not attend school until they have completed isolation. Once isolation has ended, people should wear a well-fitting mask or respirator around others through day 10. Testing is not required to determine the end of isolation or mask use after having COVID-19; however people can use the test-based strategy outlined in the isolation guidance to potentially shorten the duration of post-isolation mask use. If using the test-based strategy, people should continue to wear a well-fitting mask or respirator in the school or ECE setting until testing criteria have been met. People who are not able to wear a well-fitting mask or respirator should either isolate for 10 full days or follow the test-based strategy to determine when they can safely return to the school or ECE setting without a mask, while continuing to isolate until testing criteria have been met. If a person with COVID-19 has been inside a school or ECE facility within the last 24 hours, the space should be cleaned and disinfected. For more information, see Cleaning and Disinfecting Your Facility.
Quarantine is no longer recommended for people exposed to COVID-19 except in specific high-risk congregate settings such as correctional facilities, homeless shelters, and nursing homes. In schools and ECE settings, which are generally not considered high-risk congregate settings, people exposed to COVID-19 should follow recommendations to wear a well-fitting mask and get tested. K-12 school and ECE administrators can decide how to manage exposures based on the local context and benefits of preserving access to in-person learning. Accommodations may be necessary for exposed people who cannot wear a mask or have difficulty wearing a well-fitting mask. Schools and ECE programs can also consider recommending masking and/or testing for a classroom in which a student who is unable to consistently and correctly wear a mask was recently exposed.
Quarantine is a key component of Test to Stay programs. Since quarantine is no longer recommended for people exposed to COVID-19 except in certain high-risk congregate settings, Test to Stay (TTS) is no longer needed. If any school or ECE program continues requiring quarantine, they may also choose to continue TTS.
Responding to Outbreaks
If SNACS or SNACS Preschool experiences a COVID-19 outbreak, administrators work with the Northern Nevada Health Department for prevention strategies regardless of the COVID-19 hospital admission level. Strategies that can help reduce transmission during an outbreak include wearing well-fitting masks or respirators, improving ventilation (for example, moving school activities outdoors, opening windows and doors, and using air filters), screening testing, and case investigation and contact tracing. Early identification of cases to ensure that they stay home and isolate is critical to outbreak response. SNACS or SNACS Preschool may suspend high-risk activities to control a school- or program-associated outbreak.
Considerations for High-Risk Activities
Due to increased and forceful exhalation during physical activity, some sports can put players, coaches, trainers, and others at increased risk of getting and spreading the virus that causes COVID-19. Close contact and indoor sports are particularly risky for participants and spectators, especially in crowded indoor venues. Similar risks may exist for extracurricular activities, such as band, choir, theater, and other school clubs that meet indoors and entail increased exhalation. At a high COVID-19 hospital admission level, SNACS and SNACS Preschool may implement screening testing for high-risk activities such as indoor sports and extracurricular activities. SNACS and SNACS Preschool administrators may temporarily stop these activities to control a school- or program-associated outbreak or during high COVID-19 hospital admission levels. SNACS Preschool layers prevention strategies, such as masking, when close contact occurs, such as feeding and diapering young children and infants.
SNACS and SNACS Preschool follow guidelines and recommendations for Prevention, Exposure, and Isolation from the Northern Nevada Health Department
Prevention Actions to Use at All COVID-19 Community Levels
In addition to basic health and hygiene practices, like handwashing, CDC recommends some prevention actions at all COVID-19 hospital admission levels, which include:
CDC Recommends Staying Up to Date with COVID-19 Vaccines
The CDC reports COVID-19 vaccines help your body develop protection from the virus that causes COVID-19. Although vaccinated people sometimes get infected with the virus that causes COVID-19, staying up to date on COVID-19 vaccines significantly lowers the risk of getting very sick, being hospitalized, or dying from COVID-19. CDC recommends that everyone stay up to date on their COVID-19 vaccines, especially people with weakened immune systems.
To find COVID-19 vaccine locations near you: Search vaccines.gov, text your ZIP code to 438829, or call 1-800-232-0233.
Improving Ventilation and Spending Time Outdoors
Improving ventilation (moving air into, out of, or within a room) and filtration (trapping particles on a filter to remove them from the air) can help prevent virus particles from accumulating in indoor air. Improving ventilation and filtration can help protect you from getting infected with and spreading the virus that causes COVID-19. Spending time outside when possible instead of inside can also help: Viral particles spread between people more readily indoors than outdoors.
Actions that can improve ventilation and filtration include:
- Bringing in as much outdoor air as possible—for example, opening windows.
- Increasing air filtration in your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, such as by changing filters frequently and using filters that are properly fitted and provide higher filtration.
- Using portable high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) cleaners.
- Turning on exhaust fans and using other fans to improve air flow.
- Turning your thermostat to the “ON” position instead of “AUTO” to ensure your HVAC system provides continuous airflow and filtration.
CDC’s interactive ventilation tools can help you see how much you can improve ventilation in your home or school.
Moving indoor activities outdoors
You are less likely to be infected with COVID-19 during outdoor activities because virus particles do not build up in the air outdoors as much as they do indoors. As the COVID-19 hospital admission level rises, consider increasing the number of group activities you move outside.
What to Do If You Were Exposed to COVID-19
If you have tested positive or are showing symptoms of COVID-19, isolate immediately.
About Being Exposed to COVID-19
A tool to help you determine if you need to isolate or take other steps to prevent spreading COVID-19.
If you were exposed to the virus that causes COVID-19 or have been told by a healthcare provider, public health authority, or the school that you were exposed, here are the steps that you should take, regardless of your vaccination status or if you have had a previous infection. Learn how COVID-19 spreads and the factors that make risk of spread higher or lower.
Wear a mask as soon as you find out you were exposed
Start counting from Day 1
- Day 0 is the day of your last exposure to someone with COVID-19
- Day 1 is the first full day after your last exposure
Wear a high-quality mask or respirator (e.g., N95) any time you are around others inside your home or indoors in public 1
- Do not go places where you are unable to wear a mask. For travel guidance, see CDC’s Travel webpage.
Take extra precautions if you will be around people who are more likely to get very sick from COVID-19.
- fever (100.4°F or greater)
- cough
- shortness of breath
- other COVID-19 symptoms
If you develop symptoms
- isolate immediately
- get tested
- stay home until you know the result
If your test result is positive, follow the isolation recommendations.
Test even if you don’t develop symptoms.
If you already had COVID-19 within the past 90 days, see specific testing recommendations.
Continue taking precautions through day 10
- Wear a high-quality mask when around others at home and indoors in public
You can still develop COVID-19 up to 10 days after you have been exposed.
*About negative test results
As noted in the Food and Drug Administration labeling for authorized over-the-counter antigen tests, negative test results do not rule out SARS-CoV-2 infection and should not be used as the sole basis for treatment or patient management decisions, including infection control decisions.
Watch ASL Video: What to do if you’ve been exposed to COVID-19
After Being Exposed to COVID-19, people should start precautions immediately. This includes wearing a high-quality mask when indoors around others (including inside your home) for 10 days, testing, and monitoring for symptoms. Testing should be done at least full 5 days after initial exposure, even if symptoms do not develop.
Isolation and Precautions for People with COVID-19
If you were exposed to COVID-19, you should start taking precautions.
Isolation and Exposure Calculator
A tool to help you determine if you need to isolate or take other steps to prevent spreading COVID-19.
If you have COVID-19, you can spread the virus to others. There are precautions you can take to prevent spreading it to others: isolation, masking, and avoiding contact with people who are at high risk of getting very sick. Isolation is used to separate people with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 from those without COVID-19.
These recommendations do not change based on COVID-19 hospital admission levels. If you have COVID-19, also see additional information on treatments that may be available to you.
This information is intended for a general audience. Healthcare professionals should see Ending Isolation and Precautions for People with COVID-19. This CDC guidance is meant to supplement—not replace—any federal, state, local, territorial, or tribal health and safety laws, rules, and regulations.
For Healthcare Professionals: Ending Isolation and Precautions for People with COVID-19
Regardless of vaccination status, you should isolate from others when you have COVID-19.
You should also isolate if you are sick and suspect that you have COVID-19 but do not yet have test results. If your results are positive, follow the full isolation recommendations below. If your results are negative, you can end your isolation.
You can end your isolation
Follow the full isolation recommendations below
When you have COVID-19, isolation is counted in days, as follows:
If you had no symptoms
- Day 0 is the day you were tested (not the day you received your positive test result)
- Day 1 is the first full day following the day you were tested
- If you develop symptoms within 10 days of when you were tested, the clock restarts at day 0 on the day of symptom onset
If you had symptoms
- Day 0 of isolation is the day of symptom onset, regardless of when you tested positive
- Day 1 is the first full day after the day your symptoms started
If you test positive for COVID-19, stay home for at least 5 days and isolate from others in your home.
You are likely most infectious during these first 5 days.
- Wear a high-quality mask if you must be around others at home and in public.
- Do not go places where you are unable to wear a mask. For travel guidance, see CDC’s Travel webpage.
- Do not travel.
- Stay home and separate from others as much as possible.
- Use a separate bathroom, if possible.
- Take steps to improve ventilation at home, if possible.
- Don’t share personal household items, like cups, towels, and utensils.
- Monitor your symptoms. If you have an emergency warning sign (like trouble breathing), seek emergency medical care immediately.
- Learn more about what to do if you have COVID-19.
End isolation based on how serious your COVID-19 symptoms were. Loss of taste and smell may persist for weeks or months after recovery and need not delay the end of isolation.
If you had no symptoms
You may end isolation after day 5.
If you had symptoms and:
Your symptoms are improving
You may end isolation after day 5 if:
- You are fever-free for 24 hours (without the use of fever-reducing medication).
Your symptoms are not improving
Continue to isolate until:
- You are fever-free for 24 hours (without the use of fever-reducing medication).
- Your symptoms are improving. 1
If you had symptoms and had:
Moderate illness (you experienced shortness of breath or had difficulty breathing)
You need to isolate through day 10.
Severe illness (you were hospitalized) or have a weakened immune system
- You need to isolate through day 10.
- Consult your doctor before ending isolation.
- Ending isolation without a viral test may not be an option for you.
If you are unsure if your symptoms are moderate or severe or if you have a weakened immune system, talk to a healthcare provider for further guidance.
Regardless of when you end isolation
Until at least day 11:
- Avoid being around people who are more likely to get very sick from COVID-19.
- Remember to wear a high-quality mask when indoors around others at home and in public.
- Do not go places where you are unable to wear a mask until you are able to discontinue masking (see below).
- For travel guidance, see CDC’s Travel webpage.
After you have ended isolation when you are feeling better (no fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and symptoms improving),
- Wear your mask through day 10.
OR
- If you have access to antigen tests, you should consider using them. With two sequential negative tests 48 hours apart, you may remove your mask sooner than day 10.
Note: If your antigen test results1 are positive, you may still be infectious. You should continue wearing a mask and wait at least 48 hours before taking another test. Continue taking antigen tests at least 48 hours apart until you have two sequential negative results. This may mean you need to continue wearing a mask and testing beyond day 10.
After you have ended isolation, if your COVID-19 symptoms recur or worsen, restart your isolation at day 0. Talk to a healthcare provider if you have questions about your symptoms or when to end isolation.
Those who develop symptoms should isolate immediately, get tested, and stay home until test results are known. If results are positive, stay home for at least 5 days and separate from others. Isolation may end after day 5 if fever is resolved for more than 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication and masks should be worn. Please refer to the CDC guidelines below for further information.
Isolation Guidance: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/isolation.html
Exposure Precaution Guidance: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/if-you-were-exposed.html