With the coronavirus pandemic still ongoing across the world, many people are trying to keep things safe for people as businesses slowly reopen. Many cities all over the world are still mandating that masks be worn at all times while out in public and that everyone maintains a safe six feet of distance from others in all public places.
With schools reopening, many cities have been trying to maintain protocols to keep students and staff safe.
Many schools are operating on fully remote or hybrid models, where students rotate in cohorts coming in and out of school. This is to try and maintain a small number of people in the building at all times.
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Many schools are also introducing procedures where they regularly check the health and well-being of their community.
Some schools, have everyone fill out a survey every day where students and staff answer questions about their temperature and social surroundings before entering the building. Other schools do temperature checks for students periodically throughout the day.
Sometimes, however, schools are taking extra precautions for COVID-19 and sending students home for reasons not related to the virus.
Symptoms of other conditions can be mistaken for COVID-19. For example, the symptoms of the common cold can easily seem like COVID-19, too. It’s hard to know the difference without an actual test.
One mom from Florida is speaking out now against her daughter’s school, who sent her home for ‘COVID-19 symptoms’ when it had nothing to do with COVID at all.
Mom Sheila Gayle got a call from her daughter’s school in Fort Myers, Florida that her daughter needed to be picked up.
Her daughter, an eighth grader at Lexington Middle School, went to the nurse’s office saying she was, “tired and fatigued.”
With Florida being a “hot spot” for coronavirus cases, the schools are acting accordingly with data.
New data and information show that as of Tuesday, October 20, Florida has a total of 756,727 coronavirus cases and 16,100 deaths. Additionally, there has been a spike in cases since the second wave came around in the fall.
Schools, however, are trying to stay open to ensure that kids can get a well-rounded and supported education.
Despite the increase in numbers, many schools across Florida are fighting to stay open. That means making sure that if a student does have COVID-19, or symptoms associated with the virus, they remove the student from school immediately.
The Lexington Middle School nurse decided out of caution to send Gayle’s daughter home, fearing that she may have COVID-19.
The mom was forced to get her daughter from school early, but was unhappy when she realized her daughter did not have a fever nor a cough. Regardless, she made an appointment with her daughter’s doctor.
It turns out that her daughter was feeling “off” and tired from her period, not from COVID-19.
The mom told FOX 4 Now that her daughter even told the nurse that she was feeling sick from her period, but the nurse was worried it could be something more severe.
The mom was frustrated that the school acted in such a way.
“This what it’s come down to? So every month I have to come when she’s on her cycle? It’s just ridiculous at this point,” she said.
A spokesperson for Lee County schools stood by the nurse’s decision.
The spokesperson confirmed that out of caution, any student exhibiting potential COVID-19 symptoms must be removed from school, and cleared by a doctor or a negative COVID test before returning to class.
Gayle’s daughter was able to get the all-clear to return to class, but this mom hopes the school’s policy changes.
“I just feel like this whole system needs to be re-evaluated,” she said.
h/t: FOX 4 Now
