August 2024

Hello WVUSD Families,

The following community guidelines for the prevention of the spread of COVID-19 are from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health:

If you feel sick with cold, flu, or COVID-19 symptoms:

1. Stay home away from others until you have not had a fever for 24 hours (without using fever-reducing medication) and other symptoms are improving. LAC DPH recommends that you test negative before resuming normal activities. COVID-19 can spread quickly, especially when someone feels sick.
2. Wear a well-fitting mask around others while you feel sick. Masks can help prevent spread of germs, including COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses.
3. Get tested. Testing helps make sure you get the right treatment and don't spread germs to others. If you test negative but continue to feel sick, test again 48 hours later. If you continue testing negative, talk to your doctor about testing for other respiratory pathogens, especially if you are high-risk for severe illness.
4. Avoid contact with high-risk individuals for 10 days after you started feeling sick. This includes the elderly, people who reside temporarily or live in a congregate facilityⁱ or people who are immunocompromised.
5. Get treatment for COVID-19 or influenza. Talk to your provider about options.

If you test positive for or a healthcare provider diagnoses you with COVID-19:

1. If you have symptoms:

Follow the steps above for people who feel sick with symptoms of a cold, flu, or COVID-19.

1. If you do not have symptoms, you do not need to stay home as long as you:

• Wear a well-fitting mask around others for 10 days after you tested positive.
• Monitor yourself for symptoms. If you start feeling sick, immediately follow instructions above for people who feel sick with symptoms of a cold, flu, or COVID-19.
• Avoid contact with high-risk individuals for 10 days after you tested positive. Higher risk individuals include the elderly, people who reside temporarily or live in a congregate facility or people who are immunocompromised.
• In addition, tell anyone you’ve been around while you were potentially infectious (that is, two days before and while you felt sick) that they have been exposed and need to follow the instructions for people exposed to COVID-19 below.

If you are a close contact to someone with COVID-19:

1. Wear a well-fitting mask around others for 10 days after your last exposure. Since it is possible to be infected without symptoms, exposed individuals could unknowingly spread COVID-19. It's especially important if you have contact with high-risk individuals like people who reside temporarily or live in a congregate facilityⁱ or people who are immunocompromised.
2. Monitor your health for 10 days after your last exposure. If you start to feel sick, immediately follow instructions above for people who feel sick with symptoms of COVID-19.
3. Get tested 3-5 days after you were last exposed. If you recently recovered from COVID-19 in the last 90 days, review testing recommendations.

If you have questions regarding COVID related policies and procedures at DBHS, please contact District Nurse, Terry Guest ([email protected]), or DBHS COVID Compliance Officer, Carrie Yee ([email protected]) for more information.