Back-to-school season is upon us, ready or not, and kids will be bringing home more than just homework. They will also be bringing pathogens. These bacteria and viruses are the culprits behind a number of illnesses, including strep throat, influenza, COVID-19, norovirus, and the common cold. There’s a good reason why the majority of school supply lists include boxes of tissues and sanitising wipes. I have spent the last few years teaching the public how to stop the spread of infectious diseases, particularly the flu, as a nursing professor with experience in public health promotion.This school year, there will probably be more classroom illness transmission due to the highly contagious Covid-19 strains and the loosened isolation recommendations that the Centres for illness Control and Prevention announced in March 2024. Not just COVID-19, but all respiratory viruses are covered by these updated CDC guidelines. The updated recommendations advise staying at home when unwell, but they also say that after symptoms start to improve and a person hasn’t had a fever for at least 24 hours without taking medicine to lower fevers, they should resume regular activities. These rules might encourage more patients to come out of seclusion while they are still contagious, however it is too soon to tell how they will affect transmission. Children are a major source of Covid-19 virus transmission.
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