10 Common Illnesses to Report to the School Nurse
In this infographic you will find the 10 most common illnesses that arise in the school environment. It is important to communicate with your school nurse if your child is diagnosed with any of these so the school can monitor the spread or outbreak, provide extra sanitization and alert other parents and caregivers to monitor their child's health. This is not an exhaustive list, but these are the most common things we see in our school community. If you have any concerns about your child's health or diagnosis, please discuss it with your child's healthcare provider.
1. STREP Strep throat is common, especially among children ages 5 to 15. Strep throat symptoms include sore throat, swollen glands and fever. It is diagnosed with a throat swab test. Once it is confirmed, strep throat can be treated with antibiotics to ease symptoms, control spread and prevent complications.
2. INFLUENZA Influenza (also known as “flu”) is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses. It can cause mild to severe illness. Symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue, and cough. Flu is typically confirmed by a nasal swab test.
3. COVID-19: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Most people infected with the virus will experience mild to moderate flu-like symptoms including fever, and/or loss of taste and smell. COVID-19 can be confirmed by a nasal swab test.
4. RSV: Respiratory syncytial (sin-SISH-uhl) virus, or RSV, is a common respiratory virus that usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms. Most people recover in a week or two, but RSV can be serious in infants and older adults who are more likely to develop severe RSV and need hospitalization.
5. HFMD: Hand-foot-and-mouth disease is a mild, contagious viral infection common in young children. Symptoms include sores in the mouth and a rash on the hands and feet. Hand-foot-and-mouth disease is most commonly caused by a coxsackievirus. There's no specific treatment for hand-foot-and-mouth disease.
6. LICE The head louse, or Pediculus humanus capitis, is a parasitic insect that can be found on the head, eyebrows, and eyelashes of humans. Head lice feed on human blood several times a day and live close to the human scalp. Head lice are not known to spread disease and house pets cannot get lice.
7. MONO Mononucleosis, or mono, is a viral infection that causes fever, sore throat, and swollen lymph glands, most often in the neck. Mono is caused by the Epstein-Barr virus and is spread through saliva, by sharing drinks, food utensils and kissing.
8. PERTUSSIS Whooping cough (pertussis) is a highly contagious respiratory tract infection. In many people, it's marked by a severe hacking cough followed by a high-pitched intake of breath that sounds like "whoop."
9. IMPETIGO Impetigo (im-puh-TIE-go) is a common and highly contagious skin infection that mainly affects infants and young children. It usually appears as reddish sores on the face, especially around the nose and mouth and on the hands and feet. Over about a week, the sores burst and develop honey-colored crusts.
10. NOROVIRUS Norovirus is a very contagious virus that causes vomiting and diarrhea. Anyone can get infected and sick with norovirus. The most common symptoms are vomiting, diarrhea, nausea and stomach pain.
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1. STREP Strep throat is common, especially among children ages 5 to 15. Strep throat symptoms include sore throat, swollen glands and fever. It is diagnosed with a throat swab test. Once it is confirmed, strep throat can be treated with antibiotics to ease symptoms, control spread and prevent complications.
2. INFLUENZA Influenza (also known as “flu”) is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses. It can cause mild to severe illness. Symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue, and cough. Flu is typically confirmed by a nasal swab test.
3. COVID-19: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Most people infected with the virus will experience mild to moderate flu-like symptoms including fever, and/or loss of taste and smell. COVID-19 can be confirmed by a nasal swab test.
4. RSV: Respiratory syncytial (sin-SISH-uhl) virus, or RSV, is a common respiratory virus that usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms. Most people recover in a week or two, but RSV can be serious in infants and older adults who are more likely to develop severe RSV and need hospitalization.
5. HFMD: Hand-foot-and-mouth disease is a mild, contagious viral infection common in young children. Symptoms include sores in the mouth and a rash on the hands and feet. Hand-foot-and-mouth disease is most commonly caused by a coxsackievirus. There's no specific treatment for hand-foot-and-mouth disease.
6. LICE The head louse, or Pediculus humanus capitis, is a parasitic insect that can be found on the head, eyebrows, and eyelashes of humans. Head lice feed on human blood several times a day and live close to the human scalp. Head lice are not known to spread disease and house pets cannot get lice.
7. MONO Mononucleosis, or mono, is a viral infection that causes fever, sore throat, and swollen lymph glands, most often in the neck. Mono is caused by the Epstein-Barr virus and is spread through saliva, by sharing drinks, food utensils and kissing.
8. PERTUSSIS Whooping cough (pertussis) is a highly contagious respiratory tract infection. In many people, it's marked by a severe hacking cough followed by a high-pitched intake of breath that sounds like "whoop."
9. IMPETIGO Impetigo (im-puh-TIE-go) is a common and highly contagious skin infection that mainly affects infants and young children. It usually appears as reddish sores on the face, especially around the nose and mouth and on the hands and feet. Over about a week, the sores burst and develop honey-colored crusts.
10. NOROVIRUS Norovirus is a very contagious virus that causes vomiting and diarrhea. Anyone can get infected and sick with norovirus. The most common symptoms are vomiting, diarrhea, nausea and stomach pain.
