Parent/guardian of Fife Public Schools student,

    Thank you for taking the necessary precautions to keep students and staff at your student’s school safe and healthy. Based on your student’s symptoms, we ask that they stay home and test for Covid-19.

If you or others have had exposure to your student within 48 hours of the start of symptoms or
anytime thereafter, we encourage testing a minimum of 3-5 days following that exposure.

    We encourage all individuals who may have been exposed to get tested. A PCR test is a simple lab-verified nasal swab. Please send a copy of your student’s PCR test result (negative or positive) to the Nurse & Covid Coordinator prior to returning to school. The report submitted must include name, date of birth, and test date. Rapid tests will not be accepted. If a test is unavailable or not completed, your student must quarantine for 10 days from symptom onset.

    The virus can stay dormant in the body for up to 2 weeks prior to showing symptoms. When exposed to a positive case, there is a possibility of showing symptoms anytime within that 14 day window, though most show symptoms between day 5-10. Many go on to recover from Covid, but approximately 10-15% of cases will have serious long-term side effects known as Long-Covid. The current case-fatality rate in the U.S. is 1.6% which is much higher than that of the flu. With all this in mind, staying overly precautious helps keep our families and communities safe. We must work together and your effort is appreciated.

    If you notify Tacoma-Pierce County Department of Health of positive results, they will send a box of free groceries. There are other resources like this available. Please reach out if you need more support for your family. The pandemic continues to change and we must adapt with it. Our school policies will reflect the most recent guidance from Tacoma-Pierce County Department of Health. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding. Please email us if you have further questions or concerns.

Stay healthy,

Fife Public Schools Nursing Staff