Communicable Disease Policies/Procedure
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8-16 Communicable Diseases In compliance with 10A NCAC 41A.0201, which relates to the prevention of the spread of communicable diseases/conditions, the Rowan-Salisbury School Board strives to provide a safe and orderly environment for all students and employees. The board strives to maintain a balance between the need to educate all eligible students, to protect students and employee rights, and to control communicable diseases including HIV and AIDS. The Superintendent shall develop procedures to prevent the spread of communicable diseases/conditions to student and school employees, incorporating guidelines from the NC Department of Health and Human Services. Any student or employee with a communicable disease/condition including HIV/AIDS shall not be denied enrollment or employment on the basis of the opinion of a single individual. Under certain circumstances, students or employees with communicable diseases/conditions may pose a threat to the health and safety of other students and staff. Decisions regarding educational status of students or employment of staff with communicable diseases/conditions will be made on a case-by-case basis, in accordance with this policy. Nothing in this policy is intended to grant or confer any school attendance, educational rights or employment status beyond those existing by law. This policy will be shared with school staff annually and with new employees as part of any initial orientation. Adopted 07/31/89 Amended 02/10/97 Amended 07/14/03 Amended 04/15/08 Regulation 8-16A Communicable Disease Prevention and Control Regulation Students are excluded from school in cases of communicable diseases. When a student is suspected of having a communicable disease, it is the responsibility of the parent to take the child to their family physician for diagnosis and treatment if necessary. The following are common communicable conditions seen in the school age population. (See the Rowan-Salisbury School Health Policies and Procedures Manual for more detailed information.) Conjunctivitis: Student is excluded if: Eye(s) is(are) severely red and somewhat swollen. There is a yellow (purulent) discharge. Student excessively rubs the itching eye. Condition has lasted more than three days. There is an epidemic in the school or it appears that cases are being transmitted from one student to another. Excluded until proof of treatment is received or eye is clear. Chickenpox: Student is excluded for six (6) days after the rash appears OR until all the blisters have formed dry scabs without any oozing of liquid. Fifth’s Disease: Requires physician diagnosis. Student may return with physician note even if rash is still present. Generalized undiagnosed body rash: Requires physician diagnosis. Impetigo: Student is excluded if they have 3 or more sores. Requires a physician diagnosis and treatment with an antibiotic for 24 hours before return to school or physician’s recommendations. Measles: Student is excluded until the physician’s approval is given and the student is no longer contagious. Pediculosis: Student is excluded until one (1) pediculicide shampoo treatment is completed and all nits are removed. Ringworm of the head and scalp: Should be excluded until physician diagnosis and treatment. Ringworm of the skin: Verification of over the counter treatment should be requested from the parent. The student should be referred to a physician if over the counter treatment is unsuccessful. Scabies: Student is excluded until one (1) treatment with prescription for 12-24 hours is completed. Streptococal and Staphylococal Infections: Student is excluded from school until treated with a prescription antibiotic for at least 24 hours. Adopted 4/14/97 By Board of Education Legislation and Administrative Code Impacting a School Health Program January 2005 Section BB 3.00 COMMUNICABLE DISEASES §130A-134 Reportable Diseases and the person identified in the record, the Conditions record shall be reviewed in camera. In the The Commission shall establish by trial, the trial judge may during the taking of rule a list of communicable diseases and testimony concerning such information, communicable conditions to be reported exclude from the courtroom all persons (1987). except the officers of the court, the parties and those engaged in the trial of the case; §130A-136 School Principals and Child- Care Operators to Report (7) Release is made by the A principal of a school and an Department or a local health department to operator of a child-care, as defined in G.S. a court or a law enforcement officer for the 110-86(3), who has reason to suspect that a purpose of enforcing the provisions of this person within the school or child-care facility Article or Article 22 of this Chapter; or has a communicable disease or investigating a terrorist incident using communicable condition declared by the nuclear, biological, or chemical agents. A Commission to be reported, shall report law enforcement official who received the information required by the commission to information shall not disclose it further, the local health director of the county or except (i) when necessary to enforce this district in which the school or facility is Article or Article 22 of this Chapter, or when located (1997). necessary to conduct investigation or a terrorist incident using nuclear, biological, or §130A-143 Confidentiality of Records chemical agents, or (ii) when the All information and records, whether Department or a local health department publicly or privately maintained, that identify seeks the assistance of the law enforcement a person who has AIDS virus infection or official in preventing or controlling the who has or may have a disease or condition spread of the disease or condition and required to be reported pursuant to the expressly authorizes the disclosure as provisions of this Article shall be strictly necessary for that purpose; confidential. This information shall not be (8) Release is made by the released or made public except under the Department or local health department to following circumstances: another state or local public health agency (1) Release is made of specific for the purpose of preventing or controlling medical or epidemiological information for the spread of a communicable disease or statistical purposes in a way that no person communicable condition; can be identified; (9) Release is made by the (2) Release is made of all or Department for bona fide research part of the medical record with the written purposes. The Commission shall adopt consent of the person or persons, identified rules providing for the use of the information or their guardian; for research purposes; (3) Release is made to health (10) Release is made pursuant care personnel providing medical care to the to G.S. 130A-144(b); or patient; (11) Release is made pursuant (4) Release is necessary to to any other provisions of law that protect the public health and is made as specifically authorize or require the release provided by the commission in its rules of information or records related to AIDS regarding control measures for (2002.) communicable diseases and conditions; (5) Release is made pursuant to other provisions of this Article; (6) Release is made pursuant to subpoena or court order. Upon request of Legislation and Administrative Code Impacting a School Health Program January 2005 Section BB 3.00 §130A-144 Investigation and Control transmitted diseases designated by the Measures Commission. (f) All persons shall comply (a) The local health director with control measures, including submission shall investigate, as required by the to examinations and tests, prescribed by the Commission, cases of communicable Commission subject to the limitations of diseases and communicable conditions G.S. 130A-148. reported to the local health director pursuant (g) The Commission shall to this Article. adopt rules that prescribe control measures (b) Physicians and persons in for communicable diseases and conditions charge of medical facilities or clinical or subject to the limitations of G.S. 130A-148. pathological laboratories shall, upon request Temporary rules prescribing control and proper identification, permit a local measures for communicable diseases and health director or the State Health Director conditions shall be adopted pursuant to G.S. to examine, review, and obtain a copy of 150B-13 medical records in their possession or under (h) Anyone who assists in an their control which pertain to the diagnosis, inquiry or investigation conducted by the treatment, or prevention of a communicable State Health Director for the purpose of disease or communicable condition for a evaluating the risk of transmission of HIV or person infected, exposed, or reasonably Hepatitis B from an infected health care suspected of being infected or exposed to worker to patients, or who serves on an such a disease or condition. expert panel established by the State Health (c) A physician or a person in Director for that purpose, shall be immune charge of a medical facility or laboratory who from civil liability that otherwise might be permits examination, review or copying of incurred or imposed for any acts or medical records pursuant to subsection (b) omissions which result from such assistance shall be immune from any civil or criminal or service, provided that the person acts in liability that otherwise might be incurred or good faith and the acts or omissions do not imposed as a result of complying with a amount to gross negligence, willful or request made pursuant to subsection (b). wanton misconduct, or intentional (d) The attending physician wrongdoing. This qualified immunity does shall give control measures prescribed by not apply to acts omissions which occur with the Commission to a patient with a respect to the operation of a motor vehicle. communicable disease or communicable Nothing in this subsection provides immunity condition and to patients reasonably from liability for a violation of G.S. 130-A- suspected of being infected or exposed to 143.