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It's a new school year and across Lubbock and the entire state, kids are heading back into the classrooms. And while that may be good news for mom and dad and for the educational well-being of the student, it also means germs and sickness are soon to follow.

Even in non-COVID years, kids and teachers alike tend to get sick at the beginning of a school year. With COVID still part our lives, many parents are wondering what to do if their child gets sick.

For many schools, it seems to depend on the symptoms and if the student has a fever. Of course it also comes down to testing. KAMC visited with the City of Lubbock Health Department to get some insight into what parents should do if their child tests positive for COVID. In short, keep them home if they test positive.

“This is actually the third school year that COVID’s been an issue. We have seen a blip in those numbers anytime that groups of people start coming together,” said City of Lubbock Public Health Director Katherine Wells.

Wells encouraged families to test their kids if they come home from school with any allergy-like symptoms, sore throats, fevers, or other COVID symptoms.

“A child that tests positive should stay home at least five days from when their symptoms started. They also need to be fever free for at least 24 hours,” the health department shared.

Some school districts in Texas are telling parents to go ahead and bring kids to school if they haven't been tested but also aren't running a fever.

Just like we have seen in previous years, the guidance is likely to change depending on the school and situation. It's always best to contact your child's school to see what their policy is.

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