Link: New Decision Aid 

Effective Monday, May 24, 2021, all schools are to adopt the new standard issued by the Maryland Department of Health regarding the triggering circumstances under which an individual is to be placed into the COVID-19 protocol for assessment. The Maryland Department of Health recently has dropped “COVID like illness” as the criteria under which an individual must be placed into the COVID protocol and have adopted the triggering circumstances now defined as “COVID symptoms”. If a student is waiting for Covid testing results, all siblings MUST say home as well. MOST PEDIATRICIANS ARE ASKING FOR COVID TESTING WITH ONLY 1 SYMPTOM. 

The definition of COVID symptoms includes the following: 

If a student or staff members suffers from any one of the following symptoms* the new definition instructs they must enter the COVID protocol:

*Fever of 100.4 or higher
*Sore throat
*Cough
*Difficulty breathing
*Diarrhea
*Vomiting
*New onset of severe headache (especially with fever)
*New loss of taste or smell

*With respect to each of the above symptoms, if the individual suffers from a chronic condition that can explain the onset of the symptom and if in the judgment of the medical personnel the condition explains the onset of the symptoms, there is no need to place that individual into the COVID protocol 

In addition to revising the criteria under which an individual must be placed into the COVID-19 protocol, the Maryland Department of Health has also further developed their guidance on how to address individuals whether they are vaccinated or not and with respect to whether they are the “affected individual” or a “close contact” of the affected individual. Please review the attached decision aid issued by the State on the protocols for handling vaccinated and non-vaccinated individuals.

Lastly, the other significant change the State of Maryland Health Department has made is a PCR test is no longer required. Rather, testing can now be limited to a rapid test only.