Contagious Illness Policy
Youth Education

1. Purpose

To ensure the health and safety of all campers, students, and staff by minimizing the risk of spreading contagious diseases in classes and camps.

2. Scope

This policy applies to all campers, students, staff, and volunteers at Youth Education.

3. General Youth Education Staff and Camper/Student Illness Guidelines

• Parents/guardians should not send campers and students to program activities if they are exhibiting signs of illness.
• Staff will send campers and students home if they exhibit signs of illness.
• All camper and student medication and medical conditions must be reported to the program prior to attending program activities. This ensures staff are adequately prepared to respond to health and medical issues.
• Staff are not authorized to administer medication. Staff can issue campers and students reminders of when they need to self-administer their medication. This applies to prescribed and over-the-counter medication.
• Parents should ensure their camper or student's vaccinations are up to date.
• Staff should ensure their vaccinations are up to date.
• Club U and Youth Education staff are trained in First Aid, CPR, and AED use. They can provide the level of care they are trained to provide. Anything outside of the scope of their training requires medical care outside of Youth Education's purview.
• Youth Education does not issue refunds or partial refunds for absences.

4. General Symptoms Monitored Under This Policy

Below are the common symptoms and illnesses we ask parents and staff to monitor. This is not a comprehensive list of all potential concerns.

• Fever: A fever of 100.4°F.
• Respiratory Illnesses:
• Fever (100.4°F or above) or chills
• Cough
• Nasal or chest congestion
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Sore throat
• Conjunctivitis – Pink Eye:
• Pink or red conjunctiva (whites of the eye), redness of the eyelids, or skin surrounding the eye
• White or yellow drainage
• Matted eyelashes upon awaking
• Eye pain, sensitivity to light
• Contagious Diseases: e.g., chickenpox, measles, strep throat, flu
• Fever: Elevated body temperature, often above 100°F
• Cough: Persistent coughing, which can be dry or productive
• Sore Throat: Pain or irritation in the throat, often accompanied by difficulty swallowing
• Runny or Stuffy Nose: Nasal congestion or discharge
• Rash: Unexplained skin rashes or spots
• Vomiting: Episodes of throwing up
• Diarrhea: Frequent, loose, or watery bowel movements
• Fatigue: Unusual tiredness or weakness
• Muscle or Body Aches: Generalized pain or discomfort in muscles or joints
• Headache: Persistent or severe head pain
• Chills: Shivering or feeling unusually cold
• Vomiting/Diarrhea
• Severe Illness
• e.g. difficulty breathing, persistent pain
• Rash

5. Guidelines for Parents: When to Keep Your Camper/Student Home

Parents/guardians should not send campers and students to program activities if they are exhibiting signs of illness (review descriptions of illnesses above in section 4). Parents should consider keeping their camper or student at home if they have been in close contact with someone diagnosed with a contagious disease within the past 14 days.

• Fever: Keep your camper/student home if they have a fever of 100.4°F or higher. They should be fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications before attending.
• Respiratory Illnesses: Keep your camper/student home if they exhibit the symptoms in section 4. They may attend when symptoms have improved, and they have been fever-free for at least 24 hours, without using fever-reducing medications.
• Additional precautions: Campers/Students who are recovering from a respiratory illness should consider wearing a mask for 5 additional days when attending.
• Vomiting/Diarrhea: Campers/Students should stay home if they have vomited or had diarrhea within the past 24 hours.
• Conjunctivitis – Pink Eye: Keep camper/student home if they exhibit the symptoms in section 4. They may attend when they have been treated with prescribed medication for 24 hours and symptoms have improved.
• Contagious Diseases: If your camper/student has a contagious disease (e.g., chickenpox, measles, strep throat, flu) or exhibits symptoms listed in section 4, they should stay home until they are no longer contagious and have been cleared by a healthcare provider.
• Rash: Any unexplained rash should be evaluated by a healthcare provider before the camper/student attends.

6. Guidelines for Staff

a. Hygiene and Sanitization Guidelines

Staff are required to comply with each program's hygiene and sanitization procedures. Club U, PATHS, and Campus Camps have different procedures and each Program Manager, in collaboration with the Youth Education Director, is responsible for ensuring their staff are trained and comply with their procedures.

• General health practices:
• Hand Hygiene: Regular handwashing with soap and water is encouraged. When soap and water are not available, hand-sanitizer will be made available.
• Cough/Sneeze Etiquette: Campers/Students are taught to cover their mouth and nose with a tissue or elbow when coughing or sneezing.
• Classroom Hygiene: Wiping down tables between classes and camps with a sanitizing solution.

b. When to Send a Camper/Student Home

Staff will send campers and students home if they exhibit signs of illness (review descriptions of illnesses above in section 4). Staff will call the parent/guardian, explain the camper or student's symptoms, and the parent/guardian will promptly arrange for the camper or student to return home. If the parent/guardian is unavailable, the emergency contact list will be consulted for camper or student pickup.

Staff will notify the Program Manager when a camper or student is sent home for illness. The incident will be documented in the Youth Education student records. Below are common illnesses for staff to monitor. This is not a comprehensive list of all potential concerns.

• Fever: Send a camper/student home if they develop a fever of 100.4°F.
• Respiratory Illnesses: Send a camper/student home if they exhibit symptoms of a respiratory illness listed in section 4.
• Additional precautions: Campers/Students who are recovering from a respiratory illness should consider wearing a mask for 5 additional days when attending.
• Vomiting/Diarrhea: Send a camper/student home if they vomit or have diarrhea.
• Conjunctivitis – Pink Eye: Send a camper/student home if they exhibit symptoms of conjunctivitis listed in section 4.
• Contagious Diseases: Send a camper/student home if they exhibit symptoms of a contagious disease (e.g., chickenpox, measles, strep throat, flu).
• Severe Illness: Send a camper/student home if they appear severely ill (e.g., difficulty breathing, persistent pain).
• Concussion: Staff are required to follow the protocol outlined in the University of Utah Policy G1-015A.

c. When to Stay or Go Home

Staff are required to stay home if they are ill. Below are common symptoms and illnesses for staff to monitor. This is not a comprehensive list of all potential concerns.

• Fever: Stay home (or go home) if you develop a fever of 100.4°F.
• Respiratory Illnesses: Stay home (or go home) if you exhibit symptoms of a respiratory illness as listed in section 4.
• Vomiting/Diarrhea: Stay home (or go home) if you vomit or have diarrhea.
• Conjunctivitis – Pink Eye: Stay home (or go home) if you exhibit symptoms of conjunctivitis as listed in section 4.
• Contagious Diseases: Stay home (or go home) if you exhibit symptoms of a contagious disease (e.g., chickenpox, measles, strep throat, flu).
• Severe Illness: Stay home (or go home) if you appear severely ill (e.g., difficulty breathing, persistent pain).