From The School Health Office

COVID TEST KITS AVAILABLE

At home test kits for Covid- 19 are available in the front office at LHS. Parents/guardians may stop by the office until 3:00 through 12/23/22.  If you are not able to stop by LHS yourself, test kits can be distributed to students. Each student may take up to 2 kits and each kit has 2 tests in it. We strongly encourage all staff and students to test within 24 hours before returning to school after the holiday break. 

A list of symptoms for Covid-19 can be found here :

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html

High Seasonal Flu Activity in Massachusetts

Massachusetts is experiencing an early and intense outbreak of seasonal flu.  Please read the following flu guidance from the CDC website:

Flu Symptoms & Diagnosis - CDC

People who are sick with flu often feel some or all of these symptoms:

Fever*/feeling feverish or chills.

Cough.

Sore throat.

Runny or stuffy nose.

Muscle or body aches.

Headaches.

Fatigue (tiredness)

Some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more common in children than adults.

Healthy Habits to Help Protect Against Flu

The single best way to reduce the risk of seasonal flu and its potentially serious complications is to get vaccinated each year, but good health habits like avoiding people who are sick, covering your cough and washing your hands often can help stop the spread of germs and prevent respiratory illnesses like flu. There also are flu antiviral drugs that can be used to treat and prevent flu

The tips and resources below will help you learn about actions you can take to protect yourself and others from flu and help stop the spread of germs.

Avoid close contact.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick. When you are sick, keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick too.

Stay home when you are sick.
If possible, stay home from work, school, and errands when you are sick. This will help prevent spreading your illness to others.

Cover your mouth and nose.
Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick. Flu viruses spread mainly by droplets made when people with flu cough, sneeze or talk.

Clean your hands.
Washing your hands often will help protect you from germs. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.

Handwashing: Clean Hands Save Lives
Tips on hand washing and using alcohol-based hand sanitizers

It’s a SNAP Toolkit: Handwashing
Hand washing resources from the It’s A SNAP program, aimed at preventing school absenteeism by promoting clean hands. From the School Network for Absenteeism Prevention, a collaborative project of the CDC, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the American Cleaning Institute.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
Germs can be spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth.

Practice other good health habits.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces at home, work or school, especially when someone is ill. Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food.