“Is it actually OK to sit in school with a cough if you don’t have a fever and haven’t tested positive for COVID?”

Trenace Dorsey-Hollins, the parent of a 5-year-old in Fort Worth, Texas, regarding the mixed messages parents have received about when they should or should not keep their children home from school when they are sick. During the pandemic, schools urged parents to keep their children home at any sign of illness. Now, some advocates, school systems and states are changing their guidelines to encourage students to return to class even if they have sniffles or other nuisance illnesses, like lice or pinkeye. (Associated Press — Feb. 7, 2024)