What happens when a kid gets COVID-19 at an Ottawa or Gatineau school?

As parents send their children back to school in Ottawa and Gatineau, the possibility of COVID-19 spreading in classrooms weighs on parents, students and staff.

So, what does happen if COVID-19 turns up at school?

The short answer is: it depends.

Dr. Vera Etches, Ottawa's medical officer of health, said Ottawa Public Health (OPH) will have a nurse assigned to monitor the situation and to follow up with close contacts.

"We will be most likely be asking all of the class contacts to self-isolate until the appropriate time when they can be tested for COVID and/or the timeframe after exposure to the possible source of infection passes," Etches told city council last week.

Any additional steps will depend on whether the student appears to have contracted the illness at home or if more students begin to exhibit symptoms in their same class or school. 

In the circumstances of a confirmed case, the Ontario government said classroom cohorts will be considered "high risk of exposure" and students in the cohort will be directed to isolate and present for testing.

OPH said it is still developing guidance for whether parents need to isolate as well if their child is a close contact of a confirmed case.

Etches said OPH would make information about infection at schools public, but it will also protect the identity of children who become sick.

"We don't want blaming or shaming of children and families," Etches said.

If a child shows symptoms at school

According to the Ontario government guidelines, if a student begins to show symptoms of COVID-19, including coughing, fever or runny nose, the teacher should alert the principal.

The student will then be provided a disposable mask and moved to designated isolation area to await pickup.

Staff supervising the student should maintain a two-metre distance and wear personal protective equipment.

The isolation area will be closed until it can be disinfected after the student leaves. Some larger schools may designate a room that allows for distancing where multiple students can wait.

The Ontario government said local public health officials will determine when students can return to school. It recommends against "barriers to return to school," such as requiring doctor notes or proof of a negative COVID-19 test.

Individuals who had a COVID-19 test because of symptoms but received a negative result should not return to school until 24 hours after their symptoms resolve.

Guidelines in western Quebec

In Quebec schools, the guidelines are based around the classroom cohort. Students within cohorts are not required to wear masks or practise physical distancing in the classroom — though all teachers are required to maintain two metres of distance.

If a student presents symptoms they will be put in an isolation room and be supervised by a single staff member, both using proper protective equipment, until a parent or guardian arrives.

The isolation room will be ventilated and cleaned after they leave.

Public health officials will follow up with an investigation of who the student may have been in contact with and any possible breaches of health guidelines to determine close contacts.

All parents and staff are notified in the case of a positive COVID-19 test at the school.

Quebec schools could close in an outbreak

Classroom cohorts will have to isolate as a result of positive cases, though public health officials will take over in the event of a possible school-based outbreak.

"If there are two cases discovered in the same class in the same day in circumstances where the region is facing an increases in cases, public health officials might make a different decision," said Manon Dufour, general-director of the Centre de services scolaire des Draveurs.

According to the Quebec government, that could include closing the entire school and requiring a minimum number of hours of remote instruction. 

Students and staff have to fulfil three criteria before returning to class if they've experienced symptoms requiring a test or they test positive: At least 14 days have passed since the start of the acute phase of illness, an absence of acute symptoms for at least 24 hours (excluding a cough, which may last longer) and an absence of fever for 48 hours.