Current through Register Vol. XLI, No. 52, December 27, 2024
9.1.
Distinctions shall be made related to communicable diseases in the school
setting versus diseases known not to be spread by casual contact including, but
not limited to, HIV/ AIDS, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and other similar
diseases.
9.2. A designated
employee, such as the school nurse, shall validate each reported case of a
disease known not to be spread by casual contact pursuant to W. Va. Code
§18A-5-1 and §18-5-22.
9.3. The school nurse shall report to the
school administrator any student or school employee known to have, or suspected
of having, any infectious disease known to be spread by casual contact and
considered to be a health danger to the school population. The county
superintendent may exclude a school employee from school when reliable
evidence, or information from a qualified source, confirms the school employee
potentially has a communicable disease that is known to be spread by any form
of casual contact and is considered a health danger to the school population.
9.3.a. A student or school employee shall be
prohibited from entering the school or participating in school-related
activities, in accordance with the guidelines established by AAP, CDC, and WVDH
until a licensed health care provider verifies in writing that the student or
school employee's current condition is no longer considered contagious or a
danger to the school population.
9.3.b. All reportable communicable diseases
shall be referred to the local health department in accordance with W. Va.
64CSR7.
9.3.c. In the event of a
suspected communicable disease outbreak as defined by the Commissioner, public
schools, and/or county boards of education shall release student personally
identifiable information to appropriate public health officials as permitted by
FERPA's Health and Safety Emergency Event Disclosure and W. Va. 126CSR94,
Policy 4350, Procedures for the Collection, Maintenance, and Disclosure of
Student Data (Policy 4350).
9.3.d.
School employees shall adhere to any guidance issued by the local health
departments relating to reportable communicable diseases.
9.3.e. School employees are required to
adhere to the procedures established in W. Va. 64CSR7, governing the reporting
of certain diseases and conditions, unusual health events, and clusters or
outbreaks of disease to the WVDH.
9.3.f. School administrators, school nurses,
and other health care providers working in schools shall be responsible for
reporting, assisting with, or managing outbreaks, and any necessary contact
tracing and management of the communicable diseases in accordance with W. Va.
64CSR7. School administrators and school nurses are required to attend any
training provided by the local health department relating to surveillance
reporting of communicable diseases within the school.
9.3.g Foodborne, respiratory, severe acute
respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreaks, and a case or outbreak of a reportable
condition including, but not limited to, vaccine preventable diseases,
hepatitis, meningitis and encephalitis, shall be reported to the state,
regional, and/or local public health department, along with the Commissioner or
their staff. These agencies may request student or school employee personally
identifiable information for cases and/or contacts of cases based on
surveillance data. The release of personally identifiable information to public
health officials is classified as a Health and Safety Emergency under FERPA
permitting schools to release information necessary to protect public
health.
9.4. Mandatory
screening for communicable diseases known not to be spread by casual contact is
not required for school entry, employment, or continued employment.
9.5. School personnel shall be trained in
standard/universal precautions established by the United States Department of
Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration (http://www.osha.gov/).
