School attendance tanked during the pandemic and has only started to recover one reason parents are struggling to decide when it’s okay to send a child to school while sick during the pandemic schools had strict covid protocols many parents kept kids home for days after they had a cough or fever schools and health experts are now saying it’s okay to send a child to class with some symptoms of illness including a runny nose or cough here’s how to decide when to keep your child home from school CDC guidelines are now the same for all respiratory illnesses even if your child tests positive for covid if your child has a fever keep them home until they are fever free for at least 24 hours without taking medication other symptoms should have started to improve if your child is vomiting or has diarrhea keep them home until symptoms stop or unless children can manage symptoms during school it’s okay to send your child to school with a headache or a cold as long as they can participate in class experts suggest taking extra precautions such as wearing masks and washing hands when kids return to school