When illness is moving through work, school, or daycare.

The reality of seasonal surges

Schools and daycares run on close contact and shared surfaces, and offices sit somewhere in the middle. During seasonal surges, exposure becomes near-constant, and "do not get exposed" is not a realistic goal. The realistic goal is: protect the most vulnerable, manage timing, and avoid amplifying spread.

If illness is moving through your team or classroom

• Improve ventilation where you can — open windows, run HEPA in classrooms or shared offices.
• Mask in densely shared indoor spaces during the worst week of a surge, especially if you live with vulnerable family.
• Use rapid tests strategically — before visiting at-risk relatives, not constantly.
• Build a small symptom checklist into your daily routine; catching an early sore throat is the difference between an exposed coworker and an outbreak.

When to stay home

Stay home if you have a fever, vomiting, severe cough, or you feel meaningfully unwell. The cultural pressure to "push through" is the single largest amplifier of workplace and classroom outbreaks. Telework or remote learning, when available, is preferable for the contagious window.

Children: when do they go back?

• Most schools' guidance: fever-free for 24 hours without medication, eating and drinking normally, and able to participate.
• Vomiting or diarrhea: at least 24 hours symptom-free.
• For specific infections (strep, hand-foot-mouth, pinkeye), follow your school's specific return rules — they exist for a reason.

Adult considerations

• If your job involves vulnerable populations (healthcare, elder care, infants), return-to-work timing matters more than a typical office.
• Mask for the first day or two back if cough lingers after fever resolves — common viruses can spread in this tail.

Protecting the household

If you're the one bringing exposure home, simple steps move the needle:

• Change clothes and wash hands when you walk in.
• Avoid kissing or close face contact with infants and immunocompromised family during a surge week.
• Keep the house ventilated — HVAC on, doors open between rooms, HEPA in shared spaces.

If a vulnerable household member becomes symptomatic

Move faster than you would for yourself. Older adults, infants, pregnancy, and immunocompromised individuals deserve a lower threshold for telehealth or in-person evaluation. See family preparedness for the full playbook.

Related: Respiratory Exposure · Family Preparedness · Exposure Hub.