Health and Medical

False and acrylic nails

For health and safety reasons, students should not wear acrylic or false nails to school. These can pose a risk during playground activities, sport and classroom tasks, and may also cause injury to themselves or others. Again we have had a few nasty incidents where students have had their fingernails ripped off because the nail is glued down and gets knocked on something. We have also had other children injured by another students false nail. We appreciate your support in helping us maintain a safe environment for all of our students.

RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) positive cases at school

Symptoms

Symptoms usually appear within 4 to 6 days of exposure and include:

• Mild cases: Runny nose, coughing, sneezing, and low-grade fever.
• Severe cases: Rapid or labored breathing, wheezing, flaring nostrils, and bluish color around the mouth or fingernails.

Treatment & Prevention

• Treatment: Most mild cases resolve on their own within a week. Treatment focuses on managing symptoms with rest and fluids, though severe cases may require hospitalisation. 

Immunization: Immunization is available for vulnerable groups. For instance, in Australia, the maternal RSV vaccine (Abrysvo) is free under the National Immunisation Program to protect newborns. Vaccines and preventive monoclonal antibodies are also recommended for older adults and high-risk infants.

How is RSV diagnosed?

Your doctor or health care provider can check if you or your child has RSV by doing a nose or throat swab (PCR test). Sometimes doctors can diagnose RSV based on signs and symptoms.

Please enjoy the holiday break, stay well and rested, see you all next term. 

Kind regards, 

Nurse Belinda