Coronavirus Update:What patients and families need to know
Helping Schools Reopen, Monitor and Adapt throughout the Pandemic
Children’s National Hospital is lending its COVID-19 expertise to school systems in the Washington, D.C., region by offering a number of services to keep children safe and strong this academic year. Our goal is to ensure all children reach optimal health and achieve their full academic potential. View the PDF about how we're helping schools reopen safely.
Children’s National COVID-19 Service Offerings
Return to School Planning
Children’s National providers will work with a school or school system to adapt health and safety guidelines to meet each school or school district’s distinct situation.
- Review a School Plan: Children’s National will bring its experts in testing, occupational health, infection control, infectious disease and pediatric wellness to help review a school or school system's return to school plan.
- Develop a School Plan: Children’s National will develop for a school or school system a specialized return to school plan that takes into consideration the developmental needs of students during this unprecedented time.
School Health Pandemic Consulting
We will provide extra support to school nurses during the pandemic. School nurses will have access to Children’s National experts on COVID-19 and Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C). Through the School-Based Telehealth Program, school nurses will be provided with real-time knowledge of trends, policies and practice. Children’s National providers will help schools assess the appropriate next steps in providing care to a student.
COVID-19 Testing
- PCR testing for students and staff will be offered by the Division of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. Children’s National can provide a testing infrastructure that’s tailored to a school or school system’s needs as part of a suite of measures to create a safe environment for students, teachers and staff. Children’s National will test all specimens. Learn more about testing options (PDF).
- COVID-19 antibody testing will be available to those who would like to know if they have COVID-19 antibodies. COVID-19 antibody testing determines the impact of the pandemic on a school’s population. Lab draw and testing will be performed by Children’s National personnel.
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For 150 years, Children’s National has been committed to serving the needs of the community and putting children first. Working together with schools and school systems, Children’s National can help safeguard the health and well-being of students and school employees as everyone considers how to return to school safely.
- Children's National provides school nurses with real-time consultative access to medical and infectious disease experts, who are well-versed in the ever-changing pandemic best practices, current policies and protocols.
- We create an on-site, real time response to support school health staff.
- We provide schools and students with the best chance to have a productive learning experience during the pandemic.
- We provide timely management if there is a suspected COVID-19 exposure.
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Children’s National Hospital is a top 10 children’s hospital in the United States. Throughout the pandemic, Children’s National experts have published articles on COVID-19 and MIS-C, as well as been interviewed by numerous media outlets including, CNN, Fox News, The Today Show, The Washington Post, NBC Nightly News and CBS Evening News.
How to Assess and Manage Ill Students and Possible Exposures to COVID-19
Children’s National Hospital has created guidelines, based on CDC and AAP recommendations, for helping schools reopen during the COVID-19 pandemic. Every school has its own unique circumstances and student population, and should adapt these guidelines to fit their needs.
View PDF