Sick Days

Today is a sick day. I have a cold, a bad one. There was a time when I dragged myself into school with the flu (the real kind), but not anymore. And here's why. When you send your kid into school sick:

• If they are contagious they can infect between 30 and 200 people depending on class sizes and how many student & staff overlaps there are
• Exertion while sick often prolongs the illness taking a two day cold and prolonging it over a week
• The old adage about showing symptoms meaning that you are no longer contagious is a myth. Or rather it's true for some things, but many more remain contagious past the point of  showing symptoms.
• A sick child does not learn well, most kids would be better off making up a couple days of work than spending the time sitting in a class like a zombie and infecting the rest of the room

So, I'm staying home. All the reasons that apply to the students apply to me too. Parents, keep your kids home if they are really sick. It's in their best interest as well as everyone else's.