As respiratory viruses surge, schools and parents have differing opinions on how to handle sick students.

With illness on the rise, particularly respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, some schools are sending students home on a daily basis — much to the frustration of some parents, nurses say. Meanwhile, as those schools brace for even more cases, other schools insist it isn’t an issue.

“I think it’s going to be worse,” said Donna Goodwin, a former emergency room nurse who now works at Penn Hills Elementary School. “I’ve never seen it like this. The ER is being pounded by RSV. It used to be only the babies had it. Now we’re seeing it everywhere.

“I send a lot of kids home every day because of the coughs, the colds, the fevers, the vomiting. They’re getting into school, and they’re straight in my office. A lot of it is up to the parents. Some parents don’t want to hear it. That’s when you have to insist the child needs to come home.”

Erin Hubbard, the mother of an 8-year-old with Down syndrome at Kiski Area South Primary School, said the problem is deciding when to return her child to school.

“I think the biggest issue is trying to figure out when it is appropriate to send him back; and you’re only allowed so many sick days as a student,” Hubbard said.

While students are allowed 10 sick days from parental excuses, she said, it could be difficult for those without sufficient health insurance. However, it isn’t as much of a problem for her son in regard to medical costs to extend those days off, as he receives medical assistance and her family works from home.

Still, sickness is running rampant in the school, Hubbard said.

“His classroom, his teachers and students, one after another, everyone’s passing it around,” she said.

Lisa Hickey, the mother of a 16-year-old with a seizure disorder at Franklin Regional High School, also outlined her son’s issues. He relies on socialization in the school environment, particularly when it comes to music.

Still, Hickey doesn’t plan on returning her child, who has been to the intensive care unit multiple times for pneumonia, to school until March.

“I won’t send him to school before the holiday break because I don’t want him sick again for Christmas,” Hickey said. “I will not send him in January or February because that will be the height of illnesses going through our schools. With every cold my son gets, he has a high probability of ending up in the hospital.”

On the other hand, some districts claim they haven’t experienced any issues.

Erin Hasinger, spokeswoman for Pine-Richland School District, said after consulting with nurses, the district has not had to deal with sick students and potential pushback from parents over illness protocols.

“Let’s hope it stays that way,” Hasinger said.

The same is true for Allegheny Valley School District, spokesperson Jan Zastawniak said.

“There’s nothing out of the ordinary right now, so it’s pretty normal,” Zastawniak said. “There hasn’t been a large increase. And most are just colds and things. Basically, pretty normal for this time of year. It’s just a typical winter season.”

In Allegheny County, though, officials have noted increases in RSV cases overall.

“This year, RSV cases started earlier than is typical,” said Dr. Debra Bogen, director of the Allegheny County Health Department. “So far, Allegheny County has had a higher number of RSV cases than in recent years. Like we recommend for children with the common cold and the flu, staying home from school for RSV is recommended if the child has a fever, is coughing excessively, has significant nasal drainage or cannot participate in daily school activities.”

RSV cases began to surge in mid-October, with 208 cases reported the week of Oct. 16. Cases peaked during the week of Oct. 30, with 321 cases reported.

Since then, cases have slowly declined. According to the most recent data available, 145 cases were reported for the week of Dec. 4.

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)