OFFICIAL SMCHS COVID-19 Update Center

Per CDPH guidance effective April 20, 2022, masks are no longer required for adults or students in K-12 schools. Masking is a matter of personal choice for all students, faculty, staff, and visitors at SMCHS. Let us be mindful and respectful of one another’s decisions through the lens of Caritas Christi, the love of Christ. All guidance is subject to change based on current guidelines from the state, OCHA and diocese.

Please contact the Nurse’s Office at deptofnursing@smhs.org if you have tested positive for COVID-19. 

Everyone, regardless of vaccination status, previous infection or lack of symptoms should:

• Stay home for at least 5 days after start of symptoms (Day 0) or after date of first positive test (day 0) if no symptoms. 
• Isolation can end and the student can return to campus after Day 5 if:
  • Symptoms are not present, or are mild and improving; AND
  • Student is fever-free for 24 hours (without the use of fever-reducing medication).
• If fever is present, isolation should be continued until 24 hours after fever resolves. 
• If symptoms, other than fever, are not improving, continue to isolate until symptoms are improving or until after Day 10.
• If the confirmed case has severe symptoms, or is at high risk of serious disease or has questions concerning care, they should contact their healthcare provider for available treatments.
• After ending isolation (no fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and symptoms are improving), confirmed cases may remove their mask sooner than Day 10 if they have two sequential negative tests at least one day apart. If antigen test results are positive, the person may still be infectious and should continue wearing a mask and wait at least one day before taking another test.

Source: California Department of Public Health, approved by the Diocese of Orange per the updated CDPH isolation recommendations effective March 13, 2023 

For everyone, regardless of vaccination status, it is recommended to: 

• Get tested immediately and test again within 3-5 days after last exposure.
• Per CDPH masking guidance, close contacts should wear a well-fitting mask around others for a total of 10 days, especially in indoor settings and when near those at higher risk for severe COVID-19 disease (see masking section below for additional information).
• Strongly encouraged to get vaccinated or boosted.
• If symptoms develop, test and stay home.

Source: California Department of Public Health.

• Self-isolate and test as soon as possible to determine infection status.
• If test is negative, consider retesting with an antigen test in 1-2 days, particularly if testing during the first 1-2 days of symptoms.
• If test is positive, stay home, contact deptofnursing@smhs.org and follow the above guidelines.

If a student becomes ill during the school day, the student should report to/notify the SMCHS Nursing and Health Services Office immediately. With parental consent, students can choose to test in the SMCHS Nursing Office or will be given a home test to test at home.   

Each classroom, office, and shared work area has been provided with paper towels and Envirox 117 Orange Concentrate, a safe, yet effective sanitizing solution currently used throughout campus in addition services performed by the Facilities Management Department. 

Hand sanitizer dispensers have been added throughout the campus and signage installed with reminders of frequent and proper handwashing.

Good air circulation and proper ventilation is a primary way to help prevent the transmission of germs. As such, SMCHS has purchased “The Filter Queen Defender,” the only room air cleaner FDA Certified as a Class II Medical Device. “The Defender” is designed to capture over 99.99% of all particles at 0.1 micron in size.  Most notably, “The Defender” was designed specifically to capture even the most minute particles on the first pass through. These devices are placed throughout the indoor parts of campus, including the classrooms.

In addition, SMCHS upgraded the types of air filters used in our HVAC to MERV 13 medical-grade filters, considered appropriate for general surgery rooms.