An order to close all or a division of our campus would come from SCDHEC in response to the number of COVID-19 cases on our campus OR a mandate by the governor.

Many factors go into answering this question. SDS will work closely with local health authorities and families in each instance to determine next steps to minimize the risk of spread within our greater school community.

The student or faculty member would stay at home until they meet SCDHEC criteria to return (10 days from when symptoms first appeared, three days fever free and overall improvement of symptoms). Through contact tracing, exposed students and faculty members will be identified and required to quarantine at home. The implementation of important safety strategies, including the use of cohort groups and careful physical distancing, gives our school an advantage in the event of a positive case.

When your doctor recommends a test. It is not recommended to be tested without a doctor's guidance and order. Please contact the school nurse prior to getting tested to review next steps for your family.

If a friend or classmate is quarantined, they were exposed to someone positive with the virus, but they themselves are not sick yet. This person on quarantine has a significantly higher chance of getting the virus than you or your child. 

If you are in quarantine, you are not sick yet, but have a higher chance of becoming sick. If symptoms develop, we ask that you contact your doctor for further guidance. 

If your doctor recommends a test for COVID-19, understand your options. According to the FDA, the PCR test (molecular test) is highly accurate and usually does not need to be repeated. A rapid test (antigen test) is less accurate. While positive results from the rapid test are usually accurate, negative results need to be confirmed with a PCR test.

No. A negative test will not shorten your quarantine time. A negative test is only reliable if you were displaying symptoms at the time of testing.

Stay home while you wait for results. Students will not be permitted to return to campus before receiving the COVID-19 test results. This includes all athletic practices and extracurricular activities. Household members, including siblings also enrolled at SDS, must remain home until test results are received. 

Please keep the school updated. The school nurse will give you confidential guidance on a course of action for your family. With a positive result, students may return to school when they meet the return criteria: 

• 10 days after the test date (or after symptoms began)
• 24 hours fever free
• overall improvement of symptoms
• a conversation with the school nurse

Household members of a COVID-19-positive person may return to campus 14 days after the positive person meets the return criteria stated above.

Symptoms of COVID-19 can present themselves anytime between day 1 and day 14. And that friend will be contagious two days prior to symptoms starting. For this reason, anyone on quarantine should stay home and away from others, especially other classmates and friends.