Infectious Diseases and Public Health

Subtopics

Distance Learning

In-Person Learning

Physical Spacing and Testing

Sanitation and Ventilation

Maintain healthy and sustainable learning environments.

Schools play a critical role in promoting the health and well-being of children and adolescents. They support students’ cognitive, physical, social, and emotional development; provide access to critical health services; and help students establish lifelong healthy behaviors. Safe and healthy learning environments and access to health education programs and services can reduce negative risk factors among youth and increase students’ capacity to learn.

Schools should also have plans in place that can help reduce illness and illness-related absenteeism by preventing the spread of infectious diseases. While infectious disease outbreaks and public health emergencies may be unpredictable, K-12 schools can implement a core set of prevention strategies as part of their normal operations. These include promoting proper handwashing; cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting surfaces and objects; improving indoor air quality; and teaching and reinforcing respiratory etiquette. When there is a higher level of illness in the school or surrounding community, schools can work with their local public health partners to implement additional prevention strategies. Schools can also prepare for outbreaks or a pandemic by creating an emergency operations plan with an infectious disease section, which outlines the actions necessary to reduce the impact of the outbreak.

Featured Resources

These resources are a starting point for learning more about infectious diseases and public health. Use these resources to create and sustain healthy K-12 learning environments.

Additionally, SchoolSafety.gov regularly publishes issue briefs that provide a high-level overview of a specific school safety topic as well as a sampling of aligned strategies, resources, programs, and tools. Download and explore the infectious diseases and public health-related issue brief below.

Infectious Diseases and Public Health

Guidance

Preventing Spread of Infections in K-12 Schools

Department of Health and Human Services, 2024

This guidance is designed to maximize school attendance and its benefits for all students, while also preventing the spread of infectious diseases. It consolidates and simplifies previous recommendations intended specifically for K-12 school settings.

Webpage

Radon in Schools

Environmental Protection Agency

This webpage provides information on the dangers of radon and testing and mitigation standards for schools.

Filter Resources

All Infectious Diseases and Public Health Resources

Access additional resources below to learn more about infectious diseases and public health and related best practices. Use the filters to sort resources based on subtopic and/or preparedness action.

Guidance

Adapting PBIS Practices for Rural Settings: Remote Instruction Strategy Matrix

Third Party, November 2020

This Remote Instruction Strategy Matrix by the Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support (PBIS) with corresponding resources that can be tailored in intensity to meet various student needs (social, emotional, behavioral well-being, academic engagement) provides educators within the rural education setting with a continuum of learning support strategies that can be followed by adaptations for implementation based on available technology.

Guidance

Considerations for Monitoring and Evaluation of Mitigation Strategies Implemented in K-12 Schools

Department of Health and Human Services, October 2020

This resource provides example evaluation questions, indicators, and data sources to help state and local public health and education agencies, school and district administrators, and evaluation professionals monitor and evaluate the implementation and impact of COVID-19 mitigation strategies implemented in K-12 schools on the transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

Guidance

Strategies for Protecting K-12 School Staff from COVID-19

Department of Health and Human Services, October 2020

The information on this page provides an expanded focus on the health and safety of K-12 school staff.