KCKCC monitors local, state and national COVID-19 data and adjusts protocols as needed. This information was last updated 11/4/2024.
COVID-19 and Respiratory Illness Protocol
Sick or Testing Positive? Stay Home!
- The CDC's first recommendation for anyone experiencing symptoms of a respiratory virus, such as COVID-19, is to stay home and away from others.
- You may return to normal activities when symptoms have improved overall for 24 hours. If you experience a fever, delay returning to normal activities until your fever has been absent for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication (acetaminophen, ibuprofen, aspirin, etc.).
- Once you return to normal activities, you are encouraged to take precautions for the next five days to curb the spread of illness.
- Precautions to take:
- You should wear a well-fitting mask
- You should get tested to inform your actions
- Keep your distance from others, especially those vulnerable to illness
- Enhance your hygiene practices, such as frequent hand-washing
- Improve air quality
No Symptoms but Tested Positive? Take Precaution!
You may be contagious. For the next five days, take added precaution, such as:
- cleaner air
- hygiene
- masks
- physical distancing
- and/or testing when you plan to be around other people indoors
This is especially important to protect people with factors that increase their risk of severe illness from respiratory viruses.
With or without symptoms, if you test positive for respiratory virus, when you return to KCKCC, a mask is required for the following 5 days.
Student Athletes
If a student athlete has COVID-19 symptoms and the test is positive for the virus, the student athlete is removed from team activities, and may return to team activities once they are symptom free.
Symptoms of COVID-19
- People with COVID-19 have a wide range of symptoms ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness.
- Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus.
- Symptoms may start as mild, and some people will progress to more severe symptoms.
Symptoms may change with new COVID-19 variants and can vary depending on vaccination status. Possible symptoms include, but are not limited to:
- Fever or chills
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Sore throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- New loss of taste or smell
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
Precautions
Vaccinations
Getting a COVID-19 vaccine is a safer, more reliable way to build protection than getting sick with COVID-19. COVID-19 vaccination helps protect people by creating an immune response without the potentially severe illness or post-COVID conditions that can be associated with COVID-19 infection. For more information, please visit the CDC's Benefits of Getting Vaccinated webpage.
Face Masks Welcomed
To continue to follow the CDC’s guidance based on COVID-19 community levels, masks are no longer required for everyone at any KCKCC location. The college respects the personal choice of those who wear masks.
Prevent Spread of Respiratory Viruses
Employees and students (vaccinated and unvaccinated) are allowed to participate in travel beyond the KC metro area for college business. Take steps to protect yourself and others from respiratory viruses.