Parents - What to do if your child develops symptoms
Do not send children to school if they or any member of your household is displaying symptoms – stay at home and book a test for the symptomatic person.
Dudley council is aware of a national issue with testing, so we are asking only people who have one or more of the three COVID-19 symptoms below to book a test.
Please persevere in accessing the national website www.nhs.uk/coronavirus or calling 119 for an appointment at a local test centre or a home test. Guidance on isolating (see below) should be followed until a test is taken and a result is received.
If your child is currently symptomatic or has had symptoms and is unable to get a test you must complete the ten-day isolation period and must not return to school.
Parents and carers are encouraged to visit www.dudley.gov.uk/coronavirus for useful information and practical guidance.
A child that develops any of the following symptoms (no matter how mild) should immediately self-isolate and continue to do so until a test is taken and a negative result is received – even if symptoms subside:
a new, continuous cough - this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual)
a high temperature - feel hot to touch on your chest or back (temperature of 37.8°C or higher if able to measure this)
a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – this means you’ve noticed you cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal
They should not attend school and parent/carers should follow the steps below:
Stay at Home.
Your child must self-isolate for 10 days starting from the first day of their symptoms and the rest of the household must self-isolate for 14 days, following the Stay at Home Guidance.
www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance
Notify the School
If your school is unaware that your child has developed symptoms, notify them as soon as possible.
Arrange a Test
Anyone with Covid-19 symptoms, including children, should have a test as soon as possible. Do not wait. The test must be done within 5 days of symptoms starting.
A test can be arranged via NHS UK www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/testing-and-tracing/ or by calling 119 if you do not have internet access.
You must notify your school when you receive the test result.
A Negative Result
If your child tests negative for Covid-19, they can return to school and the rest of the household can end their isolation as long as:
everyone they live with who has symptoms tests negative
everyone in their support bubble who has symptoms tests negative
they were not told to self-isolate for 14 days by NHS Test and Trace
they feel well – if they feel unwell they should stay at home until they are feeling better
A Positive Result
If your child tests positive for Covid-19 they must continue to self-isolate for 10 days, from the first day of their symptoms and the rest of the household must continue to self-isolate for 14 days. If any other member of the household starts to show symptoms, they should arrange a test within 5 days of the symptoms starting.
You will be contacted by the NHS Test and Trace Service to discuss where your child has been recently and who they've been in close contact with. This will help the NHS contact anyone who may have caught the virus from them. You'll be contacted by email, text or phone. Text messages will come from ‘NHStracing’. Calls will come from 0300 0135000. In preparation for this, it is recommended you start making a list of places your child has visited recently and people they’ve had close contact with as soon as their symptoms appear.
For more information about the Test and Trace Service visit www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/testing-and-tracing/nhs-test-and-trace-if-youre-contacted-after-testing-positive-for-coronavirus/
After 10 days from the start of their symptoms your child can return to school if they have not had a fever (temperature of 37.8°C or higher) within the last 48 hours. The rest of the household must continue their isolation until the end of the 14 day period.
Covid-19 in Children
Children can get Covid-19 but they seem to get it less often than adults and it's usually less serious. Further advice about Covid-19 in children can be found at www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/symptoms/coronavirus-in-children/ or by calling 111.