Advice for Parents: Covid-19 – Drom National School

What to do if your child has symptoms of coronavirus

This advice is for babies and children up to the end of primary school, usually the age of 12 or 13.

Teenagers should follow the advice for adults on when to contact their GP about getting tested for coronavirus.

Children and babies can get coronavirus (COVID-19). But they seem to get it less often than adults and it’s usually less serious.

When to get urgent medical help

If your child becomes very unwell quickly, it’s rare that they have coronavirus. Their symptoms may be because of another illness.

Phone 999 or 112 if your baby is under 3 months old and has a high temperature (38 degrees Celsius or more). If your baby is aged 3 to 6 months and has a high temperature, phone your GP urgently

When to keep your child at home and phone your GP

Do not send your child to school or childcare if any of the following is true.

Your child has:

a temperature of 38 degrees Celsius or more
any other common symptoms of coronavirus – a new cough, loss or changed sense of taste or smell, or shortness of breath
been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for coronavirus
been living with someone who is unwell and may have coronavirus

You will need to:

isolate your child – this means keeping them at home and completely avoiding contact with other people, as much as possible. You can read more on self-isolation here.
phone your GP – they will advise you if your child needs a coronavirus test
everyone that your child lives with should also restrict their movements, at least until your child gets a diagnosis from their GP or a coronavirus test result. This means not going to school, childcare or work.
Treat your child at home for their symptoms.

Your child should only leave your home to have a test or to see your GP.

Follow the advice on what to do if your child:

is given another diagnosis by your GP
is not tested and is also not given another diagnosis from your GP
tests positive for coronavirus
tests negative for coronavirus

Children who are close contacts of someone who has coronavirus

If your child has been in close contact with someone who has coronavirus, you should restrict their movements for 14 days, even if they feel well.

If your child develops symptoms, isolate your child and phone your GP to arrange a test for coronavirus.

When it’s okay to send your child to school or childcare

It’s usually okay to send your child to school or childcare if they:

only have nasal symptoms, such as a runny nose or a sneeze
do not have a temperature of 38 degrees Celsius or more (as long as their temperature has not been lowered by taking any form of paracetamol or ibuprofen)
do not have a cough
have not been in close contact with anyone who has coronavirus
do not live with anyone who is unwell and may have coronavirus
have been told by a GP that their illness is caused by something else, that is not coronavirus. Your GP will tell you when they can return to school or childcare.
have got a negative (‘not detected’) coronavirus test result and have not had symptoms for 48 hours

Runny nose or sneezing

You do not need to restrict your child’s movements if the only symptoms they have are:

a runny nose
sneezing

They can continue to go to school or childcare if these are the only symptoms they have.

If your child also has a high temperature (38 degrees Celsius or over) or has any other common symptoms of coronavirus – isolate your child, phone your GP and restrict your movements.

Most of the time, you do not need to phone your GP if a runny nose or sneezing are your child’s only symptoms. Talk to your pharmacist instead.

A runny nose or sneezing on their own are more likely to be symptoms of a cold or other viral infection.

Compare symptoms of coronavirus, flu and cold

Children and testing

Your GP will decide if your child needs a test for coronavirus.

They will usually need a test if they have:

been in close contact with someone who has the virus
common symptoms of coronavirus
been in contact with someone who has symptoms

While you wait for their test and test result, follow the advice on keeping your child at home.

Bringing your child to a test centre

You may need to drive your child to a test centre. They may find going to a test centre a strange experience. They will see people in protective clothing. They may find this frightening.

Explain to them what will happen before they go. You can read more here about what to expect at a test centre here.

The HSE has produced some great comics which will help reassure any children who need to get tested. You can see them by clicking here.

Negative (not-detected) test result or another diagnosis

Your child can return to their normal activities once they have been given either:

a negative (not-detected) test result and are 48 hours without symptoms and, or
another diagnosis, that is not coronavirus

You and anyone your child lives with will no longer need to restrict your movements.

Positive test result or not tested and no alternative diagnosis

Your child will need to continue to self-isolate if:

their test result is positive
they are not tested and are also not given an alternative diagnosis – if this happens they should be treated as if they have coronavirus

They’ll need to remain in self-isolation until both of these apply:

they have not had a high temperature (38 degrees Celsius or over) for 5 days
it has been 14 days since they first developed symptoms

Caring for a child who is isolating

If you are looking after a child who is isolating there is a risk that you can become infected too. You will become a close contact if your child tests positive for coronavirus or has not been tested and not been given an alternative diagnosis.

You will need to:

restrict your movements for 14 days
get tested for coronavirus

Continue to restrict your movements until 14 days after your child’s self-isolation period ends.

If you have symptoms or are unwell

Self-isolate if you have symptoms or become unwell. Follow the advice on self-isolation.

You may also need to:

be tested for coronavirus
treat your symptoms at home