Advice for Children who are close contacts of positive COVID-19 cases

If you have been advised that there has been a confirmed case of COVID-19 within your class we recommend that your child has a PCR test (if they have not tested positive in the last 90 days). Please book online at: https://www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test

Your child can continue all normal activities provided they do not develop symptoms whilst awaiting the PCR result. 

In addition to the PCR test, Public Health Warwickshire are advising children and parents to undertake lateral flow tests twice weekly (unless they have tested positive in the last 90 days) For information regarding access to lateral flow tests see:

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/testing/regular-rapid-coronavirus-tests-if-you-do-not-have-symptoms/

Should the PCR (or any lateral flow testing) yield a positive result, we would ask that your child isolate, with your household, and follow national “Stay at Home” guidance:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance

We are asking you to do this to reduce the further spread of COVID 19 to others in the community. If you need support with isolation, please contact Warwickshire County Council on 0800 408 1447.

If your child or anyone in the household develops COVID-19 symptoms. 

What to do if your child develops symptoms of COVID 19 

For most people, especially children, COVID-19 will be a mild illness.

The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are recent onset of:

• new continuous cough and/or

• high temperature and/or

• a loss of, or change in, normal sense of taste or smell (anosmia)

If your child develops any of these symptoms of COVID-19, they should remain at home and arrangements should be made for them to be tested. This should be an NHS PCR test and NOT a rapid test taken at a community testing site (an LFT test). At that time, household members who are over 18 years and 6 months and not fully vaccinated, must also stay at home, not go to work, school or public areas, even for exercise. 

Testing can be arranged online: https://www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test

When the result of the child’s test is known further advice will be available. 

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How to stop COVID-19 spreading 

There are things you can do to help reduce the risk of you and anyone you live with getting ill with COVID-19: 

• wash your hands with soap and water often – do this for at least 20 seconds 

• use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available

• wash your hands as soon as you get home

• cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze

• put used tissues in the bin immediately and wash your hands afterwards

Further information is available at nhs.uk/coronavirus