If your child has symptoms

If your child develops one of the recognised symptoms of Covid:
• a new, continuous cough
• a high temperature
• a loss of, or change in, their normal sense of taste or smell (anosmia)

They should isolate immediately, and you should arrange for them to have a PCR test. If your child develops symptoms at school, we will contact you and ask you to collect them as soon as possible. We will also ask you to arrange for them to have a PCR test. Please note that if your child develops a temperature at school which later drops when they get home, you should still arrange a PCR test for them.

If, when your child develops symptoms, you carry out a rapid LFD test and receive a positive result, you should still arrange a PCR test for your child. Anyone with symptoms should isolate and arrange a PCR test.

If your child has been identified as a close contact

If your child has been identified as a close contact of someone who has tested positive for Covid, the recommendation is that they carry out daily rapid LFD tests for 7 days to test for possible infection (or 10 days since the last contact if this is earlier). Your child can continue to attend the academy while they test, as long as the results are negative. Should your child test positive on a rapid LFD test, and have no symptoms, they should isolate immediately for at least 5 full days (see self-isolation below). There is no need to arrange a confirmatory PCR test if your child had no symptoms when they tested.

If your child does not get a positive result on a rapid LFD test, however they start to develop one of the recognised symptoms of Covid above, they should isolate immediately and a PCR test should be arranged. PCR tests should be arranged if your child has symptoms.

Self Isolation

If your child has received a positive rapid LFD test result and they have no symptoms, or if your child has symptoms and has tested positive with a PCR test, they should isolate immediately - usually for 10 days. They can stop self isolating after 5 full days if they take a rapid lateral flow test on days 5 and 6 of their self-isolation period and:

• both tests are negative
• they did both tests at least 24 hours apart
• and they do not have a high temperature

If your child takes a rapid lateral flow test on day 5 and tests positive, they can continue to test on subsequent days, and - as long as they don’t have a temperature - they can stop isolating once they have two negative test results. These must be 24 hours apart.

Should your child continue to test positive, they must continue to isolate and can return to their normal routine and stop self-isolating after 10 full days if their symptoms have gone, or if the only symptoms they have are a cough or anosmia, which can last for several weeks. If they still have a high temperature after 10 days or are otherwise unwell, they should stay at home and you should seek medical advice. The following diagram helps to show the current self-isolation rules.

I appreciate that the guidance is already difficult to follow, and that when there are changes it makes it even more tricky to understand. We are always happy to chat through the procedures and what to do if your child tests positive, so please do email or call if need you any advice or help. We are continuing with the measures and procedures we have put in place at the academy to keep all staff, children and families safe and ensure that we monitor and review these regularly.

Mrs Cavallo

         

 

www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/symptoms/

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthybody/is-my-child-too-ill-for-school/

It is vital for children’s learning and future opportunities that they are able to return to school and college. It is therefore vitally important that all we work together and do our bit to make this possible.