Advice from April 2022

The following information is based on the latest guidance issued to schools from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the Department for Education (DFE).

A child/member of staff has symptoms of a respiratory infection should they be in the setting?

Children or adults with mild symptoms such as a runny nose, sore throat, or mild cough, who are otherwise well, can continue to attend their education or childcare setting. 

Children or adults who are unwell and have a high temperature should stay at home and where possible avoid contact with other people. They can go back to their education or childcare setting when they no longer have a high temperature and they are well enough.

Symptoms of COVID-19 can include:
a high temperature or shivering (chills) – a high temperature means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature) a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste shortness of breath	feeling tired or exhausted an aching body a headache a sore throat a blocked or runny nose loss of appetite diarrhoea feeling sick or being sick
The symptoms are very similar to symptoms of other illnesses, such as colds and flu.

Can a child come to school who is unwell but has had a negative test?

Regardless of the negative test result, if the child is unwell and has a high temperature they should not attend until their temperature has returned to normal

If they have mild symptoms (cough, runny nose, sore throat) and do not have a high temperature they can attend. 

If a child has had a positive COVID-19 test result what should we do?

It is not recommended that children and young people are tested for COVID-19 unless directed to by a health professional.

If a child or young person has a positive COVID-19 test result they should try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people for 3 days after the day they took the test, if they can. After 3 days, if they feel well and do not have a high temperature, the risk of passing the infection on to others is much lower. This is because children and young people tend to be infectious to other people for less time than adults.

Children and young people who usually go to school, college or childcare and who live with someone who has a positive COVID-19 test result should continue to attend as normal.

 

Explaining Corona Virus to children 

It is so hard for us as adults to understand the current situation we find ourselves in.  Trying to explain it to our children can be even harder.

Here is a link to a book that may help a little 

Coronavirus a book for children 

 

Well -Being and Mental Health

Being at home can be more stressful that we think.  In these uncertain times where things are changing for us on a daily basis it is important to look after everyone's well-being.

Visit  Place2Be for some ideas about how to cope through this time.

Don't be afraid to ask for help.  

The Government has issued a document on supporting children's mental health and well being and you can download this here