Correspondence
Guidance to parents and guardians: when you should book a coronavirus test for your child
Letter from the Chief Nurse and Interim Chief Medical Officer of NHS Test and Trace on when parents and guardians should book a coronavirus (COVID-19) test for their child.
Applies to England
Documents
Details
The letter explains that you should only book a test if your child has any of these 3 coronavirus symptoms:
- a high temperature: any new high temperature where your child feels hot to touch on their chest or back (you do not need to measure the temperature)
- a new continuous cough: coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours
- a loss of, or change in, sense of smell or taste: a noticeable loss of smell or taste or things smell and taste different to normal
Your child does not need a test if they have a runny nose, are sneezing or feeling unwell but do not have a temperature, cough or loss of, or change in, sense of smell or taste. This is because these are not normally symptoms of coronavirus.