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.

From:
Department of Health and Social Care
Published
25 September 2020

This publication was withdrawn on

Please refer to what parents and carers need to know about early years providers, schools and colleges during COVID-19 for the latest guidance.

Applies to England

Documents

Letter to parents and guardians: when you should book a coronavirus test for your child

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Letter to parents and guardians: when you should book a coronavirus test for your child

PDF, 117 KB, 2 pages

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.

Updates to this page

Published 25 September 2020

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