Can my child’s school require me to take the Covid test?

Image copyright
Getty Images

Just the second week of a student returning to a Scottish school, nearly 17,500 children were tested for coronavirus.

Only 49 were found to be positive.

Demand for testing children aged 2 to 17 increased 300% in a week, but only two were infected with the virus since the previous week.

One theory is that the bugs and colds that go back to regular school caused revenge five months away from the classroom and other children.

Next week, clinic director Jason Leitch will be ready to reassure parents and provide brief guidance on when and when tests are needed.

But when do you need to worry? When do I need to take my children from school to home? I have referred to the latest guidance from the Scottish Government.

Image copyright
Getty Images

My child has cold symptoms-send them to school?

This all depends on what the symptoms are.

If a child has symptoms of coronavirus and indicates that a test is needed, the child and the entire family, including siblings, should be quarantined immediately.

You need to book a test for children with symptoms www.nhsinform.scot Or if you can’t get online, call 0800 028 2816.

Runny nose, stuffy nose, and sore throat are not currently recognized as symptoms requiring testing.

Image copyright
Scottish Government

When should I book the test?

Book a test if you or your child has:

• New continuous cough (1 hour or more cough, or 3 or more cough episodes in 24 hours)
• Fever/high temperature (37.8°C or higher)
• Loss or change of smell or taste

You will also need to schedule a test if Test and Protect tells you to contact someone who has been tested positive.

Can my child get a cold and be sent home from school and ordered to have it examined before returning?

All schools are wary of potential outbreaks.

Children will be sent home from school if they have symptoms of coronavirus.

This means you should book your test immediately. In addition, families must follow self-separation guidelines.

In case of an outbreak, all schools are planning. At the outbreak, public health Scotland coordinates the activities with testing and protection.

If your child feels sick with various symptoms, then he should be treated as usual.

Can the school claim that my child has a coronavirus test?

Someone should be tested if the coronavirus is symptomatic or if directed by a contact tracer. If someone develops symptoms while you are attending school, you will be asked to return home to arrange an exam.

If the child has a cold or another illness with other symptoms, they should be treated as usual and seek medical assistance as needed.

However, testing should only be arranged if one of the recognized Covid-19 symptoms is present or requested by the contact tracer.

Schools cannot claim to see evidence of a negative test.

What do you do after the test? And if my child is asked to be self-isolated, do the rest of the family have to?

The whole family must keep in quarantine until the test results are available.

If your child’s test result is negative and you have not quarantined it as a “close contact” of confirmed cases, you can end the quarantine and return to school without a fever for 48 hours. ..

The rest of their family can quickly end isolation.

If the test is positive, the symptomatic child must remain quarantined for up to 10 days after the onset of symptoms.

Image copyright
Getty Images

The rest of the household should be quarantined for 14 days after the person who tests positive shows symptoms, even if they have no symptoms themselves.

We will also contact your local contact tracking team so that we can identify other close contacts for your child. These close contacts will be asked to quarantine themselves for 14 days.

The testing and protection process is confidential and unless you give it permission, you will not be notified that you contacted a close contact.

Need to test the whole family?

Only families with symptoms should be tested.

If you are asymptomatic and are in close contact with someone who has a coronavirus, then others in your own household and extended household (if you have one) will not be asked to quarantine together The NHS will notify you if you are in close contact with the person who is the case.