What to do if your child has covid symptoms?

Main symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19)

The main symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) are:

• a high temperature – this 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 (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual)
• a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – this means you've noticed you cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal

What to do if you have symptoms

If you have any of the main symptoms of COVID-19, even if they're mild:

• Get a PCR test (test that is sent to a lab) to check if you have COVID-19 as soon as possible.
• Stay at home and do not have visitors (self-isolate) until you get your test result – only leave your home to have a test. Check if people you live with need to self-isolate.

Get a PCR test to check if you have COVID-19 on https://www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test

Order coronavirus (COVID-19) rapid lateral flow tests https://www.gov.uk/order-coronavirus-rapid-lateral-flow-tests

Use this service to order free packs of rapid lateral flow tests to be sent to your home.

You can only use this service if:

• you do not have coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms
• you’re 11 or older
• you have not been told to self-isolate
• you cannot get tests from your work, school, college or university (ask them for rapid lateral flow tests)
• Children who go to primary school or younger children do not need to test.

Do not use a rapid lateral flow test if you have COVID-19 symptoms. Get a PCR test as soon as possible and self-isolate, even if symptoms are mild.

Other ways to get rapid lateral flow tests

You might be able to:

• collect tests from a pharmacy
• collect tests from a community centre, such as a library
• get a test at a site

If you’re collecting tests, you can collect 2 packs at a time (14 tests in total).

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/testing/how-to-do-a-test-at-home-or-at-a-test-site/how-to-do-a-rapid-lateral-flow-test/

Coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms in children

Children can get coronavirus (COVID-19), but they seem to get it less often than adults and it's usually less serious.

The main symptoms of COVID-19 are:

• a high 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 sense of smell or taste – this means they cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal

What to do if your child has symptoms

If your child has any of the main symptoms of COVID-19, even if they're mild:

Get a PCR test (test that is sent to a lab) to check if they have COVID-19 as soon as possible.

Your child should stay at home and not have visitors (self-isolate) until you get the test result – they can only leave home to have the test. Check if you and anyone else your child lives with need to self-isolate.