When Should I Keep My Child Home From School Amidst The Coronavirus Outbreak?
There seems to be a lot of confusion on when to keep your child home from school and when it is okay to send them following the most recent coronavirus outbreak.
While cases of Covid-19 are less common in kids, and they seem to get a milder infection, there are still some risks of spreading the virus. As parents, we need to be more responsible than ever by following guidelines to help decrease the risk of coronavirus being transmitted from person to person.
With the opening of schools across Ireland recently, the government announced new measures for parents explaining when they can or can’t send their child to school, preschool or any other childcare facility and here is what you need to know:
- Parents have been advised not to send their child to any school setting if they have a temperature above 38 degrees celsius or more, even if medication lowers their temperature.
- Children should be kept home if they have been in close contact with anyone who has tested positive for Covid-19 or if they are living with someone who is not well and could have the virus.
- If your child has any other common symptoms of coronavirus such as a new cough, shortness of breath, loss of smell or appetite, they should not attend school.
However, if your son or daughter has only nasal symptoms such as a runny or stuffy nose, it is completely fine to send them to school.
The guidelines request that if a child meets any of the criteria, parents should isolate their child by keeping them home and restrict the movements of all occupants within the home until a diagnosis is made. It also suggests phoning your family doctor for advice.
Current guidelines also suggest that children should not return to school until they have been clear of all symptoms for a minimum of 48 hours.
On top of the latest announcement and to help prevent the spread of Covid-19, parents have been asked to continue to encourage children to cough and sneeze into their elbow and to wash their hands regularly. While also recommending to continue to keep their distance from other people and avoid sharing toys or food with their friends.
For more information or advice, visit gov.ie/returntoschool.
