The Health Service Executive has published a guide to help parents through the steps on what to expect if their child is close contact of a confirmed Covid-19 case in school.
Currently, if a person has been diagnosed with Covid-19, the HSE will identify everyone who has been in close contact with the person with Covid-19.
This includes the parents/guardians of all children under the age of 18, as well as any staff who were in close contact with the person.
Remain calm
The HSE urges parents not to worry if they are informed of a close contact status, as they report that “less than two children in 100 children tested as close contacts are found to have Covid-19.”
Most children who test positive for the Covid-19 virus don’t present with symptoms or have a mild illness, so the risk of a child getting infected from this close contact is small, the HSE have said.
Wait for a Covid test
The HSE will contact parents of close contact children by phone to schedule a Covid-19 test, free of charge.
Parents do not have to contact their GP, unless their child has developed symptoms of the virus.
Most people will receive their test results within two days.
Restrict your child’s movements
You must ensure that you restrict your child’s movements for 14 days, beginning from when they were last in close contact with the person who tested positive for COVID-19.
Close contacts will not be told the name of the person with Covid-19 unless the parent or guardian of the child or member of staff gives permission.
This means that during the 14-day period, your child cannot attend school, childcare or any group activities, use public transport, visit other people’s homes or have visitors to your home.
You can go outside for medical appointments and to exercise, maintain social distancing from other people of two metres.
If your child has no symptoms, then other people in the household do not have to restrict their movements, but if they have been told they are a close contact of a confirmed Covid-19 case, they must also restrict their movements.
Receiving their Covid-19 test result
If the test result is negative, your child still needs to restrict their movements for the 14 day period or until the HSE informs you that they no longer need to do so.
This is because it can take up to two weeks to develop infection of Covid-19.
If your child tests positive for Covid-19, they will need to self-isolate in their room, with the other people in your household needing to restrict their movements for 14 days.
The child’s main carer will have to restrict their movements for 17 days, 10 days that your child is in isolation and for 7 days after your child's isolation period ends.
Household siblings cannot attend school and adults at home should not go to work outside of the home.
Parents must keep their child isolated and use all infection control measures possible to help prevent the spread of Covid-19 in the house e.g. distancing as much as physically possible, hand washing, covering your mouth and nose if you cough, keeping surfaces clean and avoiding touching your face.
Ending self-isolation
Your child can end self-isolation after they have not had a high temperature (38 degrees Celsius or over) for five days and it has been 10 days since they first developed symptoms.
If the child has no symptoms, they can stop self-isolating 10 days from the date of their test.
If the child’s symptoms worsen, contact your GP immediately.
