Since we returned to school at the start of September 2020, we have had many questions from parents and staff regarding coronavirus symptoms, self-isolation and testing.
 

Note: On 23 September 2020 we received an email from the Department for Education with a letter produced by Public Health England for schools to distribute to parents which explains when a person requires a coronavirus test and what the symptoms of coronavirus are. The intention of the letter is to help prevent children being taken out of school unnecessarily and answer some of the questions parents may have around testing. You can view the letter here.

Official Coronavirus advice

Symptoms in your household:

If you have symptoms of COVID-19 however mild,

• Self-isolate immediately for at least 10 days from when your symptoms started
• Arrange to have a test as soon as possible. The test needs to be done in the first 5 days of having symptoms. Go to Testing.
• Anyone you live with (and anyone in your support bubble) must self-isolate until you’ve been tested and received your result.

You should only have a test if you have coronavirus symptoms or have been asked to get tested.

If you have a test because you had symptoms, you and anyone you live with must self-isolate until you get your result.

If your result is positive after having symptoms, you must continue to self-isolate. In England, you will get an email, text or call from the NHS Test and Trace service if you test positive - you will be asked where you've been recently and who you've been in close contact with.

If you are not experiencing symptoms but have tested positive for COVID-19, self-isolate for at least 10 days, starting from the day the test was taken. If you develop symptoms during this isolation period, restart your 10-day isolation from the day you developed symptoms.

After 10 days, if you still have a temperature you should continue to self-isolate and seek medical advice. You do not need to self-isolate after 10 days if you only have a cough or loss of sense of smell or taste, as these symptoms can last for several weeks after the infection has gone.

If you live with others, all other household members need to stay at home and not leave the house for 14 days. The 14-day period starts from the day when the first person in the household became ill. If anyone else in the household starts displaying symptoms, they need to stay at home for at least 10 days from when their symptoms appear, regardless of what day they are on in their original 14-day isolation period.

Test and Trace Self-Isolation

You will be alerted by the NHS Test and Trace service if you have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for coronavirus. The alert will usually come by text, email or phone call. You will need to self-isolate for 14 days from your last contact with the person who has tested positive.

If you do NOT have symptoms, the rest of your household do not need to self-isolate with you but you and they need to avoid contact as much as possible.

If you DEVELOP symptoms, you should get a test asap and the rest of the household must then self-isolate until you receive your result.

Covid symptoms: Is it a cold, flu or coronavirus?