Seeing your child ill is not pleasant at the best of times, so during the COVID Pandemic, we understand many parents will be worried if their child develops a cough or a cold.
As Lothian enters Tier 4 from Monday 20th November there will naturally be concerns raised by both teachers and parents.
My child needs to wear a mask in school – can I get a letter of exemption?
No. Unfortunately we cannot provide such letter requests as all GP Practices need to focus on medical appointments. You can however obtain an exemption card by clicking here.
I have been told to seek GP advice first before sending my child to school.
The doctors are unable to get involved in decisions about whether it is appropriate to send your child to school due to fears about contracting Covid. There are multiple government and health based sites which will give you up to date advice regarding your child’s health in times of Covid.
Please visit NHS Inform for more details
It is important that all of us – including those who make up the community around a school – are vigilant for the symptoms of COVID-19 and understand what actions we should take if someone develops them, either at school or at home. The main symptoms to be aware of are:
If a young person or a child in your care develops any of the above symptoms, they should self-isolate and you should book them a test as soon as possible at NHSinform.scot or by calling 0800 028 2816. The Scottish Government recommends testing only for those with a continuous cough, fever or loss or a change in the sense of taste and smell. The UK senior clinicians continue to keep the symptoms for case definition under review and will continue to use evidence to adjust these if it becomes necessary.
If, however, your child does not have symptoms of COVID-19 but has other cold-like symptoms, such as a runny nose, they do not need to be tested and they and you do not need to self isolate. Your child can go to school if fit to do so.
If you think you or your child has COVID-like symptoms, please go to NHS Inform as the first point of contact below
View the COVID-19 self-help page
Note: A new, continuous cough means coughing for longer than an hour, or three or more coughing episodes in 24 hours. If you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual.