Guidance to parents and guardians about booking a coronavirus test
Find out when you should book a coronavirus test for your child.
You should only book a test if your child has any of these 3 coronavirus symptoms:
- a high temperature: any new high temperature where your child feels hot to touch on their chest or back (you do not need to measure the temperature)
- a new continuous cough: coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours
- a loss of, or change in, sense of smell or taste: a noticeable loss of smell or taste or things smell and taste different to normal
Your child does not need a test if they have a runny nose, are sneezing or feeling unwell but do not have a temperature, cough or loss of, or change in, sense of smell or taste. This is because these are not normally symptoms of coronavirus.
If you are unsure about whether to get a test, please check the official list of
symptoms on the NHS website, which is reviewed regularly
Only the person with symptoms should get a test. You do not need to get a test
for anyone else in the household unless they also have any of the three
symptoms listed above. All members of the household need to self-isolate whilst
waiting for the test result.
