What happens when there is a case of the virus confirmed in a classroom? Your questions answered

Guidance has been made available ahead of the full re-opening of all schools in the coming days and weeks.

Q: What happens if my child develops Covid-like symptoms in school?

A: If a child develops Covid-like symptoms, fever, shortness of breath or loss of taste and smell, while at school they should be immediately isolated in a designated area. The advice from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) is that this isolation area is somewhere with good ventilation, and preferably with an open outside window. Parents will be asked to collect their child as soon as possible. A staff member should wait with your child until you arrive. 

Q: What happens next? 

A: Call your GP. Only a GP or doctor will determine if your child needs to go forward for testing- a school will not be able to make that referral. If the GP decides to send your child to get tested for Covid-19, any family members from the household should also be taken home from school. If a child is sent for Covid testing, the whole household must restrict its movements. Confirmed cases will be told by the HSE, and not the school. 

Q: What happens when there is a case of the virus confirmed in a classroom? Will the school have to close? 

A: Public health teams will work directly with schools, informing them of the confirmed case as necessary. These officials will also begin a 'risk assessment', to determine everyone who should get tested. Importantly, there is no 'blanket-policy' to test year groups or classes. The HPSC also has cautioned that a class won't automatically be deemed 'close-contacts', although it is likely, because each school setting is varied. All primary school children in a ‘pod’ will likely be deemed close contacts, while in secondary schools, close contacts will be determined by “proximity and interaction” as well as “class placement; classroom structure; common travel; social networks and friendship groups etc.” Depending on initial results, or following the risk assessment, widespread swabbing within a class or a facility may be recommended under the HSE mass testing processes. Any decision to close, or partially close, a school will be evaluated by the public health teams. 

Q: My child has been deemed a close contact, what happens now? 

A: You will be contacted directly by the HSE if your child has been deemed a close contact. If it is determined that your child should be sent to get tested for Covid-19, your whole household must restrict their movements. 

Q: Will I be told if there is a suspected or confirmed case of Covid-19 in my child's school? 

A: Per the HPSC guidelines, schools do not need to inform parents that a pupil or teacher has been removed due to suspected symptoms. "Other pupils or staff do not need to be removed from class." As test results remain confidential as per doctor-patient relationship, no other child, parent, family, or teacher will be informed if a child in a school is found to have Covid-19. Confirmed cases of Covid-19 and close-contacts will be contacted directly by the HSE. However, parents should be advised at the point of testing that their child’s result will likely need to be shared with their school if Covid-19 is detected, if it is deemed necessary for the safe management of any potential outbreak.