Nursery World - Common cold or Covid-19? When to test children

Guidance on how to distinguish between the symptoms of a common cold and Covid-19 in children have been published by the Royal Collage of Paediatrics and Child Health.

Children with typical cold symptoms, such as a runny nose, should not be tested for Covid-19, the guidance says

COVID-19 - talking to children and families about returning to school: guiding principles, was first published on 15 May and updated on 9 September to include a new section on Common Cold and Covid-19 symptoms.

The document states, ‘We believe that children with simple cold symptoms such as coryzal symptoms (runny noses) or sore throats without fever who would normally have attended schools in other times should not be tested for Covid-19.

‘This is in agreement with current PHE guidance for deciding when to test. These symptoms are:

- new continuous cough
- fever/high temperature
- loss of, or change in, sense of smell or taste.

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