What Happens If Someone Gets Ill? | Irk Valley Community School

Respect

The importance of valuing others, listening to different viewpoints, taking care of belongings, manners, appreciating the diversity which exists in our community and beyond

Excellence

The determination to reach the highest standards, every day.

Aspiration

The desire to grow and develop, achieving the best for ourselves and each other.

Cooperation

The knowledge that working with others, asking for help when needed and supporting others to develop are the foundations of growth.

Happiness

The importance of joy in what we do, discovering our strengths and using them.

What Happens If Someone Gets Ill?

If anyone in an education or childcare setting becomes unwell with a new, continuous cough or a high temperature, or has a loss of, or change in, their normal sense of taste or smell (anosmia), they will be sent home and advised to follow the stay at home guidance.

Government Guidance for Staying At Home

If you have symptoms:

If you have symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19), however mild, OR you have received a positive coronavirus (COVID-19) test result, the clear medical advice is to immediately self-isolate at home for at least 7 days from when your symptoms started. Do not go to a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital. You should arrange to have a test to see if you have COVID-19.
Consider alerting the people that you have had close contact with in the last 48 hours to let them know you have symptoms of coronavirus COVID-19.
Following a positive test result, you will receive a request by text, email or phone to log into the NHS Test and Trace service website and provide information about recent close contacts
After 7 days, or longer, if you still have symptoms other than cough or loss of sense of smell/taste, you must continue to self-isolate until you feel better.
You do not need to self-isolate if you only have a cough or loss of sense of smell/taste after 7 days, as these symptoms can last for several weeks after the infection has gone.
If you live with others and you are the first in the household to have symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19), then you must stay at home for at least 7 days. All other household members who remain well must 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.
Staying at home for 14 days will greatly reduce the overall amount of infection that people in your household could pass on to others in the community.
If anyone else in the household starts displaying symptoms, they must stay at home for at least 7 days from when their symptoms appeared, regardless of what day they are on in their original 14-day isolation period.
If you have symptoms, you should stay as far away from other members of your household as possible. It is especially important to stay away from anyone who is clinically vulnerable or clinically extremely vulnerable with whom you continue to share a household.
Reduce the spread of infection in your home by washing your hands regularly for 20 seconds using soap and water, or use hand sanitiser, and cover coughs and sneezes.
If you feel you cannot cope with your symptoms at home, or your condition gets worse, or your symptoms do not get better after 7 days, then use the NHS 111 online coronavirus (COVID-19) service. If you do not have internet access, call NHS 119. For a medical emergency dial 999.
If you develop new coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms at any point after ending your first period of isolation (self or household) then you must follow the same guidance on self-isolation again.

If a Child Becomes Unwell:

If a child has become unwell, at this stage, children in the assigned group can remain on school premises and remain within their assigned group where possible.
A letter will be sent to the parents of other children within the assigned group.

If a staff member has become unwell, arrangements will be made to replace the staff member to cover the assigned group

All staff and students who are attending an education or childcare setting will have access to a test if they display symptoms of coronavirus, and are encouraged to get tested in this scenario.

If a symptomatic child is awaiting collection, they will be moved if to a room where they can be isolated behind a closed door, depending on the age of the child and with appropriate adult supervision if required.
PPE should be worn by staff caring for the child while they await collection if a distance of 2 metres cannot be maintained (such as for a very young child or a child with complex needs)

If Someone At School Tests Positive:

Where the child, young person or staff member tests positive, the rest of their class/assigned group within their childcare or education setting should be sent home and advised to self-isolate for 14 days.
The other household members of that class/assigned group do not need to self-isolate unless the child, young person or staff member they live with in that group subsequently develops symptoms.

A letter will be sent out to make the relevant people aware of next steps if any.