Letter issued from NHS Highland for parents of pupils at Kilcreggan Primary School.
Dear Parents at Kilcreggan Primary School,
The NHS Highland Health Protection Team (HPT) have been advised that there has been a confirmed case of COVID-19 in one of the pupils at the school.
We know that you may find this concerning but we are continuing to monitor the situation and are working closely with the head teacher and Education Service colleagues in Argyll and Bute Council. This letter is to inform you of the current situation and provide advice on how to support your child.
The affected pupil was last at school on Tuesday 15th September. Contact tracing is now underway. Those who have been in direct close contact with the confirmed case are being contacted and they will be asked to stay at home and self-isolate for 14 days. The school reopened for this term with appropriate control measures, including enhanced cleaning in place, in accordance with Scottish Government guidance, and these remain in place.
This is an evolving situation. Meantime the school remains open and pupils should continue to attend if they remain well. If the situation changes significantly then we will update you and provide further advice as necessary.
What should you do now
As long as your child is well, and as long as other members of the household have no symptoms and are well, then everyone can all go about their normal business, go to work and school etc. Anyone who is well and has no symptoms does not need to be tested.
What to do if your child develops symptoms of COVID 19
Hopefully this will not happen but if your child develops symptoms of COVID-19, or is confirmed as positive, they must not come to school and should remain at home for at least 10 days from the date when their symptoms appeared. Anyone with symptoms will be eligible for testing and further information on testing can be found on NHS Inform.
Once a positive case is confirmed in a house, then 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 house became ill.
Household members should not go to work, school, public areas or use public transport.
Household members staying at home for 14 days will greatly reduce the overall amount of infection the household could pass on to others in the community.
Symptoms
The most common symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) are recent onset of:
•new continuous cough and/or
•high temperature
•a loss of, or change in, normal sense of taste or smell (anosmia)
For most people, coronavirus (COVID-19) will be a mild illness.
Please be reassured that for most people, especially for children, coronavirus (COVID-19) will be a mild illness.
If your child or anyone in the household does develop symptoms, you can seek further advice from NHS Inform.
How to stop COVID-19 spreading
There are things you can do to help reduce the risk of you and anyone you live with getting ill with COVID-19
-
wash your hands with soap and water often – do this for at least 20 seconds
-
use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available
-
wash your hands as soon as you get home
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cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze
-
put used tissues in the bin immediately and wash your hands afterwards
Further Information
Further information is available at:
https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/infections-and-poisoning/coronavirus-covid-19
https://www.gov.scot/coronavirus-covid-19/
Yours sincerely
Dr Ken Oates
Consultant in Public Health Medicine