What to do if your child has symptoms.
If your child is staying home or has been sent home from child care or school because of symptoms or illness, keep them home. Limit contact with others, seek medical advice as necessary, and follow the instructions below regarding testing and when they can return to child care or school and other activities.
Assessing for symptoms of COVID-19 should focus on evaluating what is new, worsening, or different from the child’s baseline health status or usual state. Symptoms associated with known chronic health conditions or related to other known causes/conditions should not be considered unless new, different or worsening.
You should talk to your health care provider about chronic conditions that might appear to be COVID-19 symptoms and communicate this to the child care provider or school.
Follow the directions in Ontario's COVID-19 School and Child Care Screening Tool, which are also outlined here:
If your child has new or worsening:
- Fever and/or chills
- Cough or barking cough (croup)
- Shortness of breath
- Decrease or loss of smell or taste
Your child should stay home and self-isolate immediately. Contact the Assessment Centre nearest you to make an appointment for COVID-19 testing. Contact your health care provider for further advice or assessment.
If your child has ONE new or worsening symptom (that is not related to a known cause or condition) that includes:
- Sore throat or difficulty swallowing
- Runny or stuffy/congested nose
- Headache that's unusual or long lasting
- Nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea
- Extreme tiredness that is unusual or muscle aches
Your child should stay home for 24 hours from when the symptom started. Monitor whether the symptom gets better or worse, and watch for any new symptoms.
After 24 hours, if the symptom is improving, your child may return to child care or school when they feel well enough to do so. A negative COVID-19 test is not required to return.
After 24 hours, if the symptom persists, worsens or they develop new symptoms, contact the Assessment Centre nearest you to make an appointment for COVID-19 testing. Contact your health care provider for further advice or assessment.
If your child has TWO or MORE new or worsening symptoms (that are not related to a known cause or condition) that include:
- Sore throat or difficulty swallowing
- Runny or stuffy/congested nose
- Headache that's unusual or long lasting
- Nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea
- Extreme tiredness that is unusual or muscle aches
Your child should stay home and self-isolate immediately. Contact the Assessment Centre nearest you to make an appointment for COVID-19 testing. Contact your health care provider for further advice or assessment.
Your child's health care provider can help you determine whether the symptoms are related to another non-COVID-19 condition, or if they should get tested for COVID-19.
Testing information for your community is available on the Testing Information page. This webpage also provides other information about testing, including how to access your child’s test results.
Your child should continue to stay home and limit contact with others while awaiting a test or the test results, even if they are feeling better. See the instructions below about when they can resume their usual activities, including returning to child care or school. Children can still participate in remote learning if they feel well enough.
When your child can return to child care or school.
There are several situations that will determine when a child can return to child care or school after being home ill or with symptoms. Follow the directions in Ontario's COVID-19 School and Child Care Screening Tool and in the tabs below if they were tested for COVID-19 or not.
If it was recommended that your child be tested for COVID-19 but they did not get tested, they should isolate for 10 days, unless ALL of the following apply:
- a health care provider diagnosed them with another illness; AND
- they do not have a fever (without using medication); AND
- it has been at least 24 hours since their symptoms started improving (if they had symptoms).
This direction does not apply to those who have been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19 or who has had a high-risk exposure to COVID-19 in the last 14 days and who have been advised to self-isolate by the Thunder Bay District Health Unit. This also does not apply to individuals who have returned from travel outside Canada in the last 14 days who are required to self-isolate under the federal Quarantine Act.
They can return to school if ALL the following apply:
- they do not have a fever (without using medication); AND
- it has been at least 24 hours since their symptoms started improving (if they had symptoms).
This direction does not apply to those who have been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19 or who has had a high-risk exposure to COVID-19 in the last 14 days and who have been advised to self-isolate by the Thunder Bay District Health Unit. This also does not apply to individuals who have returned from travel outside Canada in the last 14 days who are required to self-isolate under the federal Quarantine Act.
They can return to school only when they are cleared by your local public health unit.
- Check your COVID-19 test results using Ontario's COVID-19 Test Results Viewer.
- If it has been 10 days or more since your child developed symptoms AND symptoms are improving AND they do not have a fever, they can return to school in the absence of receiving their test result.
- If it has been less than 10 days since your child developed symptoms, please be patient as test turn-around time can vary.
- To inquire about accessing your child’s test result, please contact the assessment centre that performed the test.
Other Important Information
If your child tests positive, public health will be notified and will contact you to provide information, guidance and begin the public health investigation to determine close contacts and possible exposure.
- TBDHU will call you to gather details about your child’s contacts. If your child has been at child care or school during the infectious period, TBDHU will contact the facility to get information about close contacts.
- Your child would need to self-isolate and take appropriate precautions to reduce the risk of transmitting the virus to others, including to others in the household. Visit the Caring for Someone with COVID-19 page for tips and suggestions.
- A Public Health Nurse will follow up daily to check on their overall health and well-being, answer your questions, and provide ongoing support and recommendations.
- Your child must stay in self-isolation at home and not return to child care, school or other activities in the community until public health advises you that it is okay for them to do so.
- A repeat test is not needed - and is not recommended - for someone to be considered ‘cleared’ or ‘resolved’ of their COVID-19 infection.
At this time, siblings, parents/caregivers and other persons in the household can attend child care or school, and go to work, as long as they do not have symptoms of COVID-19*. As usual, everyone should monitor themselves for symptoms and should self-isolate and get tested if they do develop symptoms.
* This direction does not apply to those who have been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19 or who has had a high-risk exposure to COVID-19 in the last 14 days and who have been advised to self-isolate by the Thunder Bay District Health Unit. This also does not apply to individuals who have returned from travel outside Canada in the last 14 days who are required to self-isolate under the federal Quarantine Act.
This direction for household members will change when there is more evidence of spread of the virus in the community.