This advice is for children and young people under 18.
There is separate advice for adults who have symptoms.
If your child is aged 3 months or less and has COVID-19 symptoms, phone your GP.
Important
Your child should stay at home and avoid contact with other people if they have symptoms of COVID-19 and:
- are unwell
- have a high temperature (38 degrees Celsius or higher)
Runny nose or sneezing
If your child's symptoms are only a runny nose or sneezing they can go to school or childcare as long as they:
- have no other symptoms
- do not have a high temperature (38 degrees Celsius or higher)
- are otherwise well
Emergency action required: Phone 999 or 112 if:
- your baby is under 3 months old and has a high temperature (38 degrees Celsius or more)
Urgent advice: Phone your GP immediately if:
- your baby is aged 3 to 6 months and has a high temperature
Non-urgent advice: Phone your GP if:
your child has symptoms of COVID-19 and:
- feels very unwell and you are concerned about their symptoms
- are at the highest risk and may be eligible for COVID-19 medication
Do not go to your GP or to a pharmacy in person.
Symptoms of COVID-19
The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are:
- fever (high temperature of 38 degrees Celsius or more) - including having chills
- dry cough
- fatigue (tiredness)
Less common symptoms
Less common symptoms of COVID-19 include:
- loss or changed sense of taste or smell
- blocked nose
- conjunctivitis (red or pink eye)
- sore throat
- headache
- muscle or joint pain (aches and pains)
- skin rash
- nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea
- chills or dizziness
Severe symptoms of COVID-19
Symptoms of severe COVID‐19 may include:
- shortness of breath
- loss of appetite
- confusion
- pain or pressure in the chest
- high temperature of 38 degrees Celsius or more
Your child may not have all of these symptoms. Symptoms may vary for different age groups or variants of the virus. It can take up to 14 days for symptoms to show.
Symptoms of COVID-19 can be similar to symptoms of cold, flu or hay fever. If you are in doubt about any symptoms your child has, phone your GP.
If your child becomes unwell quickly, the cause is unlikely to be COVID-19. Their symptoms may be caused by another illness.
Symptoms in babies and children that need urgent medical help
If your child needs a COVID-19 test
Your child does not usually need to get tested for COVID-19.
If they have symptoms and feel very unwell, contact your GP. Your GP may decide to send your child for a test. If this happens, follow the advice based on their test result.
How to treat your child's symptoms
Most children get mild symptoms. They can recover from COVID-19 at home. You can treat their symptoms using common medicines you can buy without a prescription. Talk to your pharmacist about medicines you can use to treat your child's symptoms.