This advice is for babies and children up to the end of secondary school, usually the age of 18.
Important
If your child has symptoms of COVID-19 (coronavirus) they need to:
- stay at home and isolate from other people
- wear a medical, respirator or well-fitted face mask around other people, depending on their age
If your child is aged 3 months or less, phone your GP for advice.
Your child can go to school with a runny nose or sneezing as long as they:
- have no other symptoms
- do not have a fever
- are otherwise well
But if your child has a runny nose and feels unwell or is off form, they should stay at home.
Read more advice on when it’s OK to send your child to school or childcare
Immediate 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
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
Your child needs to isolate if they have symptoms
Your child needs to isolate from other people (stay at home) if they have symptoms. They need to do this until 48 hours after their symptoms are mostly or all gone.
Your child does not usually need to be tested
Your child does not need to get tested for COVID-19 unless they have symptoms and they:
- have a condition that puts them at higher risk
- live with someone who has a weak immune system
- are told to by the HSE or public health doctors
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.