This Morning doctor issues child coronavirus symptom warning as schools reopen

15 September 2020, 12:09

Dr Nighat Arif told parents what symptoms they should be looking out for as children go back to school.

As children head back to school this term, many parents have been worrying about the spread of coronavirus.

But Dr Nighat Arif appeared on This Morning on Tuesday to give her advice on spotting the differences between a common cold and Covid-19.

Speaking to Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield, the GP warned that coronavirus symptoms look very different in adults and in kids, so parents must stay vigilant if their little ones fall ill.

While the key symptoms listed by the NHS are shortness of breath and a persistent cough, young children may start to feel sick and get a headache instead.

Dr Nighat Arif said: “Common symptoms for children can be fatigue, headaches, nausea, sore throats and fever.”

Diarrhoea is also a common sign in children, however it hasn’t yet been recorded as an official symptom as more research is needed.

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If your child has any of these symptoms, Dr Nighat Arif added that parents should consult their doctor immediately.

She also urged parents to download the NHS symptom tracker app to actively monitor what the signs are to help scientists learn more about the virus.

According to the NHS website, if your child has any of the main symptoms of coronavirus, you should try and get a test as soon as possible.

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You should also stay at home and self isolate until you get the test result, only leaving your home to have the test.

This comes after a study last month found that kids are less likely to catch coronavirus in the school classroom than at home.

According to The Sun, the research - conducted by Belgium's national health body - found that coronavirus has a vanishingly low transmission rate at schools.

Experts at the Sciensano institute found 0.8 per cent of pupils quarantined under contact tracing rules caught Covid-19.

And of the 4,472 kids up to the age of 18 who put into self-isolation, 36 are thought to have become infected at school.

Of the 243 staff who were put into self-isolation, 11 came down with the illness.

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