According to the NHS, a high temperature is very common in young children. We are aware that many things can cause a high temperature in children, from common childhood illnesses like chickenpox and tonsillitis, to vaccinations. As a high temperature is listed as one of the main COVID-19 symptoms, we have outlined our response to high temperature in children at Ten Em Bee during the COVID-19 pandemic.

We recognise that a normal temperature in babies and children is about 36.4C, but this can vary slightly from child to child. The NHS state that a high temperature is 38C or more and that a high temperature is the body's natural response to fighting infections like coughs and colds but could also be COVID-19.

If your child appears to have a high temperature at Ten Em Bee a member of the coaching staff will take the temperature of your child with a digital thermometer.

If the temperature is 38C or above and you have left the site we will call you. If you are on site then you will be informed.

Together, we will consider the individual case along with the NHS advice and make a decision.

Possible decisions
1) Collecting your child immediately from Ten Em Bee and follow NHS advice which may include your household having to self-isolate.
2) To keep the child at Ten Em Bee but isolated and re check the temperature in 15 minutes and at 30 minutes and then re-contact the parent after this time. Decisions made here might include:
: Collecting the child and continuing to monitor at home.
: Collecting your child from Ten Em Bee and follow NHS advice which may include your household having to self-isolate.
: If you are asked to collect your child, you may be asked to wait at the entrance gate and your child be brought to you. If this is the case you will be advised about this on the telephone.

Government advice on when to self-isolate

The following advice was taken from the Gov.Uk Website.
September 2020.

If you have symptoms of COVID-19 however mild, self-isolate for at least 10 days from when your symptoms started. You should arrange to have a test to see if you have COVID-19 – go to testing to arrange.

Do not go to a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital. If you are not experiencing symptoms but have tested positive for COVID-19, self-isolate for at least 10 days, starting from the day the test was taken. If you develop symptoms during this isolation period, restart your 10-day isolation from the day you developed symptoms.

After 10 days, if you still have a temperature you should continue to self-isolate and seek medical advice. You do not need to self-isolate after 10 days if you only have a cough or loss of sense of smell or taste, as these symptoms can last for several weeks after the infection has gone. See the ending isolation section below for more information.

If you live with others, all other household members need to 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 household became ill or if they do not have symptoms, from the day their test was taken. If anyone else in the household starts displaying symptoms, they need to stay at home for at least 10 days from when their symptoms appear, regardless of what day they are on in their original 14-day isolation period. The ending isolation section below has more information.

Returning to Ten Em Bee
If your child continued to cough at home, you would only be able to return to Ten Em Bee when the period of time outlined above has elapsed or if you have had a negative test result, as long as:
: Everyone you live with who has symptoms tests negative
: You were not told to self-isolate for 14 days by NHS Test and Trace – if you were, see what to do if you've been told you've been in contact with someone who has coronavirus
: You feel well – if you feel unwell, stay at home until you’re feeling better
If you have diarrhoea or you’re being sick, stay at home until 48 hours after they've stopped.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/testing-and-tracing/what-your-test-result-means/

Negative test result
A negative result means the test did not find coronavirus.
You do not need to self-isolate if your test is negative, as long as:
: Everyone you live with who has symptoms tests negative
: Everyone in your support bubble who has symptoms tests negative
: You were not told to self-isolate for 14 days by NHS Test and Trace – if you were, see what to do if you've been told you've been in contact with someone who has coronavirus.
: You feel well – if you feel unwell, stay at home until you’re feeling better
If you have diarrhoea or you’re being sick, stay at home until 48 hours after they've stopped.

Symptoms
There is still a lot of confusion as to which symptoms warrant staying away from others and self-isolating.

There are 3 symptoms that qualify for self-isolation or a Covid Test:
: A HIGH Temperature (At least 37.8° or above)
: A new, continuous cough (not an occasional one, it would be a cough that rarely stops or has several bouts throughout the day)
: A loss or sudden change to your sense of smell or taste (this means you cannot smell or taste anything)
You may also find this short film really helpful to determine symptoms:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/health-54182329

Yours sincerely
Paul Palmer
Ten Em Bee