What to expect after your child’s COVID-19 test — Tips from AboutKidsHealth
AboutKidsHealth has guidance for what you should do after your child has been tested for COVID-19 and what to do if your child tests negative or if they test positive for COVID-19.
What to do while awaiting test results
If your child has had contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19 or they have symptoms of a COVID-19 infection, they must self-isolate while waiting for their test results. Self-isolating for a child means:
- staying at home
- not going for walks outside
- not having visitors in the home
- avoiding contact with others as much as possible (especially with any at-risk people)
- coughing and sneezing into their elbow
- washing their hands frequently
- wearing a mask when around other people
While your child is self-isolating, the rest of the people in the same household should self-monitor for symptoms. They should also avoid contact with the child as much as possible, use a separate bathroom if possible, wear a mask when in the same room, clean household surfaces often, and wash their hands frequently.
What to do if your child tests positive
Your local public health unit will contact you if your child tests positive for COVID-19, and they will give you guidance about when your child can stop isolating. How long your child must isolate will depend on whether they have symptoms or not.
How long your child must isolate will depend on their symptoms.
What to do if your child tests negative
You will not receive a call if your child tests negative. You can check the test results online. Your child should remain isolating until they are symptom free even if they test negative.
For tips on talking to kids about COVID-19, as well as recommendations for coping with isolation and when to call a doctor after a COVID-19 test, please see, After your child’s COVID-19 test. The article also includes a video about what to expect after a COVID-19 test.
For COVID-19 videos for kids, please see the following playlist: COVID-19 Videos for Kids from The Hospital for Sick Children.
AboutKidsHealth is SickKids’ health-education website and features more than 3,500 articles on a range of health topics. For more information on COVID-19 and other health topics, visit www.aboutkidshealth.ca.
