NHS reassures parents after Covid case at Wick High School
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A letter was sent out on Tuesday to all parents of children at Wick High School to reassure them after a pupil tested positive for Covid-19.
Signed by Dr Jenny Wares, NHS consultant in public health medicine, it stated that a case of Covid-19 had been identified at the school on Monday this week.
"We know that you may find this concerning but we are working in close partnership with Mr Sandecki [acting rector] to manage this situation," it said.
The letter went on to reassure parents that "all necessary action has been taken at the school" and that the NHS would "provide advice on how to support your child".
"The affected individual was last in school on Monday 21st June 2021," the letter states. "Pupils who have been identified as close contacts have been informed and will be self-isolating at home for 10 days. Following a recent Scottish Government announcement, all close contacts of a confirmed case of Covid-19 should be offered a PCR test. In line with this guidance close contacts have been advised to seek a PCR test."
Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests are sent away to a lab to diagnose disease and are deemed to be the most accurate of available testing procedures. They are used to directly screen for the presence of viral RNA, which will be detectable in the body before antibodies form or symptoms of the disease are present. This means the tests can tell whether or not someone has the virus very early on in the illness.
The letter went on to say that "as long as your child is well, and as long as other members of the household have no symptoms and are well, then everyone in the house can all go about their normal business".
"If a child or household member develops symptoms of Covid-19, a PCR test should be booked as soon as possible. Anyone with symptoms will be eligible for PCR testing and further information on testing can be found on NHS Inform."
The "whole household should isolate" if anyone in it develops symptoms, the letter goes on to say.
"If a positive case is confirmed in a house, then all other household members who remain well must stay at home and not leave the house for 10 days. If there are any positive cases in your household, contact will be made by NHS Highland’s Contact Tracing Team.
"Household members staying at home for 10 days will greatly reduce the overall amount of infection the household could pass on to others in the community."
The letter finishes by stating what the symptoms of coronavirus infection are and general advice on how to guard against it. "Please be reassured that for most people, especially for children, coronavirus (Covid-19) will be a mild illness," said Dr Wares at the end.
Further information is available at: www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/infections-and-poisoning/coronavirus-covid-19 and www.gov.scot/coronavirus-covid-19/
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