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Parents have been warned not to \u201cdose\u201d their children with painkillers and send them to school if they have Covid-19 symptoms.<\/p>\nParents have been warned not to \u201cdose\u201d their children with painkillers and send them to school if they have Covid-19 symptoms.<\/p>\n
Dr Sumi Dunne urged parents to keep their children at home if they are unwell, unless they only have a runny nose.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you feel your child is unwell, particularly if they suddenly develop a high temperature, a new cough, please keep them at home,\u201d Dr Dunne said.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t dose them with paracetamol, don\u2019t dose them with ibuprofen and send them into school.\u201d<\/p>\n
But she said that children can have persistent runny noses, which \u201ccan sometimes last a prolonged period of time\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn that instance if the child is well, and they are not having a temperature, there is no reason why they cannot go to school, or why they cannot attend preschool or creche,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Dr Dunne made the comments at the Department of Health briefing on Monday.<\/p>\n
Many primary and secondary schools are reopening their doors to staff and students this week following six months of closure.<\/p>\n
Dr Dunne said she appreciated that parents may be worried about their children returning to school and she advised them to contact their GP with any concerns that they may have.<\/p>\n
In an open letter to parents, guardians, teachers and school staff, the country\u2019s acting chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn said he was \u201cvery aware\u201d of their worries.<\/p>\n
He said their concern was natural and to be fully expected given the challenges posed by Covid-19, but he added that the decision to reopen the schools had not been taken lightly.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf all of us continue to make small changes to the way we live, we can \u2013 together \u2013 starve this virus of opportunities to transmit,\u201d Dr Glynn wrote.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile it is okay to send your child to school or childcare if they only have a runny nose or a sneeze, if you have any concerns that your child has symptoms of Covid-19 \u2013 fever, cough, shortness of breath, loss of taste or smell \u2013 then please keep them at home until you have spoken with your GP by phone.\u201d<\/p>\n