The number of active COVID-19 cases is on the rise, so the government is constantly rolling out different measures to reduce the coronavirus spread. Although lockdown and certain restriction measures are in place, schools are still in session, unlike the previous lockdown.
This new development has left many parents worried about the coronavirus spreading in schools and subsequently infecting vulnerable members of the family. The concern about little knowledge on the effect of COVID-19 in children is common for parents and caregivers. Experts believe that there is little difference in the transmission of the virus in younger children and that the impact may be lower on children than adults.
An app is now available for parents to understand how the virus affects their children and track the spread of the coronavirus. This app will help reassure parents about the safety of their children during this pandemic. It allows parents and caregivers to record how their child or children feel and when the child gets a COVID test, which gives the school an insight into the students’ health. It also makes reliable data available to make vital decisions to keep both staff and students safe.
How does this school community program work?
If a school wants to be a part of the program, the headteacher will sign up and provide basic information about the school to set up for the program. After this, the headteacher will add the school’s unique Bubble and include it in the COVID symptoms study app. This helps to get personalised insights about the school.
Parents can download the COVID symptom study app, add the child’s profile, and then link it to the school network and Bubble.
Keeping schools safe with data
Parents need to login to the app daily to answer a few questions about their child’s health, symptoms, and how they feel. Answering the questions take only a few minutes. The app uses this data from each Bubble and school to share insights with the school every day. This insight includes the following.
- The number of health reports submitted for the day
- The number of children who had a positive COVID-19 result
- The number of children feeling unwell in every Bubble
- The symptoms which children are experiencing
Each parent will get updates on the number of children having symptoms and feeling unwell in their child’s Bubble and school.
The app anonymously takes the date to make analysis and give insights, and would never share any personal data of the child, parent or school. The app is primarily to keep children, parents, and school staff safe during the pandemic.
Understanding COVID-19 in young people and children
The app has helped experts to understand that children do not show the common symptoms present in adults. More than half of the children who tested positive for the virus did not show the three common symptoms, including fever, anosmia, and cough the week before and after taking the test.
Early research showed that young adults and children usually show milder symptoms of COVID-19, but, the effect on children is yet to be understood, so it is important to participate in this COVID symptom study program.
Schools and parents using the school community feature contribute to research and investigation of the effect of COVID-19 in children within different age brackets.
The program is open to all schools in the UK, and signing up is free for both schools and parents. The daily report from parents takes only a few minutes to complete.
If your child has COVID-19 symptoms, ensure your child gets a private COVID-19 test London at Blood London. You can contact our testing centre on 020 7183 0244 to schedule an appointment for the test.