Eksote has updated the corona testing and quarantine instructions for children

The social and health district of South Karelia (Eksote) has now updated its own guidelines for children's quarantine and corona testing.

In the future, children who were in the same group as someone sick with the coronavirus at school or daycare will be placed in quarantine based on individual consideration. Children will be placed in quarantine in the future if strong exposure requires it.

- Quarantine will be assessed in the future according to whether the child has spent time with someone infected with the coronavirus at school, daycare or outside of them, and whether the children have been in particularly close contact, explains the chief doctor Sami Raasakka The exotesta.

Information about playmates can be asked from the child himself, his parents or teachers. The need for quarantine is assessed according to the information received, and children are only tested based on symptoms if necessary. Extensive quarantines concerning the entire group are to be avoided. In the future, a teaching group or care group that has had a corona case can continue as normal in school or care. The child should only stay at home if symptoms appear. In this case, too, it's not about quarantine, but normal illness.

It is especially important for teaching and early childhood education staff to protect both themselves and the children they are responsible for with the protection provided by two corona vaccinations.

Children under the age of 12 will be tested in the future if they have strong symptoms of infection

Routinely, children under the age of 12 are no longer tested, unless the child shows strong symptoms.

- If the child has no known corona exposure, but has mild symptoms of infection, the child with mild symptoms is usually no longer tested, says Raasakka.

A child can have mild symptoms at home in peace until they are symptom-free. In case of strong symptoms of infection, you should apply for a corona test. The child should be tested even with mild symptoms, if there are unvaccinated or immunocompromised persons over the age of 16 in the child's family.

Children aged 12 and older are instructed to take the test in accordance with the instructions of adults. If the child has mild symptoms and has been vaccinated twice, and there is no known corona exposure, the child is usually not tested. If vaccine protection is insufficient, a child aged 12 and older is tested, even with mild symptoms.

More information for the media:

Sami Raasakka, chief physician, Eksote, tel. 040 651 1594, sami.raasakkaexote.fi (sami[dot]raasakka[at]eksote[dot]fi)