Take steps to protect your child/youth and others.
All individuals who have respiratory virus symptoms and/or test positive for any respiratory illness (e.g. COVID-19, influenza) should stay home until all the following criteria are met:
- symptoms have improved; AND
- the individual is feeling well enough to resume normal activities; AND
- the individual has been free of fever for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medication.
ACTION: Contact your family physician for an in-person or virtual visit, or visit your nearest walk-in clinic. Your child/youth can use an at-home COVID-19 rapid test if you have access to one.
For information on how to do a rapid test and understanding the results visit Rapid testing at home. Rapid tests are available for free at a participating pharmacy. Find a pharmacy near you.
- If you use a rapid test, please share your child/youth's result with your care provider (no matter what the result is) or visit your nearest walk-in clinic for further advice.
- If the rapid test is positive for COVID-19: Please contact your Family Doctor/Healthcare Provider for further assessment and advice on treatment and managing COVID-19.
- If the rapid test is negative for COVID-19: Please contact your Family Doctor/Healthcare Provider for medical advice.
ACTION: Take steps to minimize the spread of respiratory viruses.
In order to minimize transmission of respiratory viruses and keep each other safe, we also recommend the following:
- Maintain good respiratory etiquette (cover coughs, sneeze into a bent elbow, wear a mask if sick, or have recently been sick).
- Wear a mask for 10 days from the onset of symptoms (even if the symptoms have resolved or improved) when in indoor settings.
- It is especially important that anyone who has recently been sick with a respiratory virus wear a mask when around anyone who is at risk for severe outcomes from respiratory virus infections (e.g. elderly or immunocompromised).
- Frequent and careful hand hygiene.
- Clean and disinfect surfaces regularly.
- Anyone who is feeling unwell, regardless of whether they have tested positive for a respiratory virus or not, should avoid visiting acute care or continuing care settings except when necessary (e.g. to receive emergency care) and if possible, avoid contact with anyone who may be at high risk of severe outcomes (e.g. elderly or immunocompromised individuals).
ACTION: Follow these tips to help manage symptoms at home.
- Ensure your child/youth is drinking plenty of fluids to replace those lost and to make their throat feel better. They should drink enough fluids to keep their urine pale yellow.
- To help clear a stuffy nose, have them breathe moist air from a hot shower or a sink filled with hot water.
- For a stuffy nose, use salt water (saline) nose drops or rinses to loosen the dried mucus.
- Raise their head with an extra pillow if coughing keeps them awake at night.
For more information on managing symptoms at home, visit our self-care guide.