What must be done in each case?

Fever or low-grade fever over 37.5ºC, cough, breathing difficulties, neck pain, nasal cold, tiredness, muscle aches, headache, tummy ache, vomiting, diarrhea and loss of smell and taste. According to the new protocol, all these symptoms are considered compatible with covid. In the event that your son or daughter presents any of them, or if it is in isolation, call the CAP. Educació asks that these children not be taken to school and that they be tested for antigens. If it is negative, they can go to school.

Positive children, adolescents and adults should isolate themselves. The isolation will be for a minimum of 7 days from the onset of symptoms and will be maintained until 7 days after the date of the test (PCR or ART). They will be able to return to school when that period has passed and as long as they have not had symptoms in the last 72 hours. In the case of asymptomatic patients, the period counts from the date of the test.

At the end of the isolation period, it is not necessary to take any test again or present any medical certificate to be able to return to school.

Another situation is that the mother or father of a child is positive. In this case, as a partner of a positive case, the child is considered close contact and must undergo a test. If he tests positive, he should be confined. If you test negative, you have the full vaccination schedule and do not have symptoms, you should not be quarantined and you can continue with your normal life, paying attention to any possible symptoms. If the minor does not have a complete schedule or is not vaccinated, they must quarantine for 7 days.

In the school environment, close contact is considered to be people who are part of a classroom or an extracurricular activity within the same educational center. In symptomatic positive cases, contacts are sought from 48 hours prior to the onset of symptoms until the moment of isolation. In asymptomatic cases confirmed by PCR, contacts are sought from 48 hours prior to the date the PCR was performed.

Kindergarten and elementary school tutors are considered close contact. In the case of teachers who do not belong to this stable coexistence group, they are considered close contact if they have been in the classroom without a mask for more than 15 minutes and less than 2 meters away. In secondary school, only a teacher who does not wear a mask is considered close contact when interacting with a positive person.

With the easing of quarantines, the class will not be closed until there are 5 or more positives in a 7-day period. But when a positive is found in the classroom, Salut offers (does not force) all close contacts to undergo a free antigen test. These tests will be done in the CAP in the case of children and in participating pharmacies to carry out supervised ART in the cases of primary and secondary school. This is a measure that Catalonia maintains, unlike other autonomies. The school is the one who informs the families. Also to the school’s reference CAP, which activates the system so that pharmacies have a list of all the people in that group who can take the free test. Before going to the pharmacy, Salut recommends that families check if their son or daughter’s lamevasalut already shows, in the medication section, the electronic prescription that authorizes the free test.

At case of children under 12 years of age (Nursery, Infant and Primary), the quarantines for vaccinated and unvaccinated disappear. In the event that there are 5 positives in the classroom, the general protocol applies: non-immunized children must be quarantined for 7 days, at the end of which they will be able to return to school without the need for another test. In the case of those immunized, who are still a minority at these ages, they can go to school normally.

At case of those over 12 years old (ESO, Baccalaureate and FP), those who have the complete vaccination schedule will not have to quarantine and will be able to return to class. Salut recommends – does not oblige – families not to take their children to the center until they have a negative test result. Non-immunized students must be quarantined for 7 days but, and here is a novelty, they will not have to undergo a test at the end of that isolation period.

Novelty of the protocol: Students and teachers who have passed the COVID in the last 3 months (90 days), regardless of their vaccination status, should not take a test when there is a positive case in class or quarantine. You can continue to go to school normally.

Yes. It would be the case of people (students or teachers) who live with a person who is in quarantine because it is close contact of a positive. Thus, for example, the children of teachers in quarantine or the siblings of students in quarantine can lead a normal life. It is not the case of those who live with a positive.

No. It’s not mandatory. It is advisable. If there is a positive in your child’s classroom, Salut offers and recommends to the rest of his classmates, who are close contacts, to take a free test at one of the pharmacies that are part of the CatSalut TAR program. Families that do want to do so have a margin of up to 4 days to take the test. There is no need to run away within 1 minute of receiving the school’s notice. Likewise, before going to the pharmacy, they should check in the profile of their child’s mevasalut, in the medication section, that the electronic prescription that gives the right to this free test already appears. Do not go to the pharmacy before.

The child may go to class at any time, whether the ART is not done or is awaiting the result.