Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that mainly cause lung diseases. The name of the current coronavirus is SARS-COV-2, and the disease that it causes is called COVID-19.

The main symptoms of COVID-19 are:

• A high temperature
• A new continuous cough
• A loss of, or change in, normal sense of taste or smell

Other symptoms may be present, but testing and public health decisions are based on these three symptoms.

Diarrhoea/vomiting in children during this season is most commonly associated with viral gastroenteritis, though it may also be a minor symptom of CVOID-19. At this point, diarrhoea and vomiting are not included in the symptoms which are required to obtain a test for COVID-19. If a child has symptoms of diarrhoea/vomiting they must be excluded from school until 48 hours after their symptoms resolve.

Transmission

Transmission occurs from person to person after the virus is released from a person who is infected. It can then be transmitted to another person directly through the air, or indirectly by resting on a surface that another person touches.

We can break the chain of infection and keep protecting each other by remembering "hands, face, space":

Hands: wash your hands regularly for at least 20 seconds with soap and water

Face: use a face covering when social distancing is not possible

Space: try to keep your distance from those not in your household