Changes to COVID-19 screening for children and youth

By Sean Feagan, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The province has changed the way different symptoms are considered under the COVID-19 screening protocol for Albertans under the age of 18.

Since the start of the school year, every child (or their parent(s)) must complete a daily screening checklist in order to attend school or childcare, or to participate in other activities such as sports. The checklist includes a list of symptoms associated with the disease – the checklist is used to indicate whether the child can attend or must isolate.

Previously, runny nose and sore throat were included as two of 14 symptoms on this list that would necessitate self-isolation and/or testing.

But as of Nov. 2, a new screening questionnaire will be used for Albertans under the age of 18 that has two symptom classes – core symptoms and symptoms – that are handled differently.

Any child with one of the core isolation symptoms, which includes cough, fever, shortness of breath, and the loss of taste or smell, must isolate for 10 days or have a negative test result and resolve symptoms before resuming activities.

But if a child has only one of any of the other symptoms on the list, including runny nose and sore throat, they must stay at home and monitor symptoms for 24 hours. If their symptoms improve after that time, testing is not necessary, and they can return to normal activities when they feel well enough.

The change was made after Alberta Health Services examined the relationship between these symptoms and the likelihood of having the virus, explained Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta’s chief medical officer of health.

Over the week prior to Hinshaw’s announcement on Oct. 29, more than 3,400 children and youth reporting sore throats, of which 700 had sore throats as their only symptom, were tested for COVID-19. Of these, less than one per cent tested positive, she said.

During the same period, more than 3,300 children and youth with a runny nose, of which 601 had as their only symptom, were also tested. Of those, less than 0.5 per cent tested positive for COVID-19.

“This shows us that these symptoms by themselves are very poor indicators of whether a child has the virus,” said Hinshaw. The risk a child with one of these symptoms has COVID-19 is even lower if that child is not known to be a close contact of a confirmed case, she added.

The change does not affect children with a known exposure to the virus. 

“If a child has had close contact with a COVID case in the last 14 days, then a runny nose or sore throat is still enough to recommend testing, and they would still need to continue to stay at home in self isolation,” she said.

The updated checklist considers the total number of symptoms a child has. If the child has two or more symptoms, testing is recommended, and the child should stay home until symptoms go away or they test negative for COVID-19.

Golden Hills School Division is currently assessing the changes, said Bevan Daverne, superintendent.

The new screening tool is available online (open.alberta.ca/publications/covid-19-information-alberta-health-daily-checklist).