College and pink eye?

[Veryfeduphear]

Friends DD is 16 and started college at 8.30AM. Just had a text from friend, saying that her DD has been asked to leave college as her eye is swollen and tender, with the bottom part of the under eye skin bulging a bit. She’s been told to go home in case she has pink eye, or similar.

AIBU to be surprised at this? Would people go into work with pink eye? Because I’ve had it recently and went into work, didn’t realise it could possibly be something you’d stay off work/school/college with!

[steff13]

I had it and my doctor told me not to go to work for a couple days; I don't tend remember how many. It can be very contagious.

[Poodles1980]

Conjunctivitis is really contagious. Schools, Creche’s etc send kids home with it for that reason.

[RollaCola84]

I told a member of my team to go home with suspected (and later confirmed) conjunctivitis a few months ago. It's highly contagious.

[Veryfeduphear]

I have DC but they never had pinkeye as far as I remember so I’m not sure how contagious it is! The thing is though she doesn’t definitely have pinkeye, she has a swollen under eye lid, nothing diagnosed.
She’s in first year so not doing exams but has missed coursework content

[DianaPrincessOfThemyscira]

Wtf is ‘pink eye’? Sounds like a stye from your description rather than conjunctivitis - which I don’t think is air borne. So it’s contagious but adults should be able to remember to wash hands.

I would go into work with it if it wasn’t too bad but wouldn’t send kids to school.

[steff13]

But it is contagious, so they can't risk her passing it around in the event it is pink eye. It's not as though being undiagnosed is going to make it not contagious.

[steff13]

Google says this:
Coughing, sneezing, or touching can spread the infection, and it can take off like wildfire in the right conditions.

Wtf is ‘pink eye’? Sounds like a stye from your description rather than conjunctivitis

Pink eye is the common name for conjunctivitis. Much in the same way whooping cough is the common name for pertussis.

[flumpybear]

Yes Tay Home and get antibiotic eye drops from chemist - seem to recall you don't need a script

[DianaPrincessOfThemyscira]

Literally never heard any one in my life or on tv use ‘pink eye’ as a description

You live and learn!

[user7469322]

@DianaPrincessOfThemyscira

It’s conjunctivitis. They use the term “pink eye” more so in the US.

[Ansumpasty]

Diana It’s what Americans call conjunctivitis. I’ve never heard anyone in the UK say it.
My kids school allow attendance with it, as long as it’s being treated. Thankfully, they’re yet to have it

[steff13]

I was thinking I'd never heard it on TV either, but I was wrong; there was a really great Saturday morning cartoon here when I was little called Pepper Anne, and there was a kid who perpetually had pink eye. His name was Pink Eye Pete.

[steff13]

I'm assuming the OP is in the UK. She said 8:30 am college started. I'm in the Eastern Time zone in the US, and it's only 4:18am here right now.

[DisturblinglyOrangeScrambleEgg]

Depends if it's because of infection, or because of an allergy really - allergies aren't catching!

I understand that (like ear infections) the standard treatment for the infectious sort is to wait it out these days, rather than use antibiotics.

Surprised she was sent home though - DS1's old primary let kids go in, as long as they were old enough to keep their hands to themselves (and it wasn't too gooey and therefore too hard for a child to keep safely clean)

[Ansumpasty]

I think because it’s said it US TV, people are more aware of the name ‘pink eye.’ Can’t remember which programme, but I remember them saying farting on pillows causes ‘pink eye’ because of the poo particles

[MissKummerspeck]

Ansumpasty it was South Park

[DianaPrincessOfThemyscira]

I object to the use of pink eye. It sounds quite nice