Toddlers & coughs - how realistic is quarantine each time?

[Stinkywizzleteets]

My kids returned to school /nursery 2 weeks ago. Already had to have youngest tested in first week back due to temperature at nursery - it was negative but scary for everyone involved from nursery to ourselves and of course our toddler having a throat and nasal swab done in a car park.

They’ve now got a cough. Eldest has a cold (sneezing, no temp, no cough) My toddler always seems to have a cough with a cold. Based on previous years, it’s likely to last a long time and so is unlikely to be covid but this scenario poses a problem that parents of toddlers and asthmatic kids are going to experience again and again.

It seems so impractical that everytime they have a cough they have to be tested and stay off Nursery 14 days or longer until it’s gone. For us, that will probably be next March now as they have persistent winter coughs and have had every winter since birth. Going by guidelines that means the whole family is in Quarantine for 14 days each time but what if, like previous years it lasts weeks at a time, has a few days respite then starts all over again? Are we to write off work & school completely until next year or a vaccine? Nursery say they don’t really know what to do as all kids will get bugs, snotty noses and coughs and the long term isolation of lockdown means toddler’s immune systems have not had to fight shared toddler bugs and so they’re going to get everything.

I just don’t know how this is going to work longer term. Employers aren’t going to be happy with staff off all winter cos they have susceptible kids & with so many looking for work, it won’t be long before people are being replaced. We’re going to struggle paying for nursery with statutory sick pay for a place the toddler can’t attend and my eldest who rarely ever has a sniffle is likely to miss a lot of school in their final year of primary because their sibling catches everything.

What are parents going to do? What’s reasonable when covid is unlikely but there are still symptoms?

[Stinkywizzleteets]

I should say of course we will comply as necessary but I wondered if there will be any way of knowing when it’s ok to go in and when it’s not.

[Acdcccc]

I'm in the same boat 😞 hope someone with advice comes along soon as I'm at a loss

[Jilljams]

I’ve got the same problem with two pre schoolers who always get a cough that lingers when they have a cold. I have no idea what the answer is.

[GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat]

It’s only off for ten days not until the cough is gone.

[Stinkywizzleteets]

We were told by the nursery my child had to be symptom free

[Jilljams]

Our nursery’s policy is we have to be 48hrs symptom free before they can return

[Nikki078]

'It seems so impractical that everytime they have a cough they have to be tested and stay off Nursery 14 days or longer until it’s gone.'
Is the 14 day rule after testing a nursery policy? If so it sounds excessive. My understanding is that tests are in place to reduce the time off nursery/school/work and if the result is negative you can return if you're feeling well.

[moominmomma1234]

I am hoping they will invent a spit test kit that gives instant results. That will solve a lot of issues

[Raindancer411]

I am kind of in the same boat but son is in Year 4. We were wondering the same as to at what point will a child be sent home and will it result in multiple tests? Something I am really not willing to keep doing. My son is a drama with a tiny scratch so getting him to have a test would be next to impossible in a car park. Then if we did manage that the anxiety he would have to be told he needed another is unbearable to think of. To top it off I have a 3 month old baby and I don't want to have to have her tested!!!

I am writing to the school to ask these questions and see what they say.

[HarveySchlumpfenburger]

The NHS advice is that symptom free doesn’t include the cough as that can linger.

So if they have covid, then it should be 10 days as long as they’ve are symptom free, if it’s not covid then they can go back as soon as they are symptom free.

[HarveySchlumpfenburger]

Multiple tests is going to be a feature of this winter, I would have thought. If you don’t want to keep testing it’ll be a case of him self-isolating for 10 days each time.

[hilbil21]

They can go back once a negative test result has been received? My sons test result came back in under 12 hours

[Squeekybummum]

My daughter is the same. Catches everything and winter time she gets a cough for the whole of winter.
I have 2 older children in same school so this is going to be a nightmare if youngest is going to be off all the time. I also work and can't see my boss being sympathetic after a few times.

[FelicityPike]

@hilbil21

They can go back once a negative test result has been received? My sons test result came back in under 12 hours

I doubt that because tests can be false at first.

[KitKatastrophe]

if it’s not covid then they can go back as soon as they are symptom free.
This is what makes no sense. If they have a negative text surely they can go back the next day?

[SnuggyBuggy]

Doesn't sound practical at all.

[EachDubh]

Our school is negative test return next day and we can't ask for proof of test or negativity. I teach in 1 school kids at another we may as well move into the testing stations because my eldest of a respiratory infections dream and spends most of the winter ill and off on at school. But it is what it is and we just have to get through it. Hope colds etc are less this year, although i have a sneezing cold, no cough or temp just sneezes, not covid, caught from school already 😂

[10storeylovesong]

You can go back after a negative test.

[10storeylovesong]

And you can go back with a cough if it was negative. Or even if it was positive but the isolation period has finished and you are no longer otherwise unwell. They accept that a cough can linger.

[OverTheRubicon]

You don't need to stay off for 14 days, if you've got symptoms but have a negative test.

If more people followed the guidelines in the first place we wouldn't have this issue.

[uglyface]

Surely, surely the government could take decisive action and state that schools/nurseries/pre schools etc are not allowed to insist parents keep children off once a test has come back negative?

(I say this as a teacher, before anyone starts accusing me of throwing staff under the bus or similar)

[latticechaos]

@hilbil21

They can go back once a negative test result has been received? My sons test result came back in under 12 hours

Only if symptom-free, according to NHS guidance.

[LadyPenelope68]

@Raindancer411
am kind of in the same boat but son is in Year 4. We were wondering the same as to at what point will a child be sent home and will it result in multiple tests? Something I am really not willing to keep doing. My son is a drama with a tiny scratch so getting him to have a test would be next to impossible in a car park. Then if we did manage that the anxiety he would have to be told he needed another is unbearable to think of. To top it off I have a 3 month old baby and I don't want to have to have her tested!!!

I am writing to the school to ask these questions and see what they say.

In a Primary Teacher and can tell you what the answer will be as they have to follow specific guidance. If your child has any sign of a temperature or cough, they will be sent home or you’ll be told not to bring them in. You will then need to get them tested - if the results are negative they can go back to school but is positive will have to stay off for the stated isolation period (10 days). That’s how it will work in all schools.

If you don’t want them tested, then you’re going to have to keep them off school until all symptoms have disappeared, otherwise as soon as you send them back, they’ll just send them home again.

[FelicityPike]

I did not know that, my apologies.

[Oly4]

No there is a lot of confusion over that NHS guidance but if the test is negative they should be allowed back into school or nursery.
If it’s positive you must isolate.
Check the policy of your nursery again. They say you must stay home even if you have a negative test? That can’t be right!
I think we’re all going to be testing our kids multiple times over winter, that’s just how it is