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Original poster

How has DD caught a cold at nursery?

40 replies

TotorosFurryBehind · 05/08/2020 11:56

Anyone else with a toddler at nursery had them catch anything (cold, tummy bug) yet? I know that the lockdown didn't get rid of all diseases forever, but just expected it to be a bit longer than 4 weeks before she picked something up ☹️

We have been very careful since she started nursery, so the cold definitely came from there. It's got me worried that maybe other parents at the nursery are not being as careful as us.

Whilst the risks to children from Covid are low, if DD picks up normal childhood viruses at nursery as children normally do, this will play havoc with work as we will need to isolate every time she has a temperature.

OP posts:
Tinyhumansurvivalist · 05/08/2020 12:00

I'm amazed it took as long as 4 weeks. Kids get ill, it's a fact of life. You just need to book a test ,results are in within 48 hours if you go to a drive through one so you wouldn't need much more time off than normal if she is ill

Trinketsfor20 · 05/08/2020 12:03

What? Of course they’ll get bugs of all forms from nursery - and from numerous other places. It’s so irrational and unscientific to expect that you’ve somehow eliminated all that and that you are now overthinking a cold and extrapolating that to mean all sorts for other people. People will look at you and Think the same about you perhaps as parents of kid with a cold! 4 yo DS back at nursery for a month now and has had a cold and streamy nose and DD baby (6 months) starting Monday and we are expecting nose to be runny soon enough. Part of life.

KittyFantastico · 05/08/2020 12:03

Kids pick up germs, it's just what they do.

If she has a temperature, cough, etc you only need to self-isolate until she's had a negative covid test, you can book a drive-through appointment or a home test.

Could you or DH make a contingency plan with your employers now, ahead of the winter, to say that if you do have to self-isolate you will work from home until allowed back out? For a negative test that would be as soon as its confirmed as negative so could be as little as 2-4 days depending on how quickly its done and processed, and for a positive test its 10/14 days depending on who tested positive and who is just isolating due to contact with a positive person.

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Original poster
TotorosFurryBehind · 05/08/2020 12:03

I've taken time off work this week for the cold. I didn't have to, but whilst she didn't have a temperature or cough, she was also teething and didn't want her to be miserable (nursery has said children cannot have Calpol due to risk of it masking Covid symptoms). I also felt bad about exposing the other children and nursery workers to a cold, but if other parents are going to send in children with colds, it seems pointless to keep mine at home (provided she is okay in herself).

OP posts:
WorraLiberty · 05/08/2020 12:04

It's got me worried that maybe other parents at the nursery are not being as careful as us.

Careful in what way though?

All a child has to do is cough into their hand and touch a desk, for another child to come along and touch it too.

It must be difficult drumming it into a nursery aged child, that they must cough into the crook of their elbow.

RowboatsinDisguise · 05/08/2020 12:06

We’ve been really lucky. DS has been back for two months and hasn’t caught anything yet! But I was fully expecting an onslaught of colds etc.

FinnyStory · 05/08/2020 12:07

I have had a sore throat, earache and runny nose for the past few days and I really haven't been anywhere. I teach so I haven't been to work since the end of term and DH is shielding ahead of an operation, I stocked up well before we went into isolation so we haven't even had shopping delivered. I literally have been nowhere and seen no one.

Part of me thinks it must be hayfever or some other allergy but it feels a lot like a cold.

Trinketsfor20 · 05/08/2020 12:07

It's got me worried that maybe other parents at the nursery are not being as careful as us.

It’s this bit of the thinking that is SO skewed and wrong in so many ways that I don’t know if I’m more amused or more annoyed. This person seriously thinks that a kid getting a cold from who knows where via an utterly common invisible virus is an indicator of parenting promptness about hygiene and nursery stringency.

NotSoBlondeAnyMoreGirl · 05/08/2020 12:08

You're being very precious. Nursery aged children cannot socialise and social distance at the same time. Of course she is going to catch colds (surely is also good for her immune system to have practise of fighting things off?).

GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat · 05/08/2020 12:10

But your child has a cold? Do you want people to assume your the ones not being careful? Can you see why it’s unfair to assume the same of them?

Original poster
TotorosFurryBehind · 05/08/2020 12:12

I know kids normally pick up germs at nursery, but these are not normal times. There are so many hygiene measures in place now and limited mixing of households that I expected the circulation of normal childhood viruses to be much less.

OP posts:
kirinm · 05/08/2020 12:13

My DD caught her first cold with her childminder since being back since May / June (can't remember when they were allowed back). She didn't have a cough or a temperature so she was allowed to stay. I didn't assume some other parent wasn't doing what they're supposed to be doing. Bit judgy! Kids get sick.

Winter is going to be an absolute nightmare.

FinnyStory · 05/08/2020 12:14

How can you possibly know it's not something you brought home with you? Your daughter's the one with a cold, if the are fingers to be pointed.......which of course would be ridiculous

foamrolling · 05/08/2020 12:16

People can carry viruses without being symptomatic.

LivingMyBestLife2020 · 05/08/2020 12:18

Yep! Cold this week for me and my 2 year. Snotty, sneezy, feeling meh. Slight cough so I got tested and got negative result in less than 24 hours. It’s no big deal. It’s a cold. Kids get colds. It’s a fact of life. Keep up your perfect parenting and if you are so worried, change or remove from nursery

burritofan · 05/08/2020 12:22

DD has only been in nursery a month, she's had a week+ off with a virus (not COVID) and she's on her second cold. The kids aren't in sterilised hamster balls; they're racing around prodding their sticky little snot-and-jam hands on each other. Not sure what you expect a nursery to do, install a disinfectant sprinkler system? Corona aside it's good for their immune systems to get every bug going.

Italiandreams · 05/08/2020 12:22

My little one has been back since the beginning of June. Got his first cold, surprised it didn’t happen sooner. It is impossible to stop. I think my nursery are doing an amazing job , they can only do so much to stop toddler touching and sharing etc

Mothermorph · 05/08/2020 12:23

I had a covid test last week after reporting in the covid app.(I didnt have a cough, temp or change to taste and smell) I booked the test at 9.30am for 12.30pm and got negative result by 6am next morning.

SnickettyLemon · 05/08/2020 12:24

I used to work in a preschool(term time only) I would always catch a cold the first week back after summer break from being around lots of toddlers.This was obviously before Covid,but the 'common cold' existed then and I am damn sure it still exists now.

kirinm · 05/08/2020 12:30

@Mothermorph

I had a covid test last week after reporting in the covid app.(I didnt have a cough, temp or change to taste and smell) I booked the test at 9.30am for 12.30pm and got negative result by 6am next morning.
Did you not have to self-isolate? Or did you just isolate until you got the negative? I'm not sure what to do in these circumstances.
OohKittens · 05/08/2020 12:34

My son has a brittle asthma (severe only around 4% of asthmatics have this). He gets unwell as soon as he returns to school after any break and he's 13. I'm predicting him ending up in hospital when he has to return to school in September. He already takes a long term antibiotic and 8 steroid tablets a day. He has been well since February when I took him out of school and he's been shielding so he will be hit bad.

EasterIssland · 05/08/2020 12:39

my son joined back on a Wednesday he had blocked nose by Friday

Fluffycloudland77 · 05/08/2020 12:39

I knew someone whose lo started nursery on a Thursday, couldn’t go in the next Tuesday due to an ear infection.

Kids just have rubbish immune systems.

Lazypuppy · 05/08/2020 12:43

You took time off work for a cold?!

I'm suprised it took 4 weeks, my dd had her first cold 2 weeks after starting back. A week of snotty nose etc, but she carried on going to nursery.

Mothermorph · 05/08/2020 12:48

Did you not have to self-isolate? Or did you just isolate until you got the negative? I'm not sure what to do in these circumstances.

I didnt go out anywhere until I got the negative test...are you meant to isolate even if the test is negative? I thought that was the point of having the test so you isolated if positive and didnt have to if negative? (Esp as I didnt have the listed symptoms)

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