Hands up if you already have a child off school with a cough?

[AlohaMolly]

👋🏼 👋🏼

DS is 4, started reception on Thursday. In Thursday Friday, developed a cough at bedtime last night and was up with it every half hour until I gave him some calpol.

No temp, just a cough and a runny nose. I think I’d probably have sent him under normal circumstances but called the school to check and he said to keep him home today and see how he is tomorrow.

I shouldn’t have to say it, but THIS IS NOT A TEACHER/SCHOOL BASHING THREAD. I used to be a teacher and support the school fully with their approach. Luckily, I ‘only’ work 2.5 days a week, one of them a weekend day, so I’m fine to be off with DS, but it’s 90% of the reason I haven’t taken more hours on like I’d planned to originally.

It’s going to be a long winter, isn’t it??

I know this is a Covid-related thread, but after 1.5 days back at school last week my DD is off today with a stomach ache. It hurt too much for her to walk properly or get dressed, DH shouted at me for disagreeing with him that this was an official Covid symptom and we all need to quarantine, but she had miraculously recovered by 10am. I suppose a severe but brief stomach ache is possible, but it may be more likely that she is a better actress than I thought as DH later told me she had said last night that she didn’t want to go to school today. I wonder how we deal with that now that parents aren’t allowed to speak to the teachers and the teacher has only met her for a total of 10 hours.

@badlydrawnbear on the other hand my DD found the test SO stressful yesterday that I’m sure she won’t say anything the next time she has a sore throat. She’s only 7 after all. I think we just have to muddle through and try to use our best judgement.

There are actually not enough tests, god knows how this will pan out if everyone gets tested for every time they have a cough / cold!

@badlydrawnbear I don't understand the problem. She's better so she can go to school.

You don't need to test or quarantine with stomach pain.

Well we are just back from swabbing. Result should be back tomorrow so with a bit of luck it will be back to school on Weds. Though to be fair, the patient probably isn't well enough to be in school today anyway, even if it is only a common cold.

If anyone is having trouble getting a test appointment ouR gp receptionist said to just go to the drive in as she didn’t know anyone who had been turned away. We went no queue barely anyone there - they volunteered to test us all not just dc.

I had spent 4 hours trying to get through on phone and website kept on saying all appointments booked.

It is just a cold but without a test my son would miss even more school 🙁

We are in London

Attictroll my understanding is it's not the swabs that is the limiting factor, but actually testing the swabs. So just driving up isnt helping everyone else, because the labs cant cope. Hence the delay in getting results.

Yeah, the swabbing bit is the easy bit.

Not according to the man and women we sole to - who said results on 16 hours. Definitely getting an appointment was our issue - website said no appointments and just told us to try in a few hours. Other people we know have been told the same

May vary by regions. Where the tests are etc

Spoke to at the test centre- it’s the website and the system overloaded

Well I’m clearly the shittest parent going because despite sitting in the car at the test centre for 1.25 hours, I couldn’t get the swab done I got it up one nostril for around a second or two before DS went hysterical. Lots of talking and cajoling and reasoning and bribing and warning and just point blank refusal. The people at the centre were lovely but can’t help and DS is too strong for me to hold and swab successfully.

I feel shit for putting him through that and shit for not being able to do it and shit that we now have to isolate.

The men at the centre did say that they’ve seen a huge increase in children being brought in and parents really struggling and a lot failing.

Not me, but my son's friend whom he shares a desk with at schools. Friend was tested Saturday, got a negative result on Sunday so was back at school today.

I suppose it's almost inevitable that DS will catch the cold, and the DH and I will too. Sigh, it's going to be a long winter!

Yup! Us too! Youngest coughed all night Saturday, had a test yesterday, self isolating until we get the results. Work aren't too happy with us but that's just tough. No fever just a dry hacking cough so it could be the dreaded virus.

We've had several students off for this reason and it's only a matter of time before staff are affected too.

Yup another one here.Missed first 3 days of nursery (after 7 months off!) Went back for 2 days as was fine, then a call today saying he had a slight temp (but now no cough).So we're home again.
I am pretty sure it's not corona as he is mildly asthmatic so would be hit hard, and he's still running around like Sonic.We aren't in the UK and our numbers are way down, e.g 2 a day,sometimes zero so I'd be suprised.Docs visit tomorrow tho,anyway.

And OP you aren't the shittest parent ever

My youngest (the one that's poorly) would absolutely freak.

My eldest (with HFA) would not be able to handle the test.

I wouldn't manage well.

How on earth did you all get your DCs to have the test? How old are they?

I got it up one nostril for like a second but it has to be ten and ten in either both nostrils or one nostril and the back of the throat, but if it’s in the throat it can’t touch anything else in the mouth - tongue/cheeks/teeth etc. Once he’d had it in one nostril and hated it there was no way he was going to voluntarily let me do it again.

Cough (and cold symptoms) started Wed, took 24 hours of trying before getting a home test sent out. Test done Friday and sent straight in. Now 72 hours later and results officially late.
Fed up.

@AlohaMolly yeah it was pretty much impossible on my own, they both just wriggled away whatever I tried.

I'm really dreading winter. My youngest picks up every cough/cold/bug going. He has just started reception so is bound to catch things. He has autism so there will be absolutely no chance in hell he will allow us to swab him!

Mine are 19 months and nearly 4. Basically the more/harder they cried/screamed the easier it was to reach the back of their throat!!! I had to ask for another swab thing though as one kid grabbed it!