What is the etiquette now when child has heavy cold

[Wondergirl100]

Do they stay off school til better? What if child (7yrs) has mild cough (ie bit of coughing once or twice an hour) - no temp and bit of a blocked nose.

Test andback to school ? Or keep off til better?! What if they run a cold all winter!

@Kittii

Coughing once an hour is a cough and she should be isolating and getting a PCR!

This is completely unworkable with two young children; they would be home a day a week. Neither the school or the nursery we use have sent our dcs home for that level of cough.

For me it's pretty straightforward, coughing frequently through the day means they need a PCR. I don't think it's unnecessary testing.
For minor cold symptoms lateral flow tests at home.
Over the last fortnight my DC have had cough, runny nose, sore throat, feeling a bit bleurgh including DC1 who is away at university. Two of them have also had a temperature. PCR tests all negative.

Coughing 3 or more times in 24 hours classes as a continuous cough according to the NHS so you need to get them tested.

My son's result came back in 24 hours. I know it's a pain but it's the responsible thing to do.

@Kittii

Coughing once an hour is a cough and she should be isolating and getting a PCR!

This.

I get that it's bloody inconvenient but the virus will keep spreading if people aren't responsible about this stuff.

My dd is isolating today, awaiting the results of her pcr test. No symptoms as yet, but I'm certain it will be positive as some of her friends have recently tested positive. And yes, one of those friends went into school last week with symptoms which they decided probably weren't covid, but it turned out that they were wrong. It's really selfish to take the risk.

Our school sent an email last week saying until you've had a pcr test please don't assume it's 'just the cold that's going round'
My kids had no classic covid symptoms when they tested positive - they were full of cold, achy legs and sore throats and tummy aches. They were wiped out though there's no way I would have been able to send them in

I agree with others, it is a new continuous cough. I would self isolate, book a PCR and presuming it's negative, inform the school of this and send them back.

our school has asked that kids stay off for pretty much everything, and for 2 days once symptoms have passed - and they're including colds in that.

DS1 was snotty Sunday, Monday, feeling fairly good Tuesday, otherwise fine, I kept him off until Thursday. It's not great, but I can see why they're doing it.

TBH it's less about the kids, and more about staffing levels - if something goes through the staff then they'll have trouble covering classes.

@BessieFinknottle the child can go back in once they have a negative test- see scenario 3 in this chart. This is the updated guidance from 29/9/21
www.hpsc.ie/a-z/respiratory/coronavirus/novelcoronavirus/guidance/educationguidance/Isolation%20quick%20guide%20under%2013s.pdf

Just to add, my class came in week before last with negative pcr tests and coughs and colds. I have been off for the past week with a horrible cough and cold and am still not better. So please remember that a child with a cold might result in a teacher with a cold. Hope you are all ok.

Hi OP, we are going through this at the moment, waiting for PCR results. It's just a cough, but at this point in the pandemic I'm not going to assume anything - too many completely asymptomatic cases for that!

I agree that it's crappy to swab them and they hate it, but my DS also hates brushing his teeth and I make him do that! :) So not going to faff around when it's life and death to someone vulnerable or elderly who might catch it from him/someone he infected...

Incidentally a lot of mums in our friendship group are saying they won't swab their kids, and every kid coughs all winter. In normal times I'd say each to their own but for me that means we're avoiding them indefinitely - I'm vaxxed so low risk now but can't be doing with that level of denial, after all this time and all those deaths.

Wish your DC better soon.

My year 11 has been sent home this morning, had negative PCR yesterday but has a blocked nose and tickle cough. No idea when he can go back as cough with cold can last 3 weeks.

Ds school sent a letter saying that they have had a really bad couple of weeks with lots of positive cases and that in the vast majority when one person in the household tests positive the rest of household owed within the next 10 days therefore they will not accept anyone in school if anyone in their house has tested positive for the 10 days. Also that they will require a negative pcr test for children to come back to school if they have any covid symptoms and that in some of the positive cases they have had the only symptoms were a runny nose or headache.
My brothers school said he needs a negative test when he was off for a day with a sore throat
So I think it seems to be test and if they have negative test then you can send them back when they are feeling well!

Ds (15) had none of the typical Covid symptoms (he was vomiting and aching) and had a string of negative lateral flow tests but as Covid is all through his school I took him for a test and it was positive. It's only now (5 days later) that he's got cold symptoms and can't taste much.

@Wondergirl100 the symptoms you described are of covid, or could be. Really no one knows until tested. Just test and then when negative she can go back to school if she feels well enough and you’re happy to send her when she’s got “just” a cold.
Coughing once an hour still counts, new cold symptoms count.

They’ll only keep the send in siblings rule and keep schools open if people keep testing.

Depends on the school’s guidance. Our school says to come in (if feeling up to it) if it’s a negative LFT.

Test regularly!

My youngest felt a bit under the weather on a Tuesday, not ill enough to stay at home, no official COVID symptoms and a nasty cold going round the school.

Had negative LFTs on the Wednesday and Sunday. Then on Monday, still no official COVID symptoms, heard a close friend had had a positive PCR, so asked to do another LFT: tested positive.

PCR later that day confirmed positive result.

Spoke to test and trace and they said to start isolation from when they started feeling unwell the previous week and sent a text confirming when isolation ended.

So, keep testing!

I kept DS off when he developed his cough and booked for a PCR.

He was off for 2 days until we got the negative result through and then he went back in to school.

He still has a cough but his energy etc is normal.

[quote Mamette]@BessieFinknottle the child can go back in once they have a negative test- see scenario 3 in this chart. This is the updated guidance from 29/9/21
www.hpsc.ie/a-z/respiratory/coronavirus/novelcoronavirus/guidance/educationguidance/Isolation%20quick%20guide%20under%2013s.pdf[/quote]
No.3 says they can return when they've followed all medical and public health guidance about when to return @Mamette. And the public health guidance on gov.ie (at present) says to wait 2 days after symptoms disappear before returning to school etc.

Dd has a heavy cold and the snot has made her cough a lot. I asked pre school if she could go in they said yes as 80% of the setting has it.
I asked if needed a test they said no unless i wanted to.

Scenario 3 also says, even more explicitly, that they can return when there is no reason to believe that they have an infectious disease.

Sorry, that was for Mamette.

My son (and the vast majority of the 22 positive cases in his class) had a wee sniffle and a sore head when he tested positive