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Original poster

To think toddlers with cold sores shouldn't be in nursery

132 replies

ScariestFairyByFar · 02/10/2012 20:54

One of the kids at dd's nursery had a big nasty cold sore last week now she has one. Argh! They don't let them in with cp and once it's done it's done as long as your not high risk, she'll have this virus for the rest of her life.

OP posts:
OutragedAtThePriceOfFreddos · 03/10/2012 20:40

I get that it might not be practical for everyone, but I still think you are being selfish to send a child into nursery (NOT school) with a cold sore.

There is more to think about than some random paranoid parent. It's not nice for the staff who have to either risk getting the virus, or stay away from your child. It's not nice for the other children who might end up getting the virus, and who if they have open skin themselves, risk it being more than just a cold sore, and it's not nice for your child who will have staff reluctant to wipe his nose or clean his face.

I'd be getting children to do that themselves if they needed it, so it probably wouldn't be done properly as we are talking about small children here. And I wouldn't be picking them up for cuddles if they needed it. Like I said, I don't get paid enough to risk cold sores. If you are happy with that, then that's your choice.

Cold sores aren't like colds, once a cold is gone its gone. Cold sores come back.

There is a small chance I'm reacting quite so much because a 4yo I was looking after today told me she had been sick twice in the night, and was clearly not feeling well. I don't work in a setting that parents use as childcare while they are at work.

gordyslovesheep · 03/10/2012 20:44

I have had more than one cold in my 42 years

Scaredbutdoingit · 03/10/2012 20:46

The thing is Outraged, I get your point, I really do. Its just (IMHO) the sense of perspective is really skewed.

It all comes down to what are the actual chances of someone actually catching this coldsore, and what are the damages to them if they do... and what are the damages if all children with open coldsores are to be kept at home from nursery (because some cold sores can be very long lasting, and can crust/reopen chronically).

Now you and I don't really have time to sit down and do all the number crunching, but the NHS spends a fair bit of time on it, and their guidance indicates that there is no need to stay out of a public arena. Nursery is not mentioned as an exception.

The unpleasant fact is that yes, you do have to take a small risk that you or one of your family might catch this virus. Luckily, if they do, they will pretty much be able to carry on with life as normal... which is a really good thing.

OutragedAtThePriceOfFreddos · 03/10/2012 20:50

Well, we will have to agree to disagree.

I can't actually remember the last time I looked after a child with a visible cold sore, so it can't be that common.

monkeysbignuts · 03/10/2012 20:51

kids who have vomited should be kept off, no one should send a child in when they have been vomiting.
d&v spreads really fast and is nasty.
cold sores on the other hand meh. Some people are carriers of the virus and get random outbursts for life. its really no different to a wart or veruca, I have a veruca at the minute but can't get treated due to pregnancy. can't wait to get it zapped, in the mean time socks on at all times to stop kids and husband catching it.

N0tinmylife · 03/10/2012 20:54

Outraged, the cold sores are probably not that common, but the virus is, if 80% of the population carry it, so in all likelihood you are worrying about nothing, as you already carry the virus, and just don't get the cold sores!

Goldenjubilee10 · 03/10/2012 20:55

Ds2 gets horrible cold sores over his nose, chin and lips. A new one can come out every two or three days for several weeks then a short break, then starts again. it is worse in winter. In an ideal world I would have liked to stay at home with him but in the real world it's not possible. He is in lose contact with ds's 1&3 but they have never had one. He also has bad eczema.

HappyAsEyeAm · 03/10/2012 21:03

I get cold sores and I hate how people stare and recoil when they look at me when I have one. They're cold sores, FGS. They're common and more people carry the virus (and can therefore develop a cold sore at any given time) than not. Get over it and stop making me feel like a diseased leper.

Scaredbutdoingit · 03/10/2012 21:06

Hehe, Outraged, we are actually agreeing in a way. Wink

Not seeing visible cold sores very often means theres not a very high chance of catching one... or as N0tinmylife says, the virus is all around and just isn't a big deal.

So essentially, there just isn't that much to worry about.

CaseyShraeger · 03/10/2012 21:07

"It's not nice for the staff" 80-90% of whom will already have the virus "who have to either risk getting the virus, or stay away from your child", or accept that the overwhelming likelihood is that they already have it anyway. "It's not nice for the other children who" will probably get it anyway before adulthood but who will run a small risk of getting it now rather than later.

MummysHappyPills · 03/10/2012 21:14

I tell you what, if half the posters on here realised just how common the genital herpes virus was, they'd never have sex again! Grin

MummysHappyPills · 03/10/2012 21:20

(it's 25% of the sexually active population by the way - many will have no symptoms at all)

mrsminerva · 03/10/2012 22:04

It's best to get cold sores when you are young, if you get them when you are older they reoccur, mostly if you have them young you get over it and they disappear completely. Typical Herpes virus behaviour.

gordyslovesheep · 03/10/2012 22:10

I so wish that was true for me - 40 years of the bastards :(

ExitPursuedByJKR · 03/10/2012 23:08

Unclean

Unclean

Unclean

Has anyone got a bell I can ring?

I am astounded by the attitudes of some people on this thread.

I am beginning to feel marginalised, and will soon be siting discrimanation,

AnyFucker · 03/10/2012 23:21

Yeah, I am still afflicted at the age of 47. I hate the fuckers. And the zovirax loses its potency with time Sad

saintlyjimjams · 03/10/2012 23:21

Kaida - my son had eczema herpeticum (over his entire body - only his feet were clear) and according to his doctors may well have regressed due to herpes (he is now severely disabled).

I still say send the kids to nursery with a cold sore. It's everywhere. Okay he caught it when he did from whoever he did - he could have caught it 2 days later from someone else. They're everywhere.

AnyFucker · 03/10/2012 23:25

I must admit to feeling a bit upset by this thread. < usually hard as nails emoticon >

I wonder how people would respond to making others feel like shit, for something they cannot help.

catstail · 03/10/2012 23:54

All of you who suffer or your children suffer, have you tried neat pure tea tree oil? If not please give it a go. Apparently harder for for virus to get immune to, cheap and chemical free.

As soon as you get tingle or pinkness apply neat tea tree twice a day to the whole of affected area. Make sure to go slightly beyond the whole thing.

You must continue twice a day for at least s whole week after all signs of pinkness gone to stop it reflaring.

If i catch ds quickly enough with this method they dont errupt, they struggle and try then give up and disappear before blistering.

It has yo be the 100% stuff, try boots, holland barret or hippy shop!

AnyFucker · 03/10/2012 23:59

will try it

AnyFucker · 03/10/2012 23:59

I am due another period eruption

catstail · 04/10/2012 00:03

Get onto it as quick as poss af, if i dont notice quick enough they do erupt.

Cld be coincidence, but since doing this he gets about only a quarter as many as before as well.

FreudiansGoldSlipper · 04/10/2012 00:05

Not sure I would give it a second thought or if I did it would be ouch poor little pumpkin

catstail · 04/10/2012 00:05

Ps, tea tree stinks, tastes disgusting and stings if it has blistered, but still worth it, ds doesnt grumble much so cant be too bad

AnyFucker · 04/10/2012 00:05

will call in boots tomorrow

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