Couldn't send DC to school like this, so why work?

[Veryillperson2737]

I have a very nasty cold. Not flu, but definitely more than a head cold. I don't want to get out of bed. However I've dragged myself to work each day, been useless and slow and made myself more ill, purely as my manager has said I'm not ill enough to be off.

I have a fever, constant headache, achey bones, feel dizzy, deep, chesty cough, have thrown up from coughing... But I'm still well enough to work apparently.

I work round kids and babies, and in a food and drink setting. One of my colleagues now has exactly the same symptoms. (Also struggling through the day.)

But if my kids had this illness, I wouldn't dream of sending them in in case they infected the other kids.

So why- when I work around kids- is this any different?

Why is it acceptable for me to be ill at work and infectious, and be praised for coming in, when I'd be a shoddy parent for sending my kids in in this state?

AIBU to think this?

I've been there, was forced to work in a nursery when I had tonsillitis so bad I couldn't speak or drink which lead to dehydration, which in turn landed me in hospital the next week. It's great some people work in places that allow time off and wouldn't sack you if you take time off but not everyone does. I was shaking on a chair in the corner trying not to get the attention of the parents dropping off so they didn't know, just to keep up the ratios. Which lead to inadequate care for the kids as they ran ratios to the inch so the other staff were run off their feet. But the company didn't lose any money from turning parents away so that's all that matters. One of the many reasons I moved into nannying and will never work in a nursery again!

Make sure you meet with your manager often. This sounds like a decent illness for them to get