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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask if you would keep your child off school because of coronovirus?

126 replies

Thelowquietsea · 11/02/2020 21:12

We got a message from our school that a 'person in the school community' has come into contact with a infected coronovirus person and is now 'self-isolating' for 14 days. Whilst the school considers the risk low, we are told we can keep our child off if we wish.

I have no idea what to do. If we keep DD off, what then? Self-isolate? Surely that must be the only way to completely safeguard yourself but how practical is that?

No idea what to do for the best TBH

OP posts:
OoohTheStatsDontLie · 11/02/2020 22:58

I'm not sure to be honest. If I could find out what year group, and if it was one that doesnt really mix with my childrens, that might sway me (large school so have different playgrounds, gym halls, toilets etc etc). I think it's a difficult decision for parents to make and it obviously wont stop the spread if only some people keep children off.

Presumably for people keeping them off, it would be for the full two weeks? What would you do for childcare? School holiday club wont be running and I wouldnt want to run the risk if my child had been exposed, of passing it to my elderly parents so grandparents would be out. I'm not sure my work would be keen on me taking a week off if the absence from school was voluntary (I think they would be more understanding if the school was shut).

RachelEllenRE · 11/02/2020 22:58

We are also in that situation and my children are going in. Those connected with the school are self isolating and don't currently have any signs of it.

glittercandle · 11/02/2020 22:58

I would keep mine off. DS is immune suppressed and has a serious kidney condition. All mine are secondary school age and can have work sent home via Google class/email.

richele4 · 11/02/2020 23:00

keep them off

OoohTheStatsDontLie · 11/02/2020 23:01

Did any schools close or have voluntary isolation for pupils in the SARS or swine flu outbreak?

Fatasfooook · 11/02/2020 23:02

I would keep them off. Most schools have online work you can access to keep up or keep occupied

Pootlepootlepootle · 11/02/2020 23:03

If our school says this in the next day or so I will keep my kids off, we are near the break outs in Brighton.
It’s almost half term, so hopefully by the end of the month things would be clearer .

HavenDilemma · 11/02/2020 23:04

@turnthebiglightoff 0.0000000025% chance of dying of it

Over 1,000 people have died from Coronavirus so far HmmHmmHmm

HavenDilemma · 11/02/2020 23:07

@Atthebottomofthegarden It’s no different.

As above - over 1,000 people have died of Coronavirus in the last two weeks. There are thousands of people in QUARANTINE but yeah, no different to Flu ConfusedHmm

Pootlepootlepootle · 11/02/2020 23:13

If there was a nasty out break if flu at my kids school a few days before half term break and school day up to you to keep the kids off or not I would keep them off.

SisterAgatha · 11/02/2020 23:15

Vulnerable people are vaccinated against flu. It isn’t the same because the potential for large scale infection and resulting % death is higher.

DecemberSnow · 11/02/2020 23:15

If you keep off school.
You have to self isolate everyone in contavt with your child for 14 days, otherwise, literally no point

DecemberSnow · 11/02/2020 23:17

I would personally keep off school and self isolate and ask school to keep you updated on the person in contact with it. As soon as the person is told they have / havent got it, you can then adapt from there

chomalungma · 11/02/2020 23:18

Over 1,000 people have died from Coronavirus so far

And how many people have been affected by it?

Quoting how many people have died tells you nothing about how dangerous it is.

25,000 Americans have died from the flu in 2019 / 20 so far

RougeVinEtFromage · 11/02/2020 23:19

I'd keep my DS off.

Pootlepootlepootle · 11/02/2020 23:20

DecemberSnow

‘’ you keep off school.
You have to self isolate everyone in contavt with your child for 14 days, otherwise, literally no point’

Er, not if your child hasn’t come into contact with it yet. More people in the same space = more chance of the virus spreading. Doesn’t mean that every kid in those schools already has the virus or is a carrier.

Kahlua4me · 11/02/2020 23:20

Think I would keep my dc off and isolate until after half term. That way I would be sure that we hadn’t passed it on to anyone vulnerable.

Would keep them busy with school work, games, tv and tidying up all our cupboards and the loft!

TheClaws · 11/02/2020 23:23

As above - over 1,000 people have died of Coronavirus in the last two weeks. There are thousands of people in QUARANTINE but yeah, no different to Flu

There are many millions of people in quarantine.

BilboBercow · 11/02/2020 23:27

I wish people would stop comparing this to flu. Agree we're not at pandemic stages, our chances of catching in the uk (at the moment) are low, but this isn't flu. It doesn't present like flu, it's more contagious than flu, it's fatality rate is far, far higher than flu and there's no vaccine.
I say that as someone who has swine flu and got over it relatively easily (felt dreadful though)

AuntieStella · 11/02/2020 23:28

"You wouldn’t keep them off if there was a potential case of flu in the school, would you? It’s no different"

Yes it is - because of the vaccine. There has been no newly emergent flu strain. Yes you might become very ill if there was one to which you had no immunity. And if there was a known outbreak of a novel flu, then extending the half term break strikes me as an excellent step to limit spread of infection (DC are superspreaders of flu)

anon2000000000 · 11/02/2020 23:29

I would keep mine off.

mycarpetsun · 11/02/2020 23:31

I'd 100% keep ds off but he has immune system issues.

Pootlepootlepootle · 11/02/2020 23:31

"You wouldn’t keep them off if there was a potential case of flu in the school, would you? It’s no different"

If the school thought it was worrying enough to say you had that option then yes I would.

theneighbourswindchime · 11/02/2020 23:36

Are you in or near Brighton?

If yes, I had the same warning message.

I'm keeping my DC off for a bit... idk if that makes me pathetic!

pinkboa · 11/02/2020 23:38

Keep in the mind the "super spreader" was asymptomatic and managed to pass it on to people in France and the U.K.