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

[Thelowquietsea]

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

It doesn’t make you pathetic, it makes you considerate

I'd keep my DS off but mainly because I wouldn't want him to pass it on to his grandmother who has lupus.

Yes I would keep my child off in that situation. If those of us who can, do, then there will be potentially less spread of the virus. For that reason alone I would, but in any case it's quite rational to be cautious, afraid even, of this virus (that's not the same as panicking). The death rate looks like being about 20 times that of flu.

If it continues to spread then our definition of 'normal' will have to change for a while. It used to be routine for for children to be quarantined for weeks after possible exposure to things like mumps - missing school for that reason wasn't unusual.

Between vaccines and antibiotics, most of us have got used to not needing to worry that much about epidemics, but it's looking like we might need to reawaken those attitudes and precautions from the past, at least for a while. We can't fix this virus with any current drugs or vaccines, so we need to take the risks seriously.

I'd keep my two off. They look healthy but both have asthma and even a cold can make them very ill.

Yes, but I have 2 boys, one with lung issues, & another with autoimmune issues. Both have had the flu vaccine, but the autoimmune dc couldn’t get out of bed for a week after flu & pneumonia vaccine

I kept the one with lung issues home during swine flu, Drs put him on antivirals, just incase

I'd definitely keep them off.

I’d keep mine off

Coronavirus isn't about to go away. It probably won't spread like wildfire in the UK, but it's now acquired the status of "something the press big up every time it happens", like is now the case with any incident where a car mounts the pavement ("Is it terrorism is it terrorism is it terrorism is it terrorism is it terrorism oh no just a drunk driver so no problem you can all calm down now why are you all panicking?").

So if you take your child out of school now, what criteria will you use to decide that it's safe for them to go back? Because there will still be stories about it in the news for the next year at least. Maybe five years. For comparison, every case of Legionnaire's disease in the entire world still gets reported, more than 40 years after the first case and even though it is easily treated with antibiotics, because it was a Big Mystery That Might Have Killed Us All that first time.

This is the school covering their backs. Depends on how likely they would have been in contact ie size of school, same year.

I would definitely keep mine off, but I only work very part-time from home and have the luxury of doing so. Plus I’m autoimmune, so would want to lessen my own risk of catching the virus.

God yes, free extra school holiday. Keep them off!

It's a minimal risk but I would. It's a new virus and we don't know enough about it. Other coronaviruses can be spread during the incubation period and they can also remain viable on hard surfaces for days. Missing 3 days of school before half term is going to do no harm.

You've been given an option with no recriminations from the school system either way. Don't worry what other people say. 14 days off school will make no difference to your DC's education.

Use your own judgement and do some research on your own on reputable health sights. Then decide if if you are still worried. You don't get brownie points either way. It's being offered as very much an individual choice.

I wouldn’t have said everyone is in agreement.

As stayed, I'm pretty sure everyone here is in agreement that it is sensible for immuno suppressed dc or those with underlying health issues which would be a factor, to stay off.

*stated.

I would keep mine off. Absolutely no hesitation.

The lengths and excuses some people go to to send their kids to school.

It really is absolutely no wonder viruses are so rife and spread like wildfire.

It really is an "
All about me" attitude these days.

We he person who is self isolating hasn’t even come into contact with the superspreader directly - they’ve been in contact with someone who has been in contact, so they are 3 steps removed from the virus and your DC would be 4. In those circumstances no I wouldn’t keep my DC off school. The source of the virus in Brighton went to pubs, shops, supermarket, the station, yoga - if you had to isolate all the people who had been in contact with people who had been in contact with him, that’s pretty much the whole of Sussex.

"14 days off school will make no difference to your DC's education"

Especially if 9 of them are weekends/half term days.

Thanks for all your responses.

I find the angry, god-people-are-so-selfish-its-all-about-me responses really baffling. I really do. You've got no idea what consideration people have given the issue - like me, for example. We spent all evening interrogating it and researching it. The blanket keep-kids-off approach isn't necessarily the right one.

I don’t find it baffling or a huge consideration. If you come in to contact with a massively infectious person, keep away from others. It’s not hard to stay in and only go to large open places for a bit of exercise. HIV for example in theory should have died out itself, except for the humans don’t follow advice element.

I'd keep mine at home.

For the people who would keep them off / plan to self isolate if a case is found nearby...

How do you plan to manage your work commitments around this?

Bear in mind it will almost certainly not be a case of 14 days then your area gets the all clear. More than likely more cases will emerge in that time meaning your necessary period of isolation would continue beyond the end of half term.

I dont have school aged DC. But if I just stopped going to work on account of coronavirus fears indefinitely I would most likely have no job to return to when it all blows over.

Info on 'globally' notifiable diseases. Inverted cecause of course not all countries contribute as they should. Newly emerging diseases are on the list, because their threat (spread/seriousness) is not known

Info on the diseases which are actually surveilled and why is in these links:

www.cdc.gov/globalhealth/healthprotection/ghs/ihr/ihr-faq.html

www.who.int/csr/resources/publications/introduction/en/index4.html

(Press in developed countries made a fuss years ago isn't a consideration)

I wouldn't under those circumstances... also remember Coronavirus isn't an instant death sentence, and unlikely to be dangerous unless you have health difficulties that make you vulnerable.

I would send mine in. If someone has a vulnerable child that's on them to make that decision to keep them off school!