Coughing child at gymnastics

[academicallyblonde]

Just picked me DD up from gymnastics. Another child was escorted out by the coach as she said she needed to talk to her mother. The mother straightaway says, “Is is about her cough?”

My DD tells me that the child was coughing the whole time. They apparently tried to call the mother to pick her up but no answer. Sounds like they managed to keep the girl as far away as possible from the others. It sounds as though she spent the whole hour sat on the side watching, which can’t have been very nice for the poor thing.
AIBU to think this mother was totally out of order for knowingly sending a coughing child to a gym class at this time? Not to mention then being uncontactable? (Only saving grace is the child can’t have had a temperature as they checked them all on the way in).

YANBU - if child has a continuous cough they should be at home in this climate and certainly not at a gym class. If there's an underlying condition that means they have a long term condition with a cough them that's different but you'd have thought you'd explain to staff if so.

Those who think IBU, I’d be interested to know why.

Without knowing all the facts, it’s impossible to say really. Maybe the child has allergies or cough variant asthma.

Could it be that the child had had a covid test and they knew it wasn't that? Regardless though, bit unreasonable of the mother to be out of contact the whole time in case of emergency.

You do know people with asthma and allergies can cough continuously?

Not all coughs are because of COVID

Not saying it was the case in this instance but people have developed coughs long before coronavirus. It’s not the exclusive cause of coughs as some people would have you believe.

On the face of it, it's unreasonable to have sent the child. But maybe she'd already been tested and it was negative?

I can foresee a hideous winter for me, DD starts to cough at some point in September and continues until March at the earliest, I suspect she'll be out of school and getting tested at least 3 times a week.

Tbf if its asthma related her mother still shouldnt be sending her to a strenuous exercise class (I say this as an asthmatic and a former gymnast )

My child has a cough. A persistent dry cough. She is asthmatic and will probably cough most of the winter. She was at school today and at her sports club.
She tested negative for Covid on Tuesday. Other people's medical information is really none of your business.

My son has a fake cough! Little monkey! He sometimes foes it constantly. Without knowing more details yabu.

If it was allergies of asthma, presumably the provider could have been briefed when the DC arrived (and lots of people would know about from previous terms, school etc)

Just dropping off a coughing child at club with no explanation during a pandemic where a cough is a key symptom, is both antisocial and irresponsible

I’m amazed people are making excuses for someone who, if there was an adequate alternative explanation, had ample scope to provide it

If it's due to other chronic conditions like asthma then the mum should have explained when dropping off the child.

YABU. I have asthma that manifests as a cough. There's some periods of the year that I cough continuously. Looking forward to being treated as a leper this winter as soon as the air gets dry and cold....

As other pp have stated- allergies and asthma can cause coughs.

If it was due to the above, she really should have made it clear to the coach at the start, to save this panic!

You'd have to explain to the person in charge beforehand why this was an "acceptable" cough. Or the parent is just pushing their luck really.

How is it acceptable just to wing it at the moment?

Yes, my DD also has a cough, mainly at night, for the whole winter. But I will not be sending her to gymnastics coughing non-stop.

My son has asthma which is cough variant too, but obviously that’s not good and he’d require his inhaler and picking up if he wasn’t coping with exercise. After so long off school he’s struggling with gym at school but having his inhaler before daily mile etc to help
Seems odd the mother knew and didn’t say though

Probably never know why she sent her in. Winter is going to be even bleaker with coughs and colds. Everyone thinking a cough is going to be covid.

Probably just asthmatic .

The mother could have put it on the registration form under any illness. If that was the case she is not at fault.

You don’t know the mother hadn’t explained before. She might have assumed something would be remembered, or a message passed on, which wasn’t.

I wouldn't think any cough was covid. I have a serial cougher myself.

This year anyone in charge of a club where a child presents randomly with a cough is going to have to call the parents though.

Irrespective of the reason though the mother should have ensured she had spoken to the coach before hand - especially if asthma related - and that she was contactable!

Other people's medical information is really none of your business

You are right. But it is the organisers business if the kid turns up with a key symptom of a highly contagious infection subject to specific government requirements.