Would you send your toddler to nursery with a common cold at the moment, if a symptom is a cough.

[Eloiss]

This may have been done to the death but I haven't seen anything so apologies!

I have two toddlers and they both have a common cold (very snotty, sneezy but with a cough) no temp.

We know it's not covid because we've already had that and it was very different. This is a run of the mill common cold.

DP sees no reason DS can't go to nursery tomorrow (DD hasn't started yet as she's just 17 months) whereas I'm saying no. Although we know it's not covid it's bound to be a cause for concern for the nursery and other parents if he's coughing everywhere.

It's bad timing as I could do without having to stay off work to be with the children but it seems unavoidable.

WWYD?

Nursery manager has replied to my text with "What should I say?"

No idea what to respond to that with. I won't be sending him anyway, I wouldn't want to be responsible for other children getting ill or other parents having to isolate and miss work themselves.

The thing is that while I totally appreciate why some people are saying ‘don’t send in even if it’s just a cold’ it isn’t as simple as that.

1. children/ parents CANNOT put their lives/ education/ jobs on hold repeatedly through autumn and winter if they just have a cold.
2. our immune system does actually need to come across colds! Shielding ourselves from EVERYTHING along with COVID-19 isn’t actually as sensible as it sounds in some ways.

We are in a pandemic. There are no perfect answers to this situation right now but if you have cold symptoms NOT covid symptoms then I think proceeding broadly as normal should be seen as acceptable. This obviously means being confident you have a cold and trying to minimise transmission of it as much as you reasonably can, and also assuming that it’s a mild cold not a heavy one. Anything with a fever and prolonged serious coughing doesn’t come in to that category. But mild sore throat, sneezing, runny nose etc do. Basically, using common sense...

@Eloiss

Nursery manager has replied to my text with "What should I say?"

No idea what to respond to that with. I won't be sending him anyway, I wouldn't want to be responsible for other children getting ill or other parents having to isolate and miss work themselves.

I expect it means, "The rules are clear. Your child has a cough, this means you should isolate your household and get a test. I'm not going to tell you to do anything other than this, even though I agree it's most likely a cold."

You are probably right, it probably is just a common cold.

But I think you're doing the right thing keeping them home and ordering tests. It's only going to get worse as we head further into cold and flu season

A new cough on it's own is enough for a test and SI until you get a negative.

You don't need to try to decipher the rules because it really is simply to isolate and get a test for a new cough. Leave the diagnosis up to the professionals!

I think the government have confused everything with their "don't get a test without symptoms" thing. My daughter has been sniffling for a few days and today started a slight cough. Probably coughing 2/3 times per hour but each cough is lasting less than a second, more like clearing her throat. I am more than happy to keep her off nursery and get tested. But now I'm worried if it doesn't count as a "continuous cough" that we're getting her tested without symptoms, and potentially using a test someone else needs. The NHS says more than 3 coughing episodes in a day but what is a coughing episode? I just want to do the right thing, but I don't actually know what that is.

@YouSetTheTone

The thing is that while I totally appreciate why some people are saying ‘don’t send in even if it’s just a cold’ it isn’t as simple as that. 1) children/ parents CANNOT put their lives/ education/ jobs on hold repeatedly through autumn and winter if they just have a cold. 2) our immune system does actually need to come across colds! Shielding ourselves from EVERYTHING along with COVID-19 isn’t actually as sensible as it sounds in some ways.

We are in a pandemic. There are no perfect answers to this situation right now but if you have cold symptoms NOT covid symptoms then I think proceeding broadly as normal should be seen as acceptable. This obviously means being confident you have a cold and trying to minimise transmission of it as much as you reasonably can, and also assuming that it’s a mild cold not a heavy one. Anything with a fever and prolonged serious coughing doesn’t come in to that category. But mild sore throat, sneezing, runny nose etc do. Basically, using common sense...

I couldn't agree more, I've had several conversatons with friends about hiding children with colds away, it can't be good for the immune health of the population if normal colds don't circulate this year. Children's immune systems need to be looked after too

@Eloiss

Nursery manager has replied to my text with "What should I say?"

No idea what to respond to that with. I won't be sending him anyway, I wouldn't want to be responsible for other children getting ill or other parents having to isolate and miss work themselves.

Well you know the rules as well as she does, so why try to make it her responsibility?

That's really not a helpful response you've received there, op!

We were in a similar situation last week with DS(2). He has a cold and under normal circumstances I'd keep him off nursery but since he's had such a disruptive time with the nursery being closed, and we've only just got him back into a good routine, I contacted the nursery manager. Her response was that so long as it isn't a persistent cough, he's fine to attend.

She basically said that if I kept him away whenever he had a cold, he'd never be there during the winter months.

I see that logic, but I also didn't want to be labelled as "that parent" who sent their kid in with a cough. Generally speaking, I think there's a culture of presenteeism (no idea if that's a word but I've heard it somewhere!) in workplaces which heaps pressure on employees to show up for work when ill. This naturally permeates childcare settings as it leaves parents with no option, even in the middle of a pandemic.

I would keep them off with a cough. Although you are sure it's not covid, they will be contagious. They will probably pass it on and other parents will be in your position but without the reassurance that it's not covid. All manner of worry and testing and isolating will commence. A cough is a cough. Sorry op. It's a rock and a hard place.

I think the difficulty comes with a ‘new CONTINOUS cough’. We rang 111 as DD (1) was super snotty and had an occasional cough due to horrible post nasal drip and were told that the odd cough to clear the throat did not count. So I am now taking this advice going through the cold season Children need to be in contact with colds to develop their immune system. We need to make sure the tests are being used appropriately so those who have one of the three symptoms can be tested quickly.

I think she probably was forwarding your message but replied to you by mistake?

I think she was sending your message on to someone else but replied to you by accident.

I wouldn't send him in. The potential knock-on effect to other families who then may need to isolate, get tested, stay off work etc is huge. It's really unfortunate for you with your own work I know.

Is a symptom of Covid having a runny and snotty nose?

If not, do we have to assume if we have a runny and snotty nose AND a cough, we might have a common cold AND Covid?

It's a new, continuous cough you need to keep them off for, not just a cough. I think this must be contributing to the lack of tests available.

My dd is very occasionally coughing and a bit snotty, so unless her cough becomes continuous (or gets a temp or loses sense of taste or smell) she'll be going back to school on Monday as she doesn't have one of the 3 listed symptoms to test for.

Sorry op, but it sounds like your dc has a bad cough so will need the test.

Ah yes i think you are right (the posters who suggested she was forwarding my message on to somebody else and sent it to me by mistake)

I have since had another message from her thanking me for letting her know, she's going to look into the policy and make a decision by the end of the day then she'll get back to me.

As of now I'm still pretty certain I'll not be sending him regardless, but I'll report back with her decision as it may be useful for others to know in the event you are in the same position.

They don't have a bad (continuous) cough, but they are coughing occasionally due to the mucus.

I'm not sure what constitutes a continuous cough though to be honest. They aren't having coughing fits, but they have coughed.

Has your DS had a positive test previously?

You initially said you all had had positives, but then say you did when in hospital ill with Covid. But that you'd all had subsequent tests which were negative.

However, annoying as it is, if he is coughing frequently he needs to slate, as do the rest of you. If he has a test and it is negative you can all stop isolating as soon as it comes back.

The NHS symptom guid does not specify the type of cough. It does, however, define what they mean by a continuous cough:

• coughing a lot for more than an hour,
• or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual)

My youngest has a cold and occasional mucusy cough, he’s gone into nursery fine, he’s had it for 3 weeks now.

@loveisagirlnameddaisy

Is a symptom of Covid having a runny and snotty nose?

If not, do we have to assume if we have a runny and snotty nose AND a cough, we might have a common cold AND Covid?

I think the point is that if you have one of the listed symptoms (cough, temperature, loss of smell/taste) you can't assume you don't have Covid you need to get a test, irrespective of other symptoms.

I know it's frustrating. I have 2 children with snotty colds but because they have temperatures I will follow protocol and get them tested. Only I can't because there are no tests available either at home, walk-through or drive-through.

@Aragog

Has your DS had a positive test previously?

You initially said you all had had positives, but then say you did when in hospital ill with Covid. But that you'd all had subsequent tests which were negative.

However, annoying as it is, if he is coughing frequently he needs to slate, as do the rest of you. If he has a test and it is negative you can all stop isolating as soon as it comes back.

No he hasn't, he was just presumed positive because he was ill shortly after I tested positive and had a high fever. He wasn't able to be tested at the time as he needed require hospitalization.

NHS111 gave him a preliminary diagnosis of covid over the phone, given the circumstances, and he was kept indoors as per guidelines.

Neither of my two children have ever tested positive, they are just presumed to have had it. Not very helpful of definitive I know.

The only tests they've had since that period have been negative.

I've just re-read my posts and was unintentionally misleading.

DS has never tested positive, just me.

The positive tests refer to myself only.

However DP had a positive antibody test.

It's a new, continuous cough you need to keep them off for, not just a cough. I think this must be contributing to the lack of tests available.

Yes exactly. No one seems to be taking any notcie of the posters who say this though, which shows exactly why there's a problem!