To not like the covid shaming playground politics.

[Conair]

I appreciate that this is a very stressful, confusing and worrying time for everyone but since my children have gone back to school I have witnessed the following.

Another parent having a go at someone who's child had a minor cold stating he should be tested and not brought into school.

A few parents including one who is a GP putting a message in a class Facebook group stating her child has a snotty nose and a mild cough so is getting her tested ( isolating the family) and others should do the same and keep their kids off with cold symptoms.

I feel that this is going to make some parents very paranoid and could result in a lot of children being off school or getting unnecessarily tested, due to the very nature of being back at school a lot of children have developed colds etc and if we kept them off for every minor symptom there wouldn't be any children ( or staff!) at school.

Am I right in thinking that there is a lot of scaremongering going on or should we all be far
more cautious and keep our children off with every minor symptom.

I think at the moment it’s wise to keep children off if they have colds. When they inevitably spread it, there WILL be other children who exhibit fevers and coughs as a result of catching the cold and that will mean testing, isolating, long time off work for multiple parents etc. It could be curbed by people keeping their sick kids home.

On another note, I don’t get why people who are full of a cold are going to non essential events like the cinema, places of worship, pub etc knowing they could spread what they have and cause inconvenience and worry for people totally unnecessarily. Seems to be common sense at the moment to stay home when you can whilst sick. Even with a cold.

3 coughing episodes in an hour is persistent.

The fact is no one - not even a GP - can magically diagnose covid. If we keep every snotty, coughing kid at home, isolating the family with them, we would effectively be entering a second lockdown.

My child sneezed right at the start of registration today nobody said a peep.

I've not encountered anything like this yet, people in my area all seem very relaxed, almost as if there is nothing at all to be concerned about. We have had very low cases in our area, for months we had no new cases at all but since schools have gone back there have been a few new cases reported. Both of my children and I have had colds since they went back, just runny noses and sneezing, and they tell me that other children in their classes have colds too, nobody seems particularly bothered. I'm not going to be getting them tested either, we'd be getting tested every week at this time of year with all the sniffles going around.

@NameChange84 Kids staying at home is not a benign choice. Most parents work. One kid home means one adult must look after them. Think of the knock-on. This IS becoming a lockdown but without the label.

I think people need to be pragmatic as otherwise everything will grind to a halt. My daughter is off today as she has a heavy cold and would struggle..and it would be unpleasant for everyone around her. She will NOT be having a test though. It is a cold.

@AllWashedOut

The fact is no one - not even a GP - can magically diagnose covid. If we keep every snotty, coughing kid at home, isolating the family with them, we would effectively be entering a second lockdown.

Not at all. Its isolating for 48 hours until someone has tested and has there results back along with effective track and trace which will reduce the spread of covid 19. It’s what many Asian countries have successfully tried and tested with SARS. Isolating for 48 hours is nothing like a second lockdown and it’s melodramatic to say it is.

I don't like the idea of people having a go in the playground.

I'm one of those with a child who has a cold. She has no cough or temp, just a blocked nose. She occasionally clears her throat but hasn't had a single coughing episode. So she's in school. All the guidance states she doesn't need a test, and I checked with the school to be sure.

@AllWashedOut I realise most parents work. I just think it’s better ONE child stay off rather then them infecting 8 or 10 families and the subsequent ripple effect which means the majority of a class (and sibling groups in other years) and/or their teachers. I realise there is an incubation period but sneezing, poor hand hygiene when displaying symptoms will increase the infection rate.

Its not up to the parents to whinge at other parents. If they have a problem they should raise it with the school. If the school have a problem they will send the child home.

Otherwise everyone can shut the fuck up.

Problem solved.

If every parent tries to get a test for every child who has a cold then no wonder our testing availability is so shit.

" Isolating for 48 hours is nothing like a second lockdown and it’s melodramatic to say it is."

I agree, but am approaching 48 h since my son and I were tested and no sign of any results yet. 48 h we can cope with, but this testing system needs to be working properly. IDGAF whether or not it is "world beating" I just want it to work properly so we can get on with things!

Its isolating for 48 hours until someone has tested and has there results back along with effective track and trace which will reduce the spread of covid 19. It’s what many Asian countries have successfully tried and tested with SARS. Isolating for 48 hours is nothing like a second lockdown and it’s melodramatic to say it is.

But there’s no testing to be had - the system is overwhelmed on Week 2 of school return for England - and results are taking much longer than 48 hours.

So - child comes home from school today with a possible cold, bit of a cough. You can’t get a test today. You’re luck enough to get one on Tuesday pm. You can’t get results till Thursday pm earliest - more likely Friday or the weekend. All adults off work all week, all DC off school.

And if the result is inconclusive you’re all in for 14 days so another week off.

Back to school week 3, and Child 2 get a bit of a temperature...

Unless the testing system is fixed we’re screwed - and they KNEW this was coming. It wasn’t a surprise!

I haven't noticed any of this, thankfully!

No, you don't have to keep kids at home if they have snotty noses, unless they also have one of the main covid symptoms. You also cannot get a test if they have snotty noses, unless they have one of the main symptoms.

The responses on here are exactly why there are no tests. "Best be on the safe side, get them all tested" . No! Not unless they are showing one of the main symptoms. I mean, you would also have to lie when requesting a test. They wouldn't give you one for just a snotty nose.

The trouble is, kids clearly are getting it - loads of them, looking at the number of year groups out round here.

DD's bubble has gone today - told on arrival this morning that a child in her group has tested positive. 60-odd kids stuck in the house for two weeks. Two of the local high schools have whole year groups out - one including Year 7. There are two years at another primary and I know of six other primaries.

That's all in one smallish area.

It's disruptive isolating and testing for every cold, I agree but the results of not doing are huge. Keep them off, get a test, otherwise schools are going to be out more than they're in.

@NameChange84 I'm a single parent and I don't get sick pay. Every day I'm off work is a day without pay so no, I'm not keeping DS off when he has a cold. I need to save those days for if he or I develop Covid symptoms.

@NorbertMeubles

If every parent tries to get a test for every child who has a cold then no wonder our testing availability is so shit.

But plenty of schools are insisting on a test...

There's also the issue that 14 days for a year 10 or 11 who might just have a cold or who has say an asthma related cough but cannot get a test is just too much time out. They cannot make that time back.

But plenty of schools are insisting on a test...

Correct! One of the instances of this was highlighted in a news story about why there aren't enough tests for genuine suspected covid. In the example they gave they said one school had sent an entire bubble of 100 kids for a test. Not what the tests are for.

@Conair

Surely colds are to be expected though especially after so long in lockdown.

Yes, but how do you tell a cold from covid without a test?

You can't.

So when there is one of the three listed symptoms you test.

(Whether the list of symptoms is too short is another question)

The point is there should be testing available for anybody, of whatever age, who shows one of the 3 key symptoms. And yes, that means a lot of people will be tested when they have a cold/other virus but the alternative to that is to let COVID run riot. There isnt one good, universal symptom that says "definitely COVID" sadly.

So when there is one of the three listed symptoms you test.

Exactly and wiping your kid's nose is not one of the symptoms.

@InnisGunn

" Isolating for 48 hours is nothing like a second lockdown and it’s melodramatic to say it is."

I agree, but am approaching 48 h since my son and I were tested and no sign of any results yet. 48 h we can cope with, but this testing system needs to be working properly. IDGAF whether or not it is "world beating" I just want it to work properly so we can get on with things!

I completely agree.