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.

The government's OWN website gives all three symptoms before testing. The fact that the NHS and others are advising min of one just shows the inconsistency and also that IT ISN'T clear what the advice is. If we are really expected to get a test every time we have a temperature spike, a cough OR loss of taste, the country will never get back to work.

For example: my kid has a snotty nose (don't get a test) and a cough that lasted the morning (get a test). What do I do? My other kid has asthma which means that every single time they get a sniffy nose, it always turns into a cough. The cough can last a morning or a day if the cold is mild. I know this is the usual progression of symptoms. So he gets the same cold he whole class is getting but then tacked on a cough. What do I do?

Madness and unenforceable.

Thank goodness our school is sensible about it. The teacher knows there is a cold circulating and there is no suggestion of pulling kids out/testing etc. Old normal. Good job.

If we are really expected to get a test every time we have a temperature spike, a cough OR loss of taste, the country will never get back to work.

We really ARE expected to get tested with just one of those symptoms. We were told that at one of the earliest briefings about testing - that it was any ONE of the symptoms.

Are you really telling me that you’d not get tested or go about life as normal with a loss of taste and smell at the moment? Because that’s very worrying.

OK the playground shaming thing is out of order.

But I'm getting really pissed off with this attitude of "kids should be going in if its only a sniffle: the guidance is clear". No the guidance isn't fricking clear -- there are as many symptoms as there are cases. Different government bodies have different defined lists.

My daughter has asthma and can have a very severe cough at the tail end of colds. This is frankly pretty worrying, COVID or no COVID, and sometimes a sniffle can be the start of what can be a distressing episode which involves multiple trips to A&E.

Obviously I don't want to waste tests but I also resent being told by other parents that I am wrong to be concerned at the onset of a cold. There are so many reasons at the moment for being worrying about respiratory viruses, particularly if you have an asthmatic child.

I went on at 9am postal tests available.. I've not ordered as don't think my DS' cough is Covid he started with a snotty yellow cold, no temperature, acting completely normal despite it all.

@NameChange84 Loss of smell and taste happens a lot when you have a blocked nose. I have it regularly with my allergies (allergic rhinitis). My daughter had it yesterday because she has a blocked nose! As a single symptom alongside a blocked nose, it's not really worrying at all. Common sense please.

If your daughter has a cold she can pass it on to someone else. While your daughters symptoms might be mild that someone else might have a heavier cold. Personally, I don’t see the point in knowingly passing on illnesses to anyone at the moment. Just like you have done - every time a child shows potential symptoms of covid their family has to assess the situation and possibly book a hard fo find test. Keeping one child off a bit for a cold makes sense to me at the moment to avoid them passing it on.

@AllWashedOut

I have common sense. If I have NEW symptoms such as loss of taste/smell, cough or temp I will do the RIGHT thing and isolate and test if I can. Because that’s what we are supposed to do. Three of the Covid positive people I know had only loss of smell as a symptom, no cough, no temp, one was very tired but that’s all. One of them passed it on to his partner and she died as a direct result of Covid (no underlying health problems).

Every time a panicking parent does a test for a snotty little kid, someone who genuinely has it can't get one

This.

Keeping one child off a bit for a cold makes sense to me at the moment to avoid them passing it on

Yes for a day or two but not the 14 day isolation period, which some schools and nurseries are insisting on without a negative test.

cologne4711
That is how it gets spread! I’m not remotely panicking. I fully expect my child to have another virus not coronavirus. If they do have COVID it would be relatively minor for them.

The only reason I am isolating and testing is because the symptoms are so similar and unless you are secretly a COVID sniffer dog, none of us can actually tell the difference without a test.

thepeopleversuswork
Asthma UK suggest that asthmatic people speak to a healthcare practitioner before booking a test to get advice on those sorts of situations, though to be honest everyone I know who has done has been told that if it's different from their normal asthma cough then it is a test and isolate situation.

@Lockdownseperation Melodramatic? Moi?

@AllWashedOut I’m not planning on clicking on a link to unknown website so if you want me know your point then you will need to explain it.

One person’s “paranoia” is another person’s valid reason for extreme caution.

Perhaps just be thankful that you’re not one of those?

For every child with a “minor”
symptom who is sent in regardless because an unqualified parent decides it’s just a cold, you’re potentially looking at more than 1 member of staff consequently having to test and isolate. That will result in school closures far more effectively than number of infections amongst pupils.

Here is some sensible advice.

content.govdelivery.com/accounts/UKCBCC/bulletins/2a0e89c