Joining the "My asthmatic kid coughed at school and now I have to try to get a test" club

[YreneTowers]

My son got sent home from school after apparently coughing "a lot", and now can't go back until he's had a negative test.

He's asthmatic - he does cough, especially in hot weather when he's been doing PE. This is not a new thing.

Now he's home, he hasn't coughed once!

School doesn't care. They won't allow him back without a negative COVID test result, and the rest of us are supposed to be self-isolating, too.

I can't get one - obviously, and I'm not convinced he needs one.

AIBU to think the school is being over-cautious?

Ds currently has an asthmatic cough, we had him at the hospital as his oxygen levels were down to 92%, was given 14days of steroid as he has inflammation in his lower lungs. (Covid was ruled out when when we called 111, who put us through to 119 to rule out Covid which the 119 doctor was furious ds had been put through to them as it had delayed his treatment, and then again by A&E and his consultant)

I kept him off on the Monday sent him in on the Tuesday as we had mainly got on top of his asthma, his form teacher called to demand we collect him ASAP as he had symptoms of Covid, advised he didn’t and that it was his asthma playing up, he had received A&E treatment... and was currently on steroid, she refused to accept this and demanded I collect my son ASAP as I was selfishly putting everyone at risk

I refused and requested that the head called me, advised he had access to DS care plan (chronic asthma) and that ds does not have Covid, he has asthma, he advised in everyone’s best interests would I get him a tested and once it came back negative Ds could return to school...

I advised ds doesn’t meet the criteria for a covid test... and Covid has been ruled out by the medical professional and was he insisting I blatantly lie to 119 to get ds a test... as there is no home kits in our area.

I asked for the illegal exclusion paperwork if he put these unreasonable demands on us

suddenly ds was ok to be at school... and they’d keep an eye on him...

is now presenting with this cough then surely to staff, it is a new cough?

And then when a supply teacher arrives, it's another "new cough"? of course not, it's only relevant if it's a new cough to the individual, it is indeed reasonable for the teacher to consider the facts, it's very unlikely that the school is unaware of the asthma, but if they are then discussing it with the child and/or parent depending on age and capability is reasonable.

Requiring tests is not something schools can do, there are specific criteria, and specific criteria for a good reason - one of them is so as to not deny vulnerable kids an education.

Asthmatics can get covid also and the staff do have a duty of care to protect themselves, their families, other pupils etc.

Kids are very likely to be asymptomatic with COVID, are you suggesting that schools should exclude anyone because of that duty?

People are vulnerable to more than just COVID, that is why we need proper consistent procedures that everyone follows, that doesn't discriminate against asthmatics, or anyone else. It is super important that schools follow the law, people are not made safe by schools ignoring laws and deciding that they know best.

@HaudYerWheeshtBawbag I was taken to hospital with bad asthma in the summer. The nurse told me she wouldn't do a covid test due to the false negatives.
I was given a chest xray instead and told the consolidation was at the bottom of my lungs and that covid consolidation presents at the sides of the lungs. Given steroids and sent home.
Its frustrating that after treatment and medical examination, there is still a need for a test. I'm not sure what will happen to the asthmatics in these scenarios...
I hope your DS is feeling better and able to attend school.

YANBU My DS is asthmatic and I'd be fuming if they did this. Luckily I don't think they would as they know him well.

Is this helpline still working? I rang back in May as a parent and found it useful

twitter.com/educationgovuk/status/1234468606991380480?s=19

I’m dreading this. My ds is asthmatic. Around now is when his asthma plays up. I am actually spending my day dreading my phone ringing. Ds is enjoying being back at school, I have only just gone back to work. I love my job and don’t want to be off every 2 minutes. I have asked his school for clarification of what they are planning to do with the children they know have asthma but, as of yet, have had no reply.

Definitely. I’m so pleased my dcs head is practical. His usual nighttime cough moved to any time as it does when he gets a cold (which half the school have). Briefed her on Monday made sure he had his inhaler and he has been in school no issues, runny nose has gone and his cough is back to evening early morning. Just a cold and no drama of trying to get him tested.

A cough doesnt just have to be new, it needs to be continuous (there are definitions on line as to what this means). According to the OP it's not continuous.

i would tell them you're bringing him back in, why, and if they refuse, ask for the illegal exclusion paperwork.

Asthma cough is not covid.

the guidelines state if you normally have a cough, then it has to be different/worse from the usual.

Ugh.
My six year old has a cold. Started with a very snotty nose. I've never known him have a cold without getting a cough, he just always has. Can't get a Covid test of course.
However his sense of smell is better than mine - he's just shouted down from upstairs that he can smell chips. He can, no anosmia for him.
It's a cold.

I fear this will be us soon enough, DD has asthma and coughs on and off through the winter (it’s triggered by cold weather)
Not sure what the answer is really 😢

THey're dicussing this very thing on The One Show now!!

well, in tonights show which is on now xD

OP you can do the online self assessment, which will give you the result that you dobt need to test. Do that and then tell the school.

We schools are just doing what we can around the bloody vague Gov rules as follows:

”A pupil has coronavirus symptoms – what happens next?”

As set out by the Chief Medical Officers of England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, coronavirus is rarely serious in children. If a child (or staff member) develops one or more of the main coronavirus symptoms described above, they should be tested and stay off school until they have a result. Schools should ask parents and staff to inform them immediately of the results of a test and follow this guidance.

..... All schools must follow this process and ensure all staff are aware of it.

If anyone in the school becomes unwell with a new and persistent cough or a high temperature, or has a loss of or change in, their normal sense of taste or smell (anosmia), they must be sent home and advised to follow guidance for households with possible or confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) infection, which sets out that they should self-isolate for at least 10 days and should arrange to have a test to see if they have coronavirus (COVID-19).

If they have tested positive whilst not experiencing symptoms but develop symptoms during the isolation period, they should restart the 10-day isolation period from the day they develop symptoms.

Other members of their household (including any siblings) should self-isolate for 14 days from when the symptomatic person first had symptoms.

and if we didn’t follow this and schools had to close, we’d be the first shot down then too. We really can’t win in school

Happyheartlovelife my ds is like that we fortunately managed to get a test but he goes downhill really quickly and I knew if we tried to get antibiotics then they would want to delay it for a covid test, but for him delay leads to croup and not being able to breathe then it is paramedic time. Fortunately he managed to pull through without antibiotics for the first time in a decade.

It has to be a “new continuous cough” to require a test as others have said.

A cough that has worsened also requires a test, so if they think he’s coughing more than usual they do need to send him home.

I know how you feel as Dd is asthmatic and coughs from time to time. She has also coughed more since we did have COVID at Easter time, something I’ve sought medical advice about.

I don’t think they can just start a “known coughs” list, because sometimes a cough will he COVID even in these children. It’s a hard judgment call.

I also have reflux and get a reflux cough so between us were screwed! I’ve also had COVID already.

Getting antibody tests on Monday as part of general investigation so hopefully we still have them and can be a bit more reassured.

Mine is waiting for an asthma diagnosis. I’ve basically told everyone my daughter comes into contact with that she’s had a cough since she was about 2 and a cough is normal for her. So far (touch wood) we’ve been ok.

So he has a cough but it’s not new, it’s not continuous, and he has known asthma. He has no fever and his sense of smell and taste are fine, presumably.

He just doesn’t meet the criteria for a test. It’s not good PHE telling people not to get tests unless they have Covid symptoms but what are people supposed to do in your situation? (Rhetorical question obviously and I realise that’s not helpful).

And meanwhile we have people in @Happyheartlovelife’s situation - GPs are refusing to see people who have one of the Covid symptoms without a test when it’s obviously not Covid and they clearly need urgent medical attention. We ended up in this situation with my one year old and thankfully we got a test (before the shortage) but I dread to think what would have happened if we hadn’t been able to get it. I think you need to go to A&E.

It’s a disaster. And meanwhile Jacob Rees Mogg wants people to stop ‘carping’ about the shortage. Just fuck off.

If anyone in the school becomes unwell with a new and persistent cough or a high temperature, or has a loss of or change in, their normal sense of taste or smell (anosmia)...

I appreciate the difficult position schools are in, but surely in this case the school hasn’t followed the guidance? OP’s son isn’t unwell and his cough isn’t new or persistent. He has a known condition that causes coughing.

I asked for the illegal exclusion paperwork if he put these unreasonable demands on us

That's good to know just in case it happens to us.

DS had an awful cough last Christmas.

The problem is, staff in schools aren't medical professionals and it is a huge responsibility to put on them to make these judgment calls. We have no idea what the difference between a cough caused by asthma vs one made by Covid is. At the end of the day, they are just following the Public Health guidance. I do understand though how frustrating it must be for parents in these circumstances but please understand what a difficult call it is for schools to make x

@katew355

The problem is, staff in schools aren't medical professionals and it is a huge responsibility to put on them to make these judgment calls. We have no idea what the difference between a cough caused by asthma vs one made by Covid is. At the end of the day, they are just following the Public Health guidance. I do understand though how frustrating it must be for parents in these circumstances but please understand what a difficult call it is for schools to make x

This.

It’s difficult because continuous is so nebulous. Dd probably as asthma But very mild and we haven’t gone through the dx process as covid interrupted all that. Her main symptom is that whenever she gets a cold/flu bug then at night she has a dreadful croupy type barking cough, even though she’s 8.

She’s got a cold now and of course therefore a cough. But i wasn’t sure if it’s continuous and after reading lots of nhs info I think it doesn’t fit ‘continuous’.

If the barking starts at night obviously we will have to test. If we can! When I thought it did fit continuous I tried to get a test online and there are none at all in our area. A test centre came up just under two hours away but when I put her details in the spaces were taken