How ill is too ill for nursery?

[Tyrannynormus]

Two year old DD is my first so I'm new to all this 😂

DD has had a cold pretty much all week now, with a mucus cough that's pretty bad if shes been lying down, occasionally a temp too. I'm pretty sure its not Corona, just a bad cold.

Her dad says send her to nursery shell be fine (he used to be a nursery worker)

AIBU to keep her off this afternoon, shes not due back in till Monday so a few more days go feel better.
No one slept last night as she kept waking up and shes just slept over an hour now and still doesn't want to get out of bed, just wants to lay and snuggle and watch her nursery rhymes on tv. Shes not long started nursery though and I'm worried shell get out of the routine of going, she already gets up set being left

If she has a cough, you should've had her tested. Then, you'd know it's not Covid and could send her to nursery. That's what we did a couple of weeks ago when DS had a cough.

Oh, and I hope she gets better soon!

Even in normal times she doesn’t sound well enough for nursery.

At the moment if you sent her in with a cough and a high temp she would be sent straight home until tested

Regardless of covid you don’t send a child into a nursery/school with a temperature. Snotty noses are fine- coughs are usually ok (though not under covid). But temperatures/ lethargy - keep home!

If you do send your child in with a temperature they will always send them home- so it’s pointless anyway.

Cough = test.

No nursery until negative test. The rest of the household needs to isolate.

To borrow a phrase from a meerkat - simples.

Ignoring covid times/rules I'd still keep her home. If she just wants to snuggle, I would let her, and hope that she'll feel better by Monday.

Btw this is part and parcel of starting nursery, your child will be off possibly a fair bit at the beginning.
V surprised at your partners response given his experience .

2 things -

1 that’s too poorly for nursery even in normal times. She feels properly ill and wants to snuggle in her bed!

2 you don’t get to self diagnose a cold. She has 2 of the 3 symptoms, you either get tested or ALL self isolate for 2 weeks. It’s not complicated, I hope your DH hasn’t gone to work!

Temperature = no nursery.

Also either a cough or a temperature requires a coronavirus test.

I've spoke to 111 to see if they thought it was appropriate to try get her a test and they said no, its unlikely as she doesn't have a continuous cough, mainly when she wakes up and then it seems to ease off and because it coincides with a runny nose and lots of sneezing.

She has a bad cough so you need to get her tested. Some people exhibit cold symptoms and are positive for Covid... Especially in kids where the symptoms can be milder or asymptomatic. I wouldn't be sending her in like that Covid or not as she doesn't sound well enough. I'd expect nursery to send her home or refuse to have her with a cough and sometimes temperature. You could always ring them, tell them the symptoms and they will confirm whether she can come in or not (although they will probably just tell you to get her tested). Hope she's feeling better soon.

When she started nursery I enquired what to do if she was a poorly, they said she was generally fine to go and they just require permission to give calpol if she has a temp. It's all so confusing and even more so given covid that I'm not sure if I'm over reacting like her dad seems to think.

@Tyrannynormus

I've spoke to 111 to see if they thought it was appropriate to try get her a test and they said no, its unlikely as she doesn't have a continuous cough, mainly when she wakes up and then it seems to ease off and because it coincides with a runny nose and lots of sneezing.

You're not supposed to speak to 111 about Covid testing though. In fact, they're not allowed to talk to you about it and when you phone 111 it says if you're calling about Covid then you need to call a different number....

If she has a temperature, she needs to be tested.

I would keep her off as she doesnt sound well or rested enough to enjoy it

@Tyrannynormus

I've spoke to 111 to see if they thought it was appropriate to try get her a test and they said no, its unlikely as she doesn't have a continuous cough, mainly when she wakes up and then it seems to ease off and because it coincides with a runny nose and lots of sneezing.

Also, many people with Covid also get cold symptoms. That's not unusual so if 111 did actually say this (I don't see how that's true anyway), they're wrong.

If she's lethargic then she's not well enough to go. In usual times you could give her Calpol and if she returns to her normal self she's fine to go in. Our nursery doesn't allow Calpol within five hours of them attending as it can mask a temperature which requires a Covid test. Has she had Calpol and still lethargic? Definitely not well enough to go. If she hasn't had Calpol then give the poor thing some Calpol.

Our nursery says children with a temp has to stay at home even if it's due to jabs, so a temp is a temp here. I think I would be inclined to go for a test with a cough and a temp too. Hope she feels better soon!

Cough and a temperature = self isolate and test.

DS coughed ONCE because he had just eaten an oat cake and is not allowed to go to nursery, nor is his sister. It’s frustrating as he doesn’t meet the guidance for testing. However the good news is that your DD does! Order her a test today and she can go back in next week when she feels better and you can brandish the negative test result if she’s still coughing and you are challenged.

She won’t get out of the habit of going. Better for her to only associate nursery with when she feels well and happy.

Having said that, she still ought to have a test and be isolating until the results come through. 111 is not the advice line for Covid tests and they're useless at the best of times. Get a test.

I should have phrased that better, I spoke to 111 about her general symptoms as shes been quite tired aswell, they also advised to keep an eye on her appetite. Loss of appetite and I need to call the Dr, but did also speak to them whether or not I should be looking to get her a test and they said it was more than likely just related to cold symptoms. No mention of being unable to advise.

I've rung nursery and shes staying off this afternoon but still no requirement for a test before returning

Cough and fever = test.

She's had a pretty bad cough and a temperature? You all should have been isolating and she should have been tested

She doesn't sound as if she is well enough to go irrespective of Covid.