School turning child away due to mild cold even with negative test?

[Justneedadvice636465]

My sister has 2 dc and one has a cough. It's clearly a cold she has a runny nose and just sounds snotty and phlegmy. She of course got her tested and it was negative twice three days apart (her partner works for a testing site and she is also a keyworker) she informed the school that she has a mild cold snotty nose and a little cough if she's running around a lot etc she told them she has tested negative the last one being just yesterday and the one before Thurs when she first got symptoms but the school have said that she can't attend school for the 10 day isolation period which means she also cannot work. She feels the school are being unreasonable as she has tested negative so doesn't understand why she can't go in as prior to this a mild cold wouldn't stop them going school?

Who is being unreasonable?

Even though she was able to get two tests through her husbands work other parents wont be able to do the same. They'll have to keep their kids off because they've caught a cold off her kid.

@Belladonna12 what about the possibility that antibodies from the common cold can actually help fight Covid-19? www.google.com/amp/s/www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/common-cold-coronaviruses-tied-to-less-severe-covid-19-cases-68146/amp
I think we are playing a dangerous game trying to stop all germs and bugs, especially in children

I think people are just saying that now is not a good time to go to school with a cough or cold because even if it isn't Covid, if you pass cough to everyone else they will all have to take time off school and work and ultimately much more people will be inconvenienced particularly as a teacher could be off to

Nope, that's not what some people are saying.

Even in non Covid times, it seems it's child abuse to even leave the house with a slight sniffle.........

I can see that point @Belladonna12 and understand it, but lots of people on this thread are saying that it is never acceptable to spread a cold around. And that is just batshit.

School is being unreasonable. Fancy having to keep children off for a cold.

[quote Wishing14]@Belladonna12 what about the possibility that antibodies from the common cold can actually help fight Covid-19? www.google.com/amp/s/www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/common-cold-coronaviruses-tied-to-less-severe-covid-19-cases-68146/amp
I think we are playing a dangerous game trying to stop all germs and bugs, especially in children[/quote]
It's just a theory that has anything to do with antibodies from the common cold. There are also theories suggesting that viruses are linked to serious disease even if symptoms are mild at the time. I'm not suggesting that we stop all germs and bugs. We need to be pragmatic at the moment . It is not sensible to send your child to school with a virus that can cause similar symptoms to Covid as it will lead to other people having to take time off work and that may include your child's teacher. Nobody is stopping you from exposing your child to viruses or bacteria. There are plenty of them in the environment. It's not up to you to impose them on other people.

When I had my test my results included a bit that said I shouldn’t return to work until I had been symptom free for 48 hours.

@MandosHatHair

School are being unreasonable. Being that strict will mean that some parents will either try and keep symptoms under wraps or not bother to get thier kids tested if they have to isolate anyway so cases will be missed.

Sounds like they are trying to close the school by stealth, especially if teachers are subject to the same policy.

I'm not sure how you keep a cold and cough under wraps

I work in a school and kids with coughs and colds is par for the course. Normally I’d say the school would be extremely unreasonable to ask you to keep a child off with a cold, unless the child was really unwell. I agree, children need to build their immunity.

But we are not in normal times and normal rules go out of the window. Things will gradually get back to normal and going to school with a cold will be normal again, but just not at the moment. There are too many implications (as others have mentioned, the need for everyone else to get tests if they develop COVID like symptoms, for example). It’s rubbish, but it is how it is for the moment.

I do not have one bottle of bleach or dettol in my home... only dettol hand-wash... I wipe with baby wipes a lot cause I have dust allergies though, does that count?

I'm not saying to protect kids from any little sniffle or not to leave the house. I just think kids need to recover fully from one bug before being exposed to the next, or to wind chill, getting soaked through etc...( I do not drive and they walk slow slow slow!)

I discussed this with my hv that colds turn into pneumonia if not cared for and that many children die of pneumonia every year... She said "well so what we have antibiotic drips nowadays"
Colds/flu are a virus, how does that work?
Also why not just let them rest 1 extra day so this bad thing doesn't happen?
I too had attendance letters. I homeschool now.
This was all pre covid so kinda probably the wrong place to discuss it...
In response to a PP, while challenging, surely there must be a way that employers can be made to be more considerate in this regard. I do not think it's right that these attendance rates are expected to be so high and working parents have no leeway and all this stress. It's not affecting my dc anymore thankfully but I really care about it anyway.

I have bleach for the toilets but use soap for hands.