To take a sick toddler on holiday?

[Worried8263839]

Myself and DH aren't sure what to do...our 2.5 year old has been sick on and off since the weekend. Since Monday it has been once or twice a day. Generally in himself he seems fine, although has been a bit more tired and lethargic. No temperature. Yesterday he seemed good, hasn't been sick since early morning but was sick again overnight. This morning we now have very loose stools.

The problem is that we are due to fly to Spain early Thursday morning, less than 24 hours away.

AIBU if we try and go ahead with the flight? I feel that it's wrong to and think it would be best to change our flight. DH disagrees

Just what hundreds of people want when they have their long awaited annual holiday week in Spain. A sickness bug for the entire week........... it is incredibly selfish, and I am sure if you were a passenger on a plane you would be very pissy if you all came down with a sickness bug for your entire holiday because of one selfish family.

It sucks that you have to cancel your holiday, but do the right bloody thing! Don't make other people ill from your selfishness.

My dd was the same. Any dairy caused symptoms to linger even when they were better.

I third this.
Try him today with no dairy.
Took me 8 weeks to be able to tolerate dairy, after my last stomach bug. Once I'd stopped vomiting, any dairy caused diarrhoea.

This.

it’s incredibly selfish to take a sick child on a plane!…. If my daughter caught a sick bug she’d possibly end up in hospital (has a Chronic condition) . You two might also develop this sickness bug .. I’d delay the holiday if possible!

Just a thought it may be worth taking him to the Drs and having his throat swabbed. Strep B can present like this and antibiotics stop spread after 24hrs

Hyperbole much. The likelihood of the hundreds of passengers on board actually being infected and suffering for a full week is practically close to zero!

Have you never seen what happens when a cruise ship gets a d&v outbreak?

Bugs spread like wildfire on a plane due to the air being recycled on them. It is not hyperbole at all. The same with covid/other air born respiratory viruses.

I had this situation when our son was three, I cancelled and his d&v were covered, he would actually have been covered upto 48 hours after the last episode.

What you have to ask is would you be happy to be sat next to someone elses toddler on an aeroplane who have d&v? If the answer is no, why do you think its okay to inflict him on others, if you wouldn’t want it yourself?

You need to cancel, don't be selfish.

I would monitor home for the rest of the day and have the appropriate remedies packed, if no more sickness between now and morning I would go unless full on diarrhoea. Insurance won't pay out on minor illnesses that are waning

We have Noro in the house and I'm so fucking ill.

We are due to go away Friday (and although we'll all be 48h clear by then) I'm going to change our trains for Saturday / Sunday as I just don't feel well enough to travel.

The illest I've ever been (Noro again about 6 years ago) was from one of my DC who were in the "be sick, feel better, back to normal self quickly" camp. Took me down so badly.

So don't assume because your DC is well that he's not contagious.

Everyone is assuming it's a sickness bug. But hes had it several days and no one else is sick?

He feels fine in himself the whole time? No temperature or anything.

Hmmm sounds like there's potwntial might be something different going on. Which may not be infectious but also would make me cautious of leaving the country.

Who mentioned a cruise ship … we’re talking a few hours on an aeroplane not 168 hours on a ship 🤷‍♀️

It is hyperbole to say than hundreds of passengers will be affected for an entire week - when in your life have you ever actually heard that happen?

The reason for comparison with a cruise ship is because it spreads like wildfire in a place with access to fresh air.

Do you have children?

Postpone the holiday for a couple of weeks. I had to travel ill on a flight before. I wasn't actively vomiting but recovered from a non contagious illness and it was torture

Pointless comparing to a cruise ship as that’s not what the family are going on. Why don’t you compare it to an aeroplane, the actual transport? Hmm let’s think, probably because your statement would not have the same impact, as after all, when have you ever heard of a full aeroplane of passengers being infected with d+v for an entire week? 🤔

Yes I do. And never in our lifetime have I heard of an entire aeroplane of passengers being infected with a virus for a full week from 1 child having d+v. Simple as 🤷‍♀️

I got sick on a holiday I saved up for for five years because of a family who did this (I know because they were nearby and I overheard them talking about how to manage their toddler's D&V). It was supposed to be a special trip and it cost an absolute fortune. I spent 75% of it in the hotel bathroom.

Please don't do it. I could cry every time I think about how that holiday was wasted, all the money wasted, how I got to see and do basically nothing there because two parents didn't want to be inconvenienced.

Absolutely agree….

Aircraft air is indeed recirculated to a degree but it usually runs through HEPA filters in the process, plus a percentage is dumped and replaced with fresh outside air every time the flow goes around the circulation loop…If I recall things correctly the cabin gets well into a double figure of total air changes an hour.

If you look at the published research there is evidence that you can run into contamination problems with some diseases across adjacent/almost adjacent passnegers/nearby seat rows but I can’t think of an instance of an entire aircraft load of passengers and crew actually ending up being ill because of one passenger with of D&V getting onboard…

In a hotel stay years ago when everyone had been on the same flight. People going down with it within 48 hours. Lasted 5 days for most people. The hotel was quarantined after 4 days and no one could come in or out. So yep it happens.

Talk to your insurance and see if you can rebook for a couple of weeks time

Yeah because there'll be loads of availability "in a couple of weeks time" in peak season.

Its completely unrealistic!

Reality: most people have to book annual leave well ahead, have a limited amount of it and can't cancel short notice. Meaning if op cancels, she'll likely have to use annual leave anyway and waste it sat at home.

Most holiday accomodation at a decent price is booked up well ahead. Flights too. Its unlikely op can simply "rebook this in a couple of weeks" in peak season. If she misses this, shes probably missing her summer holiday entirely.

Travel insurance might refund what you spent, it may not cover re booking at short notice in peak weeks at a much higher cost.

Some travel insurance providers will require a lot of evidence eg drs notes to support a claim.

If you make large claim you could be hit with huge premiums next year.

Yes in an ideal world op wouldn't go but she needs to be fully aware of the likely impacts of that choice - downplaying it doesn't help.

Also many of rhe viruses that toddlers get,adults have already had and have immunity to. With good hygiene, hand washing etc, its highly unlikely ops child will infect the whole plane!! They could in fact infect no one.