How easy is it to pick up a stomach bug ? A and E visit last night with DS

[justwonderingifyouknow]

my DS nearly 3 woke up out of absolutely nowhere in the middle of the night with a horrendous croup attack. He was really really struggling to breathe. I immediately took him to the hospital. I also have an older DD and I’ve taken both of them in with croup over the years, but this one was the worst attack I’ve seen in my kids.

anyhow, lots of children in a and e were vomiting last night. I sat as far away as I could from them but how easy is it to catch a vomiting bug ?

I feel quite nauseous today. I have no appetite at all. I didn’t sleep much as I was in the hospital from 1-5 am, then had to get up to take my DD to school at 7. It could just be tiredness, but still.

my DS is much better today after 2 lots of steroids at the hospital last night, but I kept him off nursery. He’s had a few bowel movements that are very dark. I can’t think of anything he’s eaten. The last one was also a little looser than usual. Anyway, sorry TMI.

could we have picked up a bug ? Are very dark bowel movements very concerning in general ? He seems fine in general. Thanks for your advice.

I think it's more likely you're tired TBH. That and the stress of a night in A&E with a worryingly ill toddler, could easily be a delayed stress reaction affecting your appetite, causing nausea etc. That crash after you've been running on adrenaline and caffeine too long. Take care of yourself.
Steroids can cause increase in BMs, reflux, in toddler's case.

If you had picked up a bug i think there's more chance it came from nursery, when my eldest went to nursery he caught bug after bug every winter, so of course we all got noro, other stomach bugs as toddlers aren't very good at controlling where they vomit. I remember picking him up early at nursery as he'd vomited, to discover several other toddlers being picked up for same reason, often when one in a room go down with it the bug affects almost every toddler over a couple of weeks, as well as staff. I remember a child vomiting all over the room stairgate once when I picked up, all over the children next to her and the poor teacher's shoes!
So a few ill children in a large A&E, presumably with parents ensuring they used bowls, seems lower risk especially as you socially distanced.

Hope you both feel better soon and catch up on sleep

If you didn’t touch them or any surfaces they touched, and weren’t in ‘the splash zone’, it’s fairly unlikely that you’d pick up a bug from
them. That being said, kids are gross and it’s quite hard to contain them.

Generally speaking though, the onset of tummy bugs is quite sudden, rather than a gradual build up.

The sick is aerosolised and it only really takes 2-10 particles to be inhaled to infect another person (it’s why it’s so contagious) it’s also extremely quick onset so it could be possible

Yeah I just need to wait and see, I guess. I’m feeling ok, not too bad. Just no appetite which is unusual.

I have never seen so many kids with sick bowls in an and e before and I’m a frequent flyer in there. I tried to keep washing our hands when we touched things but they didn’t have soap in the toilets. They did have the disinfectant hand stuff on the side of the walls in the waiting room thankfully.

Agree with pp that if he has got a bug it has likely come from nursery etc, but just wanted to mention for future that many d&v bugs (such as norovirus) are only eliminated with soap and water, and hand gel is generally ineffective. I hope everyone perks up soon!