Staying off school for 48hrs after being sick.

[TreadOnTheCracks]

I've just had a discussion with someone about keeping their child off school after throwing up.

This is to stop the bug spreading isn't it?

They told me that the child is fine this morning and that they are more infectious before being sick and there is no point keeping them home after sickness, the damage is already done. They're not medically trained maybe they heard this on Holby city?

I've googled this and I can't seem to find clarification. There's lots confirming the rules is 48 hrs after the last sickness bout; but can't find anything convincing explaining why.

Can anyone help?

Some viruses can be passed on prior to symptoms - but this is unusual with D&V. Most are spread by contact with body fluids or because the virus is being shed through other 'normal' functions (going to the toilet etc) for a while afterwards, therefore any lapse in handwashing or hygiene will allow it to spread through a school quite quickly if the child returns too soon.

Kids are not great at washing their hands at the best of times.

I teach and have lost count of the number of times a child has been sick at school only to tell us they had been sick the night before/ during the night. When we speak to the parents they always say "but they were fine this morning." The 48 hr school is to ensure the child is free of the bug before returning to school.
I had several instances of this in my class the week before the summer holidays this year. It resulted in me passing the bug on to my toddler who ended up being hospitalised, we had to cancel our holiday and my entire summer was spent in hospitals/ doctors surgeries.

Like the other posters have said, it's to make sure the bug is really done with before they return to school. A child can seem fine in the morning after being sick over night as they've got an empty stomach, but then if they eat and are sent into school they may well puke again.

Yes that too - sometimes you think they are fine and then they surprise you and throw up again a few hours later.

I think that's probably more relevant then my explanation about passing on through hand washing/ lack of etc.

:)

Or - when they've stopped puking, and seem fine, but then it works through their system and they get diarrhoea. Not nice to be at school if that happens!

Thanks all. I was pretty cross about it. Seems quite a selfish thing to do, spreading germs about.

The mum didn't even have to go to work today. If my DD catches it I'll have all the hassle of being off work and keeping her home for 48 hrs.