At what point will you start keeping children off nursery etc?

[EmptyOrchestra]

There are now two confirmed cases in our area, one very local. At what point do you decide to keep them off and for how long? Surely you can’t just stay off for two weeks, because the threat of exposure won’t be gone after two weeks.

Really not sure what to do. I haven’t been too worried but this news has me worrying a bit. Apparently one of the cases has shut down a local gym where they were a member, which is very close to us and their nursery.

I may be panicking unnecessarily! I am supposed to be on a training course tomorrow morning, I suspect that things like that may end up being cancelled in a weeks time (it’s an ongoing course) but tomorrow will still be on.

What are others in this situation doing?

This is going to be going on for months, if not years. You’d still have to pay for nursery, and who would look after DC while they’re not in nursery? Unless there’s anyone in a high risk group, or elderly in the house, I’d not keep my child off nursery. Children are apparently less affected than adults.

This is precisely what I just said to DH. We can’t keep them off forever.

DS2 has medical issues but not anything that should put him more at risk from this as far as I can tell.

Op the gym near us was closed to for a deep clean I think at this stage you just need to carry on as normal as it could go on for a very long time

I think you need to wait and play it by ear - the decision may be made for you if there is a case in the nursery and it needs closing

I can’t take mine out, I have to go to work - if it closes that’s different. But I can’t just take them out

Thank you. This was exactly what I thought but DH had me doubting myself.

Children haven't been affected so far

That’s not true - children have been affected, they believe it’s generally more mild in children but there’s very little information really. The mortality rate is much lower in children, but it’s not zero

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-51774777

Like I say, DS2 has a medical condition that mean viruses can make him quite unwell but it’s gastric bugs that are most dangerous for him. As long as it doesn’t stop him from eating he’d probably be fine, but if he did stop eating we’d be in trouble.

The fact it’s milder in children and that it’s going to be around for a long time is what’s making me think that we should carry on as normal until there is different advice or a closure - DH seems much more worried than me, which may be a first!