DD2 has a cough. How do I get DD1 to school?

[allthesharks]

DD2 has woken up with a constant cough. Based on the new guidelines I have to keep her at home for 7 days. Logistically I don't know how to do this. I don't work on a Friday so keeping her home isn't a problem, but her older sister is well and should be at school. I don't have any one else who can take her in to school so my only options are to take DD2 with me to drop off and pick up or to keep DD1 off too. As children, if they do get coronavirus, they're likely to be fine, but I don't know the health conditions of the other children or the parents/grandparents who will be at the school gate. Realistically, I do think DD2 just has a cough and cold.

Logistically, what am I supposed to do?

I'm keeping them both off. DP thinks I'm making the wrong decision but I don't care.

So what is he suggesting if DD2 can’t go outside?

I assume as a teacher he will be keeping an eye on any of his pupils coming in with coughs/fevers.

Schools should not be worried about attendance as a new attendance code has been created to cover self isolation that shows the childs absence but doesn't count negatively against the schools attendance figures.

I have no idea what he thinks I should do but he's probably not thought that far ahead as he's not the one having to try to figure it out.

Realistically, taking them in the car would have them sitting within 2 metres of each other for half an hour.

Even if DD1 is fine, surely it's better to keep a 6 year old off for the day than have her go to school, risk spreading germs around (even if it were just a cold) and then having half the class off next week because they've got a cough.

She's actually great with learning. She enjoys doing her homework and learning her spellings, both of which we've got to do for Monday, so we'll get those done today. We've also got loads of books and she loves reading so it's not as though she's just going to be sitting around doing nothing all day.

With all of that said, DD1 has been coughing a bit now as well.

I hope they are both ok OP.

Keep them both off and reevaluate for monday

The reason they are saying only the person with symptoms stays home is not because other people in the family aren't infectious. It is part of this whole thing of thinking people won't cope with restrictions for longer times.

When they do say yes, keep everyone in the household at home, it won't be because suddenly those people pose a risk when they didn't before. They are just as infectious now as they will be then. The only difference is they think people can only cope with rules like that for so long so they will wait to enforce them. I think that is a mistake but anyway...keep them both at home, we all have to do better than the govt think we can.

If you are taking DD1 in late then you are still taking DD2 out of the house surely? Which means you are going against pubic health advice.

Please keep them both off. We can't afford for people to blatantly flout the advice the health advice that they are being given, the effects could be catastrophic for the vulnerable.

The official guidance is that your child with a new cough should not leave the house for 7 days. That includes even to go for a walk so she cannot accompany you on the school run.