Child with new cough, should I send her in?

[cough101]

Child has a new cough, started as a sore throat and has developed to a continuous cough
No temp
Feels ok in themselves ( eating, playing etc)

Should I send to school?

I KNOW the NHS site says to isolate even if there's no temp, but they genuinely seem ok in themselves and have suffered coughs in the past, so not unusual

There are no confirmed cases on Covid in my city

AIBU to send them in? Would you isolate? actually isolate at this stage? It seems such an extreme measure

Thanks

Logically and statistically they probably have Covid 19 but are just coping well with it as kids do. But you DO NOT send that out into the community. Use your brain. Protect your community.

@BecauseReasons he has a productive cough that worsens at night and a fluctuating temperature. The NHS 111 when I called have said if he's very snotty (he is) , it's unlikely to be coronavirus. We're not going anywhere anyway, but do I need to inform everyone he's had contact with for the last week? He's been to swimming lesson, he's been to nursery, we've seen family, all before he's had any symptoms. Do they all need to self isolate too? In which case why isn't everyone already on lockdown, most people will have had some contact with a person with mild cold symptoms in the last 7-10 days?

and it has put me in a unexpected dilemma, because logically and statistically they are ok

Do what the experts have told you to do. It is not your dilemma, it is their dilemma. They have made the call, in possession of more facts than you have.

Look, think about it that if your child passes it in that's a load more people who will be self isolating if they're being responsible and that could cause them all kinds of difficulties that you may not face.

There is no choice here I'm afraid.

The insults are justified. Keep your child home. You’re not special or different just follow the bloody rules.

We're not going anywhere anyway, but do I need to inform everyone he's had contact with for the last week?

No.

Do they all need to self isolate too?

No.

It really is very simple. Does each individual person have a new cough or a fever? If yes, they must self isolate. Of no, continue until that changes.

This is why schools need to be closed....because some people can’t follow simple guidelines

FFS. I am a teacher. Please do not send your child to me to make me ill. I have my own children , too.

Not aimed at you OP (I understand the dilemma) but remember logically and statistically it IS covid. That will be one of the main respitory illnesses doing the rounds at this time. We have moved to a phase where we are assuming it is all covid rather than using testing resources to double check. Only when someone's symptoms worsen are they tested. That's because on most people they will only be mildly u well and will recover quickly. It's an important part of the approach UK are taking.

But that's completely pointless and won't stop the spread of a virus that's contagious long before it's symptomatic. Also 111 told me not to worry about isolating him!

Honestly can’t get my head round why some people are so confused by this. It’s the least complicated thing ever. Isolate. She has a cough. End of.

I can’t believe there’s still people so stupid as to think that with the current pandemic around it’s ok to send a child with a cough into a school!!!

New cough = isolate for 7 days
Fever = isolate for 7 days
If well but still coughing after 7 days return to normal
If still fever after 7 days contact 111
If not coping / worried about illness at any point call 111

No. Hope she's better soon.

I've had colleagues come in with a cough which nearly sent me over the edge.

You do not have a dilemma

The public health advice is super clear and your child fits the advice to a tee and should isolate

It is because people are selfish and think the rules somehow don’t apply to them because they are special that we are going to have an even more hellish time over the next months

Are you honestly not capable of just following the rules?

@JoshArcherStoleMyTractor Unfortunately in such a fast moving situation there may be operators on 111 who aren't using the most up to date advice. Or did you speak to them last week? In which case the advice has changed since then. I would call back if you're unsure about anything or if his symptoms worsen and do tell them if you were given bad advice.

The point about teachers not catching ordinary coughs/ colds is a good one. We are running on minimal staff at my school as it is. Every time I get a cold, I get a cough. I would never normally take a week off work with a cough but now I will have to. The schools will be shut due to lack of staff long before any shut down.

Are people actually kidding....

Cough [NEW OR CONTINUOUS]- DO NOT SEND THEM IN
Temperature - DO NOT SEND THEM IN
Both- DO NOT FUCKING SEND THEM IN!!!

but but but they seem ok in themselves.....- I DONT GIVE A SHIT DO NOT SEND THEM IN

But they will bug me while im watching judge Rinder - FOR THE LOVE OF GOD DO NOT SEND THEM IN!!!!!!!

Jesus Christ no wonder Johnson is using behavioral science to combat this with some of the fuckwits we have in this country!

If not coping / worried about illness at any point call 111 did this they told me not to worry about isolating DS as his overall symptoms do not indicate CV. MN however would have me hung for following the guidance from HCPs

This is a symptom of schools towing the line of "kids must come in with colds" and build resilience! It comes from attitudes towards people who go off sick with 'just' cold , the 'heroes' who struggle on regardless and the health professional who roll their eyes "they aren't seriously ill, send them in!"

I know the guidelines, I can read them with my own eyes but it takes a lot of unlearning to consider this serious, a lot of unpicking of past attitudes to see things in a different light

Sorry got a tad frustrated there...

Forgone great post. I don't get why it's so difficult to understand?

Your child mild have mild symptoms. They may be part of the 80% who do. By sending them in do you want to be responsible for causing a death of someone who wasn't mild?

@Ilovefriday - I think this is a far more likely scenario than mass shut down in very short term. Blanket shut down may come soon but in the interim the effect of mass absences will be the big change seen in UK. (If people follow the advice!).

Also 111 told me not to worry about isolating him!

Why did you ring 111? It's under massive strain already and you can get the same results online. As of Friday, new advice was issued. Follow that advice. It's not difficult. If it's been seven days since the new cough emerged then go about your business. Otherwise, self-isolate.

Here you go: 111.nhs.uk/Question/Navigation

Follow that through and see what it tells you.

Sorry, broken link:

111.nhs.uk/covid-19