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Original poster

Child with new cough, should I send her in?

135 replies

cough101 · 15/03/2020 09:07

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

OP posts:
Mooserp · 15/03/2020 09:30

Forgone90 - totally justified

Squeekybummum · 15/03/2020 09:31

My daughter suffers with her chest all the time, it always starts and ends with coughing. I have told work today that i won't be in next week. School will most likely send them home straight away with a cough. Our school did on Friday. So just keep them off. I no its a pain with work and money but its just got to be done.

DinosApple · 15/03/2020 09:32

No. Please don't send them in. Children get mild symptoms of CV so may feel well in themselves, but adults get it worse.

Half the kids in the class I TA in were coughing on Friday (and well before). I now have a fever, cough and aches and will be off for a week. And I'm not the only one.

JoshArcherStoleMyTractor · 15/03/2020 09:33

@BecauseReasons I called them Thursday because that's what the recorded message at our GP said to do for under 5s, but you lose your rag, it's effective.

Playdoughbum · 15/03/2020 09:33

It has got to be done thank you squeeky.
I’m a teacher. I have asthma. A cold can knock me sideways for weeks. I don’t want this!
Don’t blame schools for previously asking children to come in with colds. Things change. Deal with it.

MisssC3025 · 15/03/2020 09:34

This is so frustrating. I have spoken to three people I know (via text) all who have recently started complaining of a persistent cough! Only one has done the right thing of self isolating. The others, despite me screwing at them, have continued shopping, work etc... and their excuses are : "but I'm fine it's just a cough I can manage".

FGS congrats on managing but it's not you I'm concerned about because you're clearly not vulnerable or are okay and have mild symptoms, but what about others who are vulnerable that may catch the virus, because you've spread it on your shopping trolley!!!?! LOGIC!!

I'm losing the will with some people 🙄😠

Griefmonster · 15/03/2020 09:34

@cough101 - I agree we have been so used to not changing behaviour during cold and flu season that it is harder to change behaviour now. Early repairing on covid was also really unhelpful. This is not a particularly deadly disease but it IS novel and now a pandemic so even though the mortality rate is very low, it is essential we change our mind set and behaviour.

BecauseReasons · 15/03/2020 09:35

I called them Thursday because that's what the recorded message at our GP said to do for under 5s, but you lose your rag, it's effective.

And the advice changed on Friday, so the advice you received on Thursday is out of date. Self-isolate. 7 days from when the cough started.

pickingdaisies · 15/03/2020 09:35

Even it is "just" a cold, keep her home. School staff need to stay fit and healthy especially now.

Baddit · 15/03/2020 09:35

I'm in the same boat as you. The advice changed on Thursday, my son got a sudden cough on Friday morning. I have sent him to school with worse before so it felt ridiculous to keep him off for a cough but I did it mostly because I didn't see how it would be socially acceptable to drop him off at kids club spluttering away.Could be a common cold. Could be deadly. You just don't know.

You know what you need to do - just do it for a week and be done with it. Everyone understands the situation and in fact they will be grateful you're not risking everyone's health by taking an unnecessary risk.

Boredbumhead · 15/03/2020 09:36

Duh

Dozer · 15/03/2020 09:37

NHS guidance is unclear: “continuous”/“repeated” (111) are subjective terms.

If it was just “any new cough” that would be clear.

Kateplaysrugbyinmydreams · 15/03/2020 09:38

It won't do any harm to keep her at home. Just do that.

BecauseReasons · 15/03/2020 09:42

NHS guidance is unclear: “continuous”/“repeated” (111) are subjective terms.

111.nhs.uk/covid-19 link says 'a new continuous cough - this means you've started coughing repeatedly'

What is confusing you?

Dozer · 15/03/2020 09:42

Lots of parents are not in a position to do that without financial loss and / or risk to their job. Some are keyworkers.

snowballer · 15/03/2020 09:42

I think people are getting confused because they're trying to assess themselves whether they/their child has coronavirus. It doesn't matter if they do or they don't, and you're NOT expected to diagnose!! The directive is you stay at home with a cough and/or a fever. It is irrelevant whether you think they have CV or not. It's also about reducing all illness in circulation. For the love of god people just follow the incredibly simple guidance!

Dozer · 15/03/2020 09:44

“Continuous” doesn’t have the same meaning as “repeatedly” and neither term is explained.

“Repeatedly” is subjective. Its literal meaning is more than once. If that’s the guidance, it should just say SAH if you have a “new cough”.

Helenluvsrob · 15/03/2020 09:44

WTAF.
Follow the guidance and self isolate properly for the full 7 days

Dozer · 15/03/2020 09:44

It’s not SAH with “a cough”: that would be clear.

People are not trying to diagnose, they are trying to interpret unclear guidelines.

snowballer · 15/03/2020 09:45

Also - if the virus's target recipients were the under 10s, literally none of you would be thinking of sending them in. We are trying to protect the actual targets who are older and vulnerable health wise. Behave as though it's your children at risk instead of the over 70s and you might arrive at the answer quicker.

BecauseReasons · 15/03/2020 09:46

Lots of parents are not in a position to do that without financial loss and / or risk to their job. Some are keyworkers.

Yep. The government are to blame for this as they should:
a. Have stopped zero hours contracts years ago
b. Have announced that no employer will be permitted to fire someone from their job due to self-isolation.

That said, if you send your child to school with a new and continuous cough, I will be sending them home and instructing you to keep them there for seven days. Therefore, best keep them home and prevent the risk of them spreading it to their classmates for the sake of the time it'll take me to identify the cough and send them home.

PurpleFlower1983 · 15/03/2020 09:48

Please don’t send them in! You risk making someone seriously ill! Children only get mild doses so may feel fine!

snowballer · 15/03/2020 09:48

How is this unclear? A cough from breathing in dust is a single instance cough. A repeated cough is one that is illness related. One where you cough every so often, constantly. Like when you have a cold. The only reason people are nit picking is because they don't want to keep kids off - I totally get this because it's a nightmare for work and it's stressing me out, but be honest. It's not unclear, it's just very inconvenient and people can't bring themselves to believe a cough is enough to trigger that inconvenience

BertieDrapper · 15/03/2020 09:48

Wednesday my DD 4 - had a cough. Nothing else. Sent her to childminders as per normal.

Thursday - cough is slightly worse and she is miserable so keep her home. Temp starts rising through the day. She barely moves off the sofa. Thursday afternoon starts being sick.

Just because she has "just a cough" now doesn't mean it won't develop to more.

We have all been isolating since Thursday.

I have no idea if she has COVID but she's had every symptom. On Wednesday I would not of even considered it being COVID - you know because kids can't get it Hmm - now we will never know if she has it but I certainly wouldn't be surprised if she did.

Dozer · 15/03/2020 09:49

Agree, this is government’s responsibility.

How will you determine what a “continuous” cough is, though? There is no guidance on that.

A PP has linked to the 111 site: it includes a feedback form.