Nurseries and Covid-19

[NELondonDad]

Hi
I wonder if anyone else has had an experience in relation to this or have thoughts about it.
Our local nursery, following guidance, has been sending children home if they have had temperatures or a cough.
The children cannot return unless they have been tested for Covid-19, a process which is not as easy as it is designed to be, ultimately takes some days and is a deeply unpleasant experience for the child.
Children can have recurring coughs and/or temperatures for all sorts of reasons and in some cases it is a fairly persistent thing.
Does this mean that those children will end up being repeatedly tested for Covid-19, with the side-effect that their siblings and parents (including key workers) will also have to stay home until test results come back ?

That is the same policy as our nursery and I agree with it. If your child has Covid symptoms then they need to stay away from nursery until you choose to test them or you all self isolate for a fortnight. Same as if anyone else in the family gets symptoms.

We had to self isolate the other week as my daughter has a temp. We got an appointment for a test within 2 hours and the results were back within 24 hours so we only had one day off work.

Yep our nursery has the same policy. It’s going to make for a fun autumn/winter when all the usual coughs and colds are going around. But what else can the nursery do? Cannot have kids going in if they have symptoms. I’m a nurse on mat leave but will be returning to work in a few months I’ve been advised by my manager to keep plenty of annual leave to cover child sickness and potential childcare closures over the winter.

Yes, unfortunately this is what it's going to be like for all educational settings, schools etc, including staff going forward. There is going to be ongoing disruption till a vaccine is found or until it's quarantined out of existence. Obviously better than full lockdown.

Possibly there will be fewer infections with increased hand washing etc but you're right, kids catch everything. And it's important to as it helps to build their immune system.

Yep, this is what our nursery is doing too. I was worried at first because they announced their plans for reopening (including that households would have to self isolate for 2 weeks at the first sign of symptoms) before tests were announced for under 5s. I had visions of paying a fortune for childcare and hardly being there. As it is, the tests now being available and results coming back quickly mean this shouldn’t be an issue unless it is actually is Covid. It is not a nice or an easy test but what can you do? My youngest (18 months) has a cold currently but haven’t had her tested as there’s no sign of a cough or a temp. Just a lot of snot (sorry TMI). Will see what they say when she goes in tomorrow but I’m prepared to get a test for her and/or my older one if she starts with it.

Interesting. Are you all in England?

I am Scotland and we have not been told this, yet. Although nursery has not said much at all.

Obviously they will get all the usual bugs as well but I can't see nursery being good at this at all.

To be honest this should be the policy at all nurseries (and anywhere else) as it is the government policy. If you have symptoms (cough, temperature, loss of smell) then you and your whole household isolate unless you have a negative test. There are no exceptions for young children.

This will be the policy in all nurseries OP. It is in schools as well. It’s what’s written in the guidance from the govmt. They cannot have children attending with symptoms & unfortunately that includes a temp & a cough! In theory, if any child has symptoms, the bubble has to isolate until a negative test comes back!

Seems like it’ll be impossible in winter, it’s going to be awful.. I preparing to be taking tests every blooming week 🥴

They can’t roll out saliva testing fast enough.

I was thinking that re saliva tests.

Hi,

It's really interesting (and also unexpectedly reassuring ) that others anticipate the same thing. I was braced for being immediately dismissed. I suppose I'm interesting the extent to which a child will literally end up beng tested every week, with the result that they will be out of nursery for most of the time and their family will be in an almost constant lockdown. Sounds far fetched, but think of the child that has a sort of constant sniffle or near-constant cough. Temperatures also go up and down. Also, if a child returns after having a negative test and has a cough not that morning.. can that really be considered as a NEW cough? Does that matter? In other words, to what extent can some flexibility and common sense be employed tithing the guidelines? And yes.. roll on saliva testing. Presumably the ideal situation is one where tests can be carried out onsite with immediate results.

... forgive the typos: Should have been 'Also, if a child returns after having a negative test and has a cough on that morning.. can that really be considered as a NEW cough? Does that matter? In other words, to what extent can some flexibility and common sense be employed within the guidelines
Also, I'm glad that one of you only had to take one day off work and received an appointment within hours. But think of children under 5. Tests have to be carried out by the parent. Families without a car it have to wait at home for the test to be sent to them. That can take up to 48 hours. Then, if you're lucky enough to have received the test in time to book a courier to send it back, it can taken 72 hours for a results to come back.

Presumably the ideal situation is one where tests can be carried out onsite with immediate results.

I'd thought if this regarding large schools or near a group of schools.

I suppose we will have to see what happens.

The usual approach in schools is to send them in and see how they go. Obviously will be completely turned on it's head.

You will find this to be common policy across early years settings - I have been heavily involved in writing the Risk Assessment and Policies for my organisations reopened nursery settings - we know little ones get coughs and high temps for all sorts of reasons (my DD used to get raging temperatures whenever she was teething) BUT the risk of it being COVID-19 related has to be controlled and isolation until a neg test or the 7/14days is up is the only control measure we have right now. Its obviously not ideal and some families will be disproportionately effected by potentially having to retest or re-isolate on multiple occasions.

Our nursery has the same policy which also goes on to say that any positive test result for an attending child or member of staff results in a total closure of the nursery for 2 weeks.

Our nursery has the same policy. Also, the nursery cannot give Calpol or ibuprofen in case this masks symptoms of Covid.

Honestly, between that and trying to settle in a child who has not interacted with anyone except mummy and daddy for 12 weeks, I am pretty much on the verge of giving in my notice ☹️

Our nursery has same policy, with whole nursery needing to shut down if a child or someone a child lives with tests positive. I'm reassured by this and support it. Bugs will be less rife as people won't be mixing with such an extended network of people though with no soft play, holiday clubs, swimming, gymnastics etc where kids mix in close contact, and outdoor play dates and meet ups with family so it may not be as bad this year as usual.

It’s the same here and also for schools. Presumably with all the track and trace coming in, we can expect the same if anyone in the family has been in a restaurant/pub/shop with someone who is positive as well.

Can I ask what the test is like for under 5s?

It’s not just nurseries. The government advice is anyone with COVID symptoms should isolate and seek a test. Why are why surprised that nurseries are following government guidance? You’d all be up in arms if they let COVID spread like wildfire.

My nursery sent DD home when she had a temperature but said she was OK to come back after 48hrs if no other symptoms and the temperature had gone.

Another whose nursery also has this as policy. Sympathies Totoros - am heartily sick of bleaching every single piece of Lego, jigsaw etc that has been used that day - kids here for 3.5 hours then 1.45 hours of cleaning for £9 ph with no break. My friends pay their cleaners more

Where we are we literally cannot get a test unless we travel 112 miles or wait weeks until the army testing centre is up. It's going to be hell.

Can I ask what the test is like for under 5s?

My DD is 12 months and was tested a couple of weeks ago after the nursery sent her home with a temp. I was fully expecting it to come back as an invalid result, because the instructions say to swab the back of the throat without the swab touching any other part of the mouth as that can invalidate the sample. DD obviously immediately sucked on the bloody thing. We did manage to get it on the back of her throat though, which made her gag. Then you have to do the swab up the nose which she didn't mind as much but they say to blow the nose beforehand which you can't get a 12 month old to do. We did our best but I doubt it was the best administered test.

@NoRoomInBed you can get tests delivered and send them back by post.