Sneezing..(school/etc)

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I am allergic to all sorts of things. I'm asthmatic but initially the only real symptom is sneezing leading to puffy eyes if long exposure. So for example if I visited a friends house with an animal. Sometimes if I am in close proximity to a friend who owns a cat (sitting in the garden did it!).

We've been fairly strict with lockdown but now we're coming out how I just wanted to check is sneezing an automatic "covid symptom" that bars you from places like a cough/temperature is?

I'm going out today and will take an anti-histamine but only so I don't worry about it. I don't have ban enough symptoms that I would normally take them and don't like taking drugs I don't need.

We dont go in shops, usually just outdoors but as we're going to a busier outdoor place I obviously don't want to freak people out.

And following on from this. What will get a child sent home from school in September. Will it be just temperature/cough or will every sniffle mean being sent home. Wont half the class be off at any one time?!

I'm pretty sure sneezing isn't a coronavirus symptom.

Like above poster, I wouldn't relate sneezing to Covid, I would probably presume it was hayfever.

While sneezing is not a Covid symptom, it does cause mucus and saliva to be sprayed up to 8 metres away, so nobody wants to be near someone who sneezes, especially at the moment!

As for schools, each one will have its own guidelines, but I would except less acceptance of ill children being allowed in school this autumn/winter.

I was thinking that JohnLewis - its one of the reasons for masks isn't it. But children aren't wearing masks - so will they get sent home instead?

I can wear a mask if we go indoors but we aren't really doing that much. But the beach/park etc...

I think they will get sent home with snotty noses etc.

I would take the antihistamine to avoid sneezing. Asymptotic spread is going to be an ongoing issue.

DS has hay fever and I have been giving him packets of tissues for school. No-one has said anything.

DD takes an antihistamine before school but can still get hit with hayfever. She takes her own tissues and disposes of them

However she has always had it so is seen as normal for her and another child in the class and is fine

Its cough/temp/loss of taste and smell that would I think mean a test

I am now wondering if with winter coughs and colds lots of children will be sent hom.

I am now wondering if with winter coughs and colds lots of children will be sent home

Yes, they are bound to be. But at least it seems much more possible to get tested rapidly.

Sneezing is not a main symptom, but sneezing does propel your droplets much further (and you can have both allergies and pre-symptomatic or asymptomatic at the same time), so you need to catch your sneezes completely every time, and wear a mask (so it's caught be default if one takes you by surprise

@JohnLewisfan

I think they will get sent home with snotty noses etc.

I would take the antihistamine to avoid sneezing. Asymptotic spread is going to be an ongoing issue.

I think this is unlikely. My children have both been back at school full time for a month and they have a ‘sniffle station’... basically tissues and a bin and a sink next to it. So if they need to blow their nose they do it there, bin the tissue then wash their hands. They are only sent home for a high temperature or a cough. The policy will be the same in September.

My son's school are only sending children home with high temp or cough although because staff cannot social distance from pupils ( special school) the whole bubble goes home till test results are back. Although this hasn't happened yet since March since social distancing out of school means no one has caught anything. They don't get sent home with snotty noses and I doubt they would as many of the children can have that non covid symptom for weeks.

Oh and in the month they’ve been back none have had to be sent home with a high temp or cough yet. They had one pupil develop a high temp over the weekend but they were tested and has results back (negative) before school on the Monday.

One of my DCs schools have said children to be kept home (from Sept) if signs/symptoms of cold or flu so I'm assuming if symptoms started at school they'd be sent home.

This thread is a good reminder that families will need contingency plans for covering the odd day off school waiting for a test and result, and to be ready for 14 day household isolation (on no notice) at any point.

@Farahilda

This thread is a good reminder that families will need contingency plans for covering the odd day off school waiting for a test and result, and to be ready for 14 day household isolation (on no notice) at any point.

Agreed, I wonder where that contingency will come from? Either employers are going to have to be very understanding or people are going to have to potentially leave jobs and claim benefits.