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Original poster

Are you sending your type 1 diabetic children back to school?

35 replies

SpringSunshineandTulips · 01/08/2020 14:54

I was planning to but having a really down day today and wondering if I’m being silly? Her mental health is suffering and she really needs to go back but ....... What are you planning to do?

OP posts:
jellybeanz1212 · 01/08/2020 15:14

Why wouldn't you? Lots of us type 1s have worked all through the pandemic and are fine. I think her mental health and therefore blood glucose will benefit.

Original poster
SpringSunshineandTulips · 01/08/2020 16:39

You’re right! All these threads about not going back to school are making me anxious and thinking I’m doing the wrong thing.

OP posts:
Toddlerteaplease · 01/08/2020 16:43

One of our paediatric diabetic consultants said it was fine to send diabetic kids to school. And there was no reason to keep
Them off.

Toddlerteaplease · 01/08/2020 16:44

I think it's only on mumsnet people aren't sending their kids back. Every single person I know with kids is. Everyone is desperate for the kids to go back!

NorthernNic · 01/08/2020 16:45

It's something I'm constantly thinking about. I'd have been fine if he'd been in school over the summer months (his year didn't go back) and I guess if the numbers don't start to rise I'll feel ok in September but as the coughs and colds start doing the rounds I'll be on pins.

Original poster
SpringSunshineandTulips · 01/08/2020 16:45

Yeah they said that to me back in June but she didn’t get to go back in the end. But now everything seems to be changing and it got me worried again. Wish they could find a cure for diabetes and Covid and all my worries would meet away.

OP posts:
NorthernNic · 01/08/2020 16:49

Toddlerteaplease - the nurse at our clinic gave the opposite advice. We were told back in April to keep him off (not that we had a choice!) until June. I know the chances of him catching it a v v low but it doesn't stop me worrying.

Jrobhatch29 · 01/08/2020 17:00

@Toddlerteaplease

I think it's only on mumsnet people aren't sending their kids back. Every single person I know with kids is. Everyone is desperate for the kids to go back!
Agree with this. Nobody I know is planning on not sending them. I am a teacher and none of my colleagues or teacher friends are reacting the way they are on MN either
AbsentmindedWoman · 01/08/2020 17:12

What is the child's a1c? Do they have wide swings in blood sugar?

If a1c is over 7, or standard deviation is high, then I would not send a kid back to school.

Also, are they prone to slipping into DKA when they get a bad infection?

How are their eyes doing - any big bleeds or weak proliferative vessels that would be exacerbated by a hacking cough for several weeks/ that are vulnerable in terms of vascular disease?

I'd factor that kind of thing in too.

LockdownLoser · 01/08/2020 17:16

I am sending Ds back, his consultant said that the risk for a well controlled T1 is about the same as everyone else.

The high risk apparently refers to T2 a suite often that goes hand in hand with being over weight and uncontrolled T1, mostly in countries without access to healthcare

Jihhery · 01/08/2020 17:18

Is there any right answer to this?

Original poster
SpringSunshineandTulips · 01/08/2020 17:19

A1c is 7.2 but they say that is good?? Never had DKA but never been ill so far (2 years in) no eye problems or anything else.

OP posts:
user1471530109 · 01/08/2020 17:25

loser that is incorrect. There was headline news going back a few weeks ago that type 1 are more at risk of bad outcomes than type 2.

OP I'm type 1 and a secondary school teacher. I've been WFH throughout and very grateful to my employers. I was fine about returning and even been doing a few 'normal' things with the kids the last few weeks. Had planned to let them do their dance class and swimming lessons this week.
But I'm feeling anxious too. I'm trying to not let it take over to be honest as I won't have a choice but to return to work in September regardless. My control is 7.3 and I'm working hard to lower it (but having allergy problems with the pump). I'm also overweight and despite trying all the bloody time to do something about that I'm not getting anywhere.

I think if I was a child and in relatively good control and health I wouldn't feel overly worried. In your shoes at the moment I would return and keep a close eye on local numbers etc.

It's shit isn't it? I've got all my hopes on a vaccine. But we've had a couple of crappy news days and it's all playing on our minds.

SheepandCow · 01/08/2020 17:25

I wouldn't want to give advice as it's your child and I can understand reluctance to take any risks.

This might reassure you. It seems the risk is greater for type 2. The US Center for Disease Control lists type 2 as one of the highest risk conditions. They're less sure on type 1, which is listed as a potential (not definite) increased risk - but generally more for over 40s.

NorthernNic · 01/08/2020 17:26

If your child has never been ill and you haven't done so already then familiarise yourself with the sick day rules for when they return. You don't want to be looking at them for the first time when you need them!

Original poster
SpringSunshineandTulips · 01/08/2020 17:30

Yes I made sure to familiarise myself with them in March but will do so again. Good thinking. Will also make sure I have keytone testing strips that are in date. I got some for March but suspect they are starting to run out now.

OP posts:
SheepandCow · 01/08/2020 17:30

www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/people-with-medical-conditions.html

Updated CDC list. Includes type 2. Not type 1.

No idea how UK staticians interpreted the information. It makes sense that it's type 2 worse affected since covid seems to be a vascular disease.

Oly4 · 01/08/2020 18:02

Yes of course

Redolent · 01/08/2020 18:39

@Toddlerteaplease

I think it's only on mumsnet people aren't sending their kids back. Every single person I know with kids is. Everyone is desperate for the kids to go back!
What an insensitive comment. Don’t you think parents like OP would love for their child to not be vulnerable to covid, like the vast majority of other children?

You can be desperate for your child to go back to school but also be worried about his/her health in light of rising infection rates and poor ‘Covid-secure’ schooling. Especially if your child was initially told to shield anyway. These aren’t easy decisions to make.

frazzledquaver · 01/08/2020 18:50

@SheepandCow

www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/people-with-medical-conditions.html

Updated CDC list. Includes type 2. Not type 1.

No idea how UK staticians interpreted the information. It makes sense that it's type 2 worse affected since covid seems to be a vascular disease.

The UK did a detailed analysis and type one diabetes was more of a risk factor than type two. HOWEVER, a smaller proportion of people with type two have other risk factors which increase their overall risk, such as obesity and older age. (Not saying that people who are older can't have type one diabetes, just that type two diabetes disproportionately affects older people). Having type one diabetes increases your risk about 3.5 fold. However, the risk to young people is really low, so it's 3.5 times a very small risk.
frazzledquaver · 01/08/2020 18:54

@jellybeanz1212

Why wouldn't you? Lots of us type 1s have worked all through the pandemic and are fine. I think her mental health and therefore blood glucose will benefit.
The issue is that workplaces are meant to have social distancing, etc in place, whereas that will not be happening in schools.
Pipandmum · 01/08/2020 18:54

It is type 2 that are worse affected. Also there are far more people with type 2 so I don't think they would have enough type 1s to make a statistical correlation (not all patient details include this information worldwide). There are also associated factors (weight, blood pressure) which is unlikely in your childs age (age being a huge factor).
I'm type 1 and as the head of my household have been doing everything within the guidelines.
My daughter just did a D of E overnight expedition and there was a type 1 diabetic child. It was unsupervised (checkpoints but the kids walk in teams without adults) but the school (and her parents) obviously thought it fine. I'm sure it will be fine for your daughter at school.
7.2 is reasonably good in any real life measure I've seen.

frazzledquaver · 01/08/2020 19:03

@SpringSunshineandTulips It's your decision. If you feel that her mental health is suffering from being at home (and would be improved by being back at school - which isn't a given), then you will probably feel that the benefit outweighs the risk. There have been a very small number of children in ICU with DKA and Covid 19, so the main thing to do will be to be as prepared as you can to try to keep her out of DKA if she contracts it. One thing that has concerned me the whole way through is that if I am severely ill will coronavirus, will my DS be able to keep himself out of DKA? I do not want him going into hospital as I don't feel that his type one will be adequately managed, particularly on a covid 19 ward. I'm a bit more at risk of serious complications of covid as is my DH so I have a valid reason to be concerned about the implications for my DS. In our area, levels are currently low, and if that remains the case, I will be looking at sending him back. On the other hand, if they start to rise, I might need to make a different decision. For me, it's a bit like when D&V bugs are in circulation, except that I know that I am generally able to do the 24 hour nursing he needs when ill, even if I have the bug myself. With covid 19, I'm not sure. My DS has an HBA1C of

Kitcat122 · 01/08/2020 19:09

I personally don't think we should be commenting on this unless we are medically trained or have experience with T1. 🌹🌹 to you OP it must be be an added worry.

frazzledquaver · 01/08/2020 19:13

@Pipandmum

It is type 2 that are worse affected. Also there are far more people with type 2 so I don't think they would have enough type 1s to make a statistical correlation (not all patient details include this information worldwide). There are also associated factors (weight, blood pressure) which is unlikely in your childs age (age being a huge factor). I'm type 1 and as the head of my household have been doing everything within the guidelines. My daughter just did a D of E overnight expedition and there was a type 1 diabetic child. It was unsupervised (checkpoints but the kids walk in teams without adults) but the school (and her parents) obviously thought it fine. I'm sure it will be fine for your daughter at school. 7.2 is reasonably good in any real life measure I've seen.
Agree that the associated factors of obesity and age are really important, and mean that the OP's DD is likely only to be at the same level of risk as an adult without type one diabetes . This is the work done by NHS England which found that type one diabetes is more of a risk factor for mortality than type two diabetes in Covid. www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/valabhji-COVID-19-and-Diabetes-Paper-1.pdf