Can my child go to school with a sniffly nose?

[Babyfairy0923]

We haven’t had any guidelines from school?
Well in himself, no temperature, no cough but a sniffly nose & occasional sneezing.
I’m guessing we can’t keep them home for every cold they get if it’s without the Covid symptoms?

As far as I'm aware (and I may be wrong) as long as there is no:

Sore throat
Continuous cough
Temperature
Change to sense of smell or taste

They can go to school.

Prepared to be corrected though.

Have you given him any antihistamine on the off chance it’s a late hayfever type thing? Our school has said keep them off if unwell but no real guidance as to what they consider unwell.

Yes.

I would (and did on Friday) send a child to school if they didn't have any of the corona symptoms and were well in themselves. I also isolated immediately and tested earlier in the week for another child that had a new fever. Luckily negative!

Yes

Yes. Although some of the staff won't like it (I work in school and some staff are feeling very anxious) if he's well enough to be there and doesn't have a new continuous cough, temperature or change to sense of taste/smell he can go to school.

I wouldn't. It will pass to other children and staff. Noone needs extra worry at the moment.

Yes you can but preferable only if he is able to use good hand hygiene etc. It wouldn't be fair to send him if he is going to be sneezing over people and constantly have snot on his face. You need to make sure he will clean his hands after cleaning his nose etc. Make sure he has a packet of tissues on him at all times and a bottle of hand gel. No one wants any sickness right now so I would be extra cautious!

Yes. Snotty nose and sneezing is not Covid

Yes. Even though the WHO and plenty of research suggests that runny noses and sneezing, rash, diarrhoea, vomiting and stomach pain are more likely symptoms in children of primary age, our DFE think only 3 symptoms are allowed to let children be off. So screw teachers and just wait for infections to rise.

Apparently i'll be fine in a class of 32 though, because i can open a window. That, Finny, is why some staff are feeling anxious. If my own children have any symptoms i'll be keeping them off because I will know how fucking terrifying it will be for a teacher in a crowded classroom to have kids sneezing at them.

This is what I’m worried about and completely sympathise. We are an at risk family so I know how anxious everyone is feeling.
Unfortunately my son picks up every cold going so if I keep him home every time he will be at home every other week.

Yes.

We have been specifically told by our local authority that children are only to be asked not to attend and then to get a test if they show one or more of the three main symptoms..

Temperature
New Continuous cough
Loss of sense of taste and smell.

They have told us that a runny nose or a sore throat (on their own) are not to be treated as possible Covid. So if you would have them in usually, they are to be in.

Frankly if we sent home every child with a with a sniffly nose and sneezing we would never open!

Results of a study released 3 days ago found that the main symptoms linked in children were headache, fever and gastro symptoms, I have never seen a link of sneezing/runny nose and this study says it gives comfort that there is no link. So it's actually the opposite, if your child has a runny nose or sneezing it gives you comfort that it is actually a common cold (though if there is a cough or fever, a test/self isolation is still necessary)

@phlebasconsidered

Yes. Even though the WHO and plenty of research suggests that runny noses and sneezing, rash, diarrhoea, vomiting and stomach pain are more likely symptoms in children of primary age, our DFE think only 3 symptoms are allowed to let children be off. So screw teachers and just wait for infections to rise.

Apparently i'll be fine in a class of 32 though, because i can open a window. That, Finny, is why some staff are feeling anxious. If my own children have any symptoms i'll be keeping them off because I will know how fucking terrifying it will be for a teacher in a crowded classroom to have kids sneezing at them.

You're directing your anger at the wrong target. Children and their parents are not your enemy.

A runny nose does not equal Covid.

I'm in area that has already been back at school for over a week and half my class of 4 year olds already have runny noses!
We have a child with a high temperature and she is self isolating until she's been tested, our guidelines are keep them off and get tested if they have any of the 3 main symptoms.

Thank you everyone. I will send him but keep a close look out for any new symptoms!

@phlebasconsidered

Yes. Even though the WHO and plenty of research suggests that runny noses and sneezing, rash, diarrhoea, vomiting and stomach pain are more likely symptoms in children of primary age, our DFE think only 3 symptoms are allowed to let children be off. So screw teachers and just wait for infections to rise.

Apparently i'll be fine in a class of 32 though, because i can open a window. That, Finny, is why some staff are feeling anxious. If my own children have any symptoms i'll be keeping them off because I will know how fucking terrifying it will be for a teacher in a crowded classroom to have kids sneezing at them.

You want every child with a runny nose to stay at home, even though a runny nose is nothing to do with Covid? I understand staff feeling anxious but if runny noses are causing Covid related anxiety, the concern is misplaced.

There's no point reopening schools if the children can't attend all winter.

My dd has been going to nursery with the snottiest nose ever all week. I called ahead and asked and they said absolutely fine. If she had started coughing they would have sent her home, but luckily she hasn’t. I’m a teacher and I can’t be taking time off every time she gets a snotty nose as she’s new to nursery it will be weekly I expect!

Personally, cold symptoms from any of the children in my class would not bother me. When I was pregnant a few years back both Scarlett fever and chicken pox were doing the rounds and I was still expected to work - that was much more risky for me imo.

Mine due to go back and runny nose this weekend. No cough or raised temperature etc....it is the cold season now so will be lots about

Definitely not covid since not been in contact with anyone

@HettySunshine is sore throat an official
Symptom? My two children have developed just a sore throat over the weekend.

My kids did last week but we they had had a negative Covid test. No one asked or said anything though.

Depends on your school. Ours is saying they can’t have an child who is unwell. I’m trying to clarify what this means but suggests they can’t go in with a cold.

My son is a constant snotfest when hes at school, he is thankfully getting better at blowing his nose and washing his hands afterwards, tissues are still left laying around or stuffed in his waistband

He has asthma, so coughing is a fairly regular thing. Testing centres will be our new home!

Get a test?

@BabySweet85

Get a test?

No, don't, not for a runny nose alone. Take a test if you meet the criteria for testing. This is why it's become practically impossible to book one and postal tests are unavailable since schools went back.