Child has cough and cold

[GIitterySequinBoobTube]

Hello there
Child went back on Wednesday so been in 3 days.
Now has cough and cold. Assume generic Autumn germs.
We haven't been told what the school expectations are.
Am I meant to keep her off and get her tested. How do I do this?
Thanks in advance

Yep. If you google covid test you will be able to find the website which were you can book a test. The whole household needs to isolate for now.

Exactly the same thing has happened to my DS. Runny nose and cough (not dry or continuous). No guidance from school (primary).

My child is the same. Self isolating and waiting the result of a test which we took yesterday. ( 24 hours turnaround is utter nonsense!) Once we get a negative test , back to school he goes. Rinse and repeat all autumn and winter I suspect!

Have you been living under a rock for the past 6 months?
Regardless of who you are you must get a test and self isolate if you develop a cough.

I have been shielding pretty much for half a year stat and this is the first cough/cold in the house.

Why do you assume generic autumn germs? They've caught something. Why wouldn't it be covid?

Get them tested.

Yes, you are supposed to get a test for a cough. Here is the link with details of how to do so www.gov.uk/coronavirus

Our entire class has also developed coughs & cold since going back on Wednesday. School confirmed they're not concerned as it appears to be usual snotty nosed colds.

The NHS guidance says to check:

Is the cough continuous? i.e. coughing a lot for more than an hour/3 or more coughing episodes in a 24 hr period

Does your child have a very high temperature?

Has your child lost their sense of taste/smell - beyond what a usual cold would cause.

If yes to the above then it's worth isolating and getting a test. But if we were all to self isolate because of a cold there'd be nobody at school all over again

Same here but my dc aren’t yet back at school. Test yesterday afternoon, results via text and email this morning, less than 24hrs I was surprised to hear back today. One returns to school tomorrow, the one with the cough on Tuesday (cough disappearing fast so should hopefully be back then).

Thank you. Sorting now. I am used to kids, and myself as a former teacher, picking up coughs and colds in the first week. Used to happen to me like clockwork. But of course I will keep them off and of course we will be testing - I assume from the reactions on here that we have all been very fortunate thus far and everyone else has had to be tested at least once already. I guess our stay put - don't go anywhere worked in the Summer months.
I also would have expected the school to have made it clearer - am letting them know now.

Rockaway no temperature, no loss of taste. Brother and I are fine. Did you get told by school to send in and not test then?
It will not affect me to keep either/both home but yes, am surprised it has not been made crystal clear if schools are operating different policies.

DD has a runny nose and an occaisional cough (ie single cough once or twice a day). She has also passed it to me. No temperature or other symptoms.

Schools guidance says continuous cough, loss of taste or smell and temperture. Its just a cold, we always get one first week back to school.

I'll send her in tomorrow and see what they say. They check temperature at breakfast club door anyhow.

• RockawayBeach

Our entire class has also developed coughs & cold since going back on Wednesday. School confirmed they're not concerned as it appears to be usual snotty nosed colds. *

That is so infuriating! If they have developed a cough they should be getting tested to rule out Covid. School are not medical experts and should be following the guidelines to a tee.

@GIitterySequinBoobTube Please ignore Rockaway's irresponsible post. Government advice is that any one of: persistent cough, fever, or loss of taste/smell requires a test. Lots of people with Covid don't experience all three of these symptoms. Indeed many people with Covid don't experience any of them. A persistent cough warrants a test even with no other symptoms.

Hi OP, I'm the same. Just started a new job in a school and this weekend have come down with a cough and cold. I got tested today but had to drive nearly 40 miles for the nearest available test centre. I am hoping to have my results tomorrow morning. You must not send your child to school until they have been tested and received a negative result. Your school will be pretty pissed off if you send them in and they infect everyone else.

@Lucindainthesky

Why do you assume generic autumn germs? They've caught something. Why wouldn't it be covid?

Get them tested.

Why wouldn't your first assumption be a cold in the situation described?

The ONS has around 2000 new covid cases pre day currently, how many people start the common cold every day? OK, I don't know the answer but I'd bet everything I have on it being way way more than that.

My country has had single figure total covid cases for the past week, if my child started with cold symptoms tomorrow it would be ridiculous of me to jump to the conclusion it was anything other than a back to school cold.

My lo is 20 months he hasn't had a cold since March, went to a settling in session on Tuesday at nursery. By Thursday he had a runny nose and sneezing all over the place. Then yesturday a bit of a cough. I'm not going to get him tested as a running nose and sneezing is not a symptom of COVID.

school really should communicate better.
we (not uk) have a flow chart from school and comprehensive government advice.

if any one of the household has any cold symptoms, fever or cough the whole household needs to self isolate until all symptoms are gone

Yes, you need to test.

A new continuous cough;
A temperature;
Unexplained loss of sense of smell or taste.

Only the person with symptoms should be tested, and this should be within 1 to 5 days of onset of symptoms.

The whole household MUST isolate until test result comes back negative, even with no symptoms. If positive, the original person has to remain isolated for 10 days after onset of symptoms and the rest of the household for 14 days from the first day of the household member's symptoms.

Others in the household only need tested if they develop any of the three named symptoms.

These are the rules regardless of the setting e.g. school, work, etc.

@mrsed1987

My lo is 20 months he hasn't had a cold since March, went to a settling in session on Tuesday at nursery. By Thursday he had a runny nose and sneezing all over the place. Then yesturday a bit of a cough. I'm not going to get him tested as a running nose and sneezing is not a symptom of COVID.

No but a cough is 🤨

Inforgraphic attached.

I had to test my eldest son over the weekend and his came back negative. I need to phone the school tomorrow to ask them if he will be able to come in with a cold and cough. It is quite mild and he is fine in himself. I think it will be difficult when the demand for tests increase and you may not be able to simply get one.

lifealongsong it's not about jumping to conclusions either way. That's why you do the responsible thing and get tested if you exhibit a symptom, in case it is covid.

I'm glad that your country has only had single figure cases this week, but in the UK the figures are much higher so we have to take a more cautious and responsible attitude here. My city has had double figures this past week so clearly we have to be far more careful when encountering symptoms.

@lifesalongsong

if my child started with cold symptoms tomorrow it would be ridiculous of me to jump to the conclusion it was anything other than a back to school cold.

If that "back to school cold" had signs of any of the three named symptoms of covid-19, you'd be selfish and irresponsible not to test. (Or isolate your household for 14 days, though testing is preferable for track and trace purposes)

@lifesalongsong

Apologies, I thought you said your 'county', not 'country'. You need to look at the rules for your country and follow the instructions accordingly.