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

@Lucindainthesky

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.

Sorry, that was a typo, I did mean County but my point was in response to the poster who said you should assume cold symptoms are covid, that's not a valid statistical assumption.

I didn't say anything about testing but England will grind to a halt within weeks unless we can find a way to approach this will some kind of common sense.

We are waiting for my daughters results. We all had a test monday and only me and DH received our results. Negative. They seemed to of lost DDs. After 4 or 5 wasted phone calls otdered a postal test as no test available near to us. Sent it off Friday. It was delivered Saturday morning at 8 o'clock. No text or email yet. I need to get back to work.

Sorry, that was a typo, I did mean County but my point was in response to the poster who said you should assume cold symptoms are covid, that's not a valid statistical assumption.

The most important thing is to assume covid symptoms are Covid until you get a negative test. It’s rubbish and means a lot of people who have three coughing episodes in a day will have to be tested but what’s the alternative? People spreading it round schools? Our cases are already rocketing again. Nearly 3000 positive tests today.

@lifesalongsong I didn't say you should assume cold symptoms are covid, I was asking the OP why she is assuming it's a generic cold when it COULD be covid. My point is nothing should be assumed and you err on the side of caution and get tested if you have a covid symptom.

My two eldest are being tested as we speak. Eldest had a fever yesterday evening, a cough during the day, runny nose and sore throat. DS2's temp was high, but not over 38, and he had a sore throat too. We're in France though and cases are very high again. And sore throat is on the testing list here. Plus there are already confirmed cases at their school. But the doctor here has said everyone can go to school tomorrow except my eldest (we're teachers). Which is not the guidance i was expecting... But he's the second doctor to tell us that, so it must be the standard advice.

I told you why - based on experience as a teacher and a parent - not sick all Summer then bang! every September. For twenty years.
On top of that, children all did Sport out in the rain for two days because they are doing P.E. outdoors as much as possible now and we were informed trackie bottoms needed at the end of the week. Plus DD went in with wet hair Friday. Now, wet hair/outdoor sport just in shorts and a polo do not a virus make, but if your body temp is lower you may be more susceptible to picking up a cold (allegedly)
Am awaiting response from the head but suspect driving to a test centre before 8pm might make more sense.

What an absolute joke this autumn / winter is going to be. People running off for a test whenever little Kayla has the sniffles. Meanwhile not enough tests for people who might actually have the disease. Use some common sense ffs!

Thing is it’s a persistent cough. My DD has a bit of one. It is in no way persistent but she’s coughing cos she’s mega snotty. I did actually try to test my daughter but she bit the swab so hard it pretty much snapped. I have instead contacted my very trusted GP on Friday who confirmed a productive cough now & again through the day does not warrant a test. It’s not developed into anything more either. Just all the snot & kindly passed to my 6 month old & me (again, purely snotty & grotty, no cough, no fever, no loss of anything). I spoke to the nursery manager via email today & they confirmed as well that they are happy her cough isn’t persistent, rather associated with a snotty cold. So unless she’s unwell over night, I’ll be sending her in.

It’s not just a bit of a cough. The guidance says persistent, which means coughing a lot all day. & it’s meant to be a dry cough as well, not a productive one.

Ds started with sneezing and blocked nose friday, then friday night had temp of 39.
Got a test Saturday at 9am, got results Sunday at 6am.
Negative so he will be back to school tomorrow.
His temp only lasted less then 24 hours, he is still a bit snotty still but seems ok in himself.
This is going to be peoples reality now for how ever long it takes to get a vaccine I guess.

@pinkbalconyrailing

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

The government advice is surely sufficient. Why would schools need to replicate that advice?

This is why I'm dreading this autumn. I've had a year off school on maternity leave and our students come back fully next week. I'm entirely prepared that in a few weeks time I'll have to isolate and get a Covid test for what is probably a bog standard cold, buy that's how it had to be to keep everyone safe and schools open.

@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.

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

I was under the impression that any of the 3 symptoms require a test?

A whole class with a cough would make me worry there was a serious outbreak

And the advice that its "worth isolating and getting a test" if they have all symptoms is ludicrous and negligent. Where did this info come from?

Unless you are paraphrasing / I'm not reading your post correctly?

But bol that is not the guidelines.
They are any type of cough but persistent. As per someones image below.
The gps advice is per your circumstances.
Until it changes thst is whst people need to follow.
Rsther surprised about france though- no wonder they have lots of cases if sendi g back with symptoms awaiting testd with positive at the school.
Although - dont they all have masks on?

Well if nothing else that class are not doing well with infection control if they all have it presumably they would all catch covid too. And not sending home coughing ones would be meaning everyone gets it and needs a test

How do people still not know this!!

@Nixen

What an absolute joke this autumn / winter is going to be. People running off for a test whenever little Kayla has the sniffles. Meanwhile not enough tests for people who might actually have the disease. Use some common sense ffs!

The OPs child has a cough which she thinks meets the criteria. How is that a waste of a test?

DumplingsAndStew
I have a feeling that this term there will be some competitive sending-in-ers who'll be desperate to come on MN saying 'my DC had a cough but also won gold at the weekend at a sporting event so even though they said their food tastes funny, it was probably because they were tired... I'm not going to selfishly waste resources when there's people who might need the test', whilst demonstrating their own selfishness because their child might have a mild case and pass it onto their teachers, teaching assistants, other adults in their home who spread whilst being asymptomatic. They'll probably be giving themselves a good old pat on the back too for their bravery.

Have been in a phone queue for 10 mins. Will have to drive half an hour and back with 2 kids, one of whom has SEN, none of whom wish to leave the house...so do one nexin my kids are not pfb - they are dc2+3 and do get sent in if they have sniffles. Nor am I throwing them in whatever the state of health to go to work - I am not back yet.
I am simply trying to follow the rules as stipulated and as shown in this thread, it is not black-white.

You wouldn't normally be off work/school if you have a cold. But because the schools are sending children home what are you supposed to do?

I am simply trying to follow the rules as stipulated and as shown in this thread, it is not black-white

I think it's quite clear.

From the NHS:
If you have any of the main symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19), get a test as soon as possible. Stay at home until you get the result.
Main symptoms

The main symptoms of coronavirus are:

<strong>a high temperature – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)</strong>
<strong>a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual)</strong>
<strong>a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – this means you've noticed you cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal</strong>

Got a main symptom= get a test.

I have a feeling there's going to be lots of threads where posters try to argue that they have a main symptom but it doesn't count/doesn't need a test / they have an amazing power and can identify the cause of their cough and know it isn't Covid

We're in Scotland and the email we've had from the school - based on government advice - says they don't need a test if they have other cold symptoms like a runny nose.

@rookiemere

We're in Scotland and the email we've had from the school - based on government advice - says they don't need a test if they have other cold symptoms like a runny nose.

It's if they 'only' have other cold symptoms.

But even a runny nose can be a symptom of covid... that seems strange guidance.

Despite the doctor's advice I'm keeping all three of mine home until the results come in. It seems insane to keep one at home but send one in who's waiting for a test result, and their brother even if he has no symptoms.

Update for anyone interested:
No walk-in or drive-through appointments available.
I am allowed to try again for tomorrow in a couple of hours.
Only DD to be tested - myself and brother to self-isolate until sister's test comes back as negative.
They are sending a home test kit to arrive by Tuesday in case I cannot get a drive-through appointment tomorrow.
Just having a persistent cough counts as requiring a test.
Government advice overrides whatever school advice might be.

Thanks @FingonTheValiant and @DumplingsAndStew . I had read the advice wrongly and thought DS didn't need a test as he had other symptoms. So I've booked him in for a test now - lucky enough to be able to get one booked at 10 tomorrow so fingers crossed we'll get results through quickly.