Croup - should I test?

[Maybeoneday77]

Going back and forth on whether I test or not. 3 yr old had a very slightly snotty nose yesterday. No cough or temp.
He woke in the night very wheezy with a classic croup bark while he was crying. Not so much coughing but the wheezy bark but the bark itself counts as a cough?!. Should i get him tester and keep everyone home today? Both of my boys have been prone to croup over the years.

In the current climate as it’s a cough yes.

Is the cough persistent and throughout the day? If it is and it a dry cough then yes you probably should.

If it's only at night (my experience of croup is night only). Then I wouldn't but I'd keep the children off school.

I think this year more than ever if kids are even mildly unwell don't send them into school. I am a usually the complete opposite to this in the old world.

I rang 111 last night with this question in relation to one of my kids. After discussing her specific symptoms they agreed it was croup and said it did not count as a persistent cough (as only at night and only during croup episodes) so she did not need testing. She does not have a temperature. They are happy for her to go to school.

That sounds like croup. I would keep him off nursery/pre-school and monitor for other symptoms. See how much running around he does, 3yr olds are usually very active so see if he is reasonably active today even with having had a disturbed night.

You know your children, you know they get croup and you know what that sounds like. All the normal illnesses are still here, not everything is COVID. Take precautions, and treat for croup. Report symptoms on the Covid Symptom Study app by all means so the researchers can compare with known positive cases.

Very helpful replies Thankyou

My little girl usually gets croup about this time of year. The cough is worse at night, but the stridor (high pitched wheeze) is there all the time. Usually Dr gives her dexamethasone and she improves really quickly. It comes with a very high temp and she is usually sick as well. I'd ask for a phone appointment and let the Dr listen to the breathing.