Cold symptoms in child - isolate or not?

[fruitlooproundtheloop]

DS (7) is back at school and has a cold - runny nose, slight sore throat, slight cough (not continuous, more like clearing throat), no temp on (crap) thermometer but feels hot. Meant to be seeing older relatives tomorrow (at our house) - thinking I should cancel? WWYD?

Definitely cancel. You can't rule out the possibility that it's Covid, so not worth the risk.

Do older relatives get to decide?

@ragged

Do older relatives get to decide?

Yes trying to contact them now!

*a high temperature – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
*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)
*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

You had my mind made up at 'feels hot'

Trust your instincts here. You know what's right. It will either be thank God we cancelled / we cancelled for nothing v's the horrendous worry of passing it on.

I am very covid relaxed but cancelled would be a sensible, responsible thing to do. And that's what we all need to do.

I would cancel
Hope your DS is soon feeling better

Thanks all. There’s definitely some coughing going on and feels a bit hot chest/back. I will cancel. Sad but necessary

I suppose I also need to arrange a test?

Yes, arrange a test For you all and isolate until you all have results. I’m carefully watching my toddler and myself. We have colds Symptoms but no temp and no cough.

Tests are only for those with symptoms not everyone in the household.

Thanks all... I will arrange a test for DS. I'm pretty sure he has a cold tbh (been sneezy/snuffling for days) but it must be done nonetheless I realise.

No wonder testing system is overwhelmed! The amount of times kids have mild coughs/fevers over autumn winter...

Why don't you actually measure his temperature with a proper thermometer first? As you've just said the testing system is becoming overwhelmed with school children being tested. Be sure your child has an actual fever.

NHS says test if they feel hot on their back or chest. Testing system can't cope as it isn't good enough - people are just following the (rather vague) instructions given.

Op I've been in your shoes all week
Cold started with youngest about a week ago with occasional cough , went to school Monday as seemed to be just a cold with phlegm snotty cough but kept home Tuesday and proper cough by weds- 99% sure it's a cold but have had the nightmare of trying to get a test plus whole family isolating meaning dh having to be off work with a house of seemingly well children. Very stressful and goes against all my usual 'calpol and in you go' way of parenting (pre Covid ) but it's what you have to do though it's so disruptive but I kind of feel if we all keep home our snotty kids now it'll stop everyone else getting the colds/ coughs

I think you need to check their temperature. Feeling skin is innacurate. The system cant cope with all the tests from children with colds.