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Original poster

Snotty cold - not covid

21 replies

TinyTear · 21/09/2020 08:24

Not sure where to post this, but choosing this topic as Covid is one of the reasons I'm not sending child to school today.

Friday evening comes down with snotty cold, no temp... over weekend drippy snot, still no temp, cleared up a bit when outside, child was perfectly fine in herself, not even needing to nap, eating like there was no tomorrow

today temp 36.8, less drippy but congested so will keep her home...

however, child seems to be starting to get a post nasal hem-hem cough... now I know that isn't Covid... will I be able to send child tomorrow or the day after?

Don't want to send child obviously ill (hence staying in today) but can't keep them in for ages because of a small post-cold cough

Head is usually very high on attendance (Primary) but wrote on the newsletter to this term keep children home with a sniffle or mild symptoms...

Do I try and ask the Head? Do I wait to see if child is still having this hem-hem post nasal drip mild cough tomorrow?

If child is like me, I ALWAYS have a cough after a cold... always have for 40 years...

OP posts:
pinkpinecone · 21/09/2020 13:17

It sounds like a cold. The King's team in charge of the symptom tracker app have identified that children with Covid don't have a runny nose. The cough is just likely a result of the extra mucus and also it's specifically a dry cough with Covid.

Its a nightmare isn't it. If every kid with a cold stays off there won't be any children left at school.

ILoveFlumps · 21/09/2020 13:20

Just been in this exact same situation with DS5. Admittedly his cough was quite bad, but was still chesty. He had to stay home for 10 days unless he had a negative result. He can finally return tomorrow.

MRex · 21/09/2020 13:23

I'd let the school know and hope they're sensible.

WhisperingJesse · 21/09/2020 13:24

Same situation here with DD (15) coughing a little as a result of the snot/phlegm. I have sent her in. It doesn't fit the definition of a 'continuous' cough.

MrsWhites · 21/09/2020 13:26

@ILoveFlumps just wondering did you and the rest of the household also have to stay off school/work also?

Char2015 · 21/09/2020 13:31

Test and isolate. Child has a cough. The right thing to do is to follow the advice issued by the NHS. Unless a child/adult is tested, can never be 100% sure that it is/isn't covid and no one can say that know it is/isn't without testing. It probably will turn out not to be covid, but should be following the advice given. Unfortunately, it will mean you child missing school, but there is greater risk to others if child is sent in without following the right advice especially if it was to be covid. So no, child SHOULD NOT be attending school until a negative result or full isolation is finished.

ILoveFlumps · 21/09/2020 13:36

MrsWhites Unfortunately so. I have twin DDs16 who also had to stay off school until we got a negative result. The only reason I got a test was so they could return to their studies sooner. I was 99.9% sure it was just a cold. But had to be certain, and wouldn’t want to unwittingly make anyone else sick if I was wrong.

Original poster
TinyTear · 21/09/2020 13:38

Thanks to (most of) you.

I think she will be going in tomorrow... the hem-hem was just in the first bit on wake up as the snot started dripping that accumulated overnight...

No coughing at all since then...

Found out her desk mate has the same cold (snot no temp)

Just note it was not a hacking cough, a bad coughing fit or a chesty cough. it was a hem-hem throat clearing small cough...

And yes, child stayed in today and depending on snot might stay in tomorrow. not sending a germ fest to school

OP posts:
MrsWhites · 21/09/2020 14:27

@ILoveFlumps thanks, I wasn’t sure what happens if your child has all the symptoms of a common cold that includes a cough. It’s so disruptive to the whole household. Especially when you have 16 year olds at a key stage in their education!

EggysMom · 21/09/2020 14:32

Our son's school has provided explicit guidance that they've sourced from the NHS - the symptoms are at least one of:

a high temperature
a new continuous cough
a loss of or change to sense of smell or taste

It doesn't sound as though your child has any of these. Your child has an occasional cough resulting from a cold. They are fine to attend.

Frazzled2207 · 21/09/2020 14:33

had this scenario this morning. We've all had a cold over the weekend, totally normal pattern. One son plus husband get a cough at the end of it so that's what happened this morning, other son was just snotty and occasionally clearing his throat of snot. No fevers. I spoke to the school who were adamant that BOTH boys should go in which shocked me a bit. I sent in snotty son (all the other kids in school are currently snotty as far as I can tell) but kept coughing son in and have had him tested already, very luckily. Yes I know I should theoretically keep both off but school were adamant that I need not. I suspect they're very aware how many kids have been off recently with the same thing, that said there's no way they know it's NOT covid.

Original poster
TinyTear · 21/09/2020 14:44

Thanks all.
I think she is ok to go tomorrow, DH wants to keep her in one more day...

I will try and see if I can grab hold of a teacher when i collect sibling from after school club to double check

OP posts:
minipie · 21/09/2020 14:49

From NHS website:

“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)”

Coughing episodes sounds like coughing continuously for a while, not just occasional throat clearing.

Only you know how much your child is coughing though! And school may want you to be in the cautious side and stay home for any cough even if that’s not the guidance...

Waveifyouknowme · 21/09/2020 14:53

@minipie

From NHS website:

“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)”

Coughing episodes sounds like coughing continuously for a while, not just occasional throat clearing.

Only you know how much your child is coughing though! And school may want you to be in the cautious side and stay home for any cough even if that’s not the guidance...

But that is so subjective, what is a lot? 10 coughs in an hour 20,50? What is an episode, more than 10 coughs in one bout? It need to be clarified.
minipie · 21/09/2020 15:06

I agree!

Frazzled2207 · 21/09/2020 15:33

Someone on another thread just posted this which I thought was useful see below

119 helpline were quite helpful about what a continuous cough is. An episode of coughing is apparently coughing so much that you can’t catch your breath, not the odd cough here and there that you get with a cold. They’re advising not to waste a test on the odd cough here and there.

Char2015 · 21/09/2020 15:48

@Frazzled2207

Someone on another thread just posted this which I thought was useful see below

119 helpline were quite helpful about what a continuous cough is. An episode of coughing is apparently coughing so much that you can’t catch your breath, not the odd cough here and there that you get with a cold. They’re advising not to waste a test on the odd cough here and there.

If that is the advice one call handler gave, perhaps the whole NHS/Gov published advice should be updated to reflect this.
Frazzled2207 · 21/09/2020 16:25

Indeed!

JS87 · 21/09/2020 16:28

If that is the advice one call handler gave, perhaps the whole NHS/Gov published advice should be updated to reflect this.

That would be the one single thing that they could do to resolve the testing issues overnight!

FreeButtonBee · 21/09/2020 16:41

Anyone have any views on temperatures? DD had a temp of max 37.8 on the dot (never any higher) for about 12 hours. Snotty nose and tired. I got her tested (still waiting for results) but she is totally fine since 24 hour after her temp started and no one else has got more than a minor cold (snot and very occasional small cough/clearing of throat). We are quite bored of self isolating now...

Original poster
TinyTear · 21/09/2020 21:32

With that temperature id wait for the test results

OP posts:
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