Are kids still getting normal colds?!

[IHeartKingThistle]

DS (11, secondary school) has a very stuffy nose and is tired. No temp.

I had Covid nearly 4 weeks ago but back to work now. I started with sinus pain, headache and tiredness.

I won't send him to school on Monday if he's still like this either way but just wondering if we should get him tested or if normal colds are still circulating...?

My DD has had 4 since September. Sadly, they are still very much around!

If you had Covid I'd get him tested. But yes, normal colds are still circulating, DS and I had colds in September and I know it wasn't Covid as I'm participating in the ONS study so I was having weekly tests then, all negative.

Your poor DD!

He's had a sore throat too.

Yes, normal colds are still circulating.

My DC (primary school) have had a few this year, although less than in a usual year.

And of course the common cold and Covid symptoms can overlap. We’ve had to get DC tested before when they got a cough along with the cold symptoms, luckily so far none of their coughs have been Covid.

But from what you say it doesn’t sound like your DS has the symptoms needed to get a test??

Yes. My 2yo even managed to get a snotty cold during the first lockdown, no idea where from

My daughter has come down with a heavy cold this week and a really nasty cough. Tested and negative, someone at the same nursery has come down with it and also tested and negative so we are sure it is just a really bad cold and cough.

Of course people are still getting colds, why wouldn't they be?

I notice that on here most posters would expect you to have a test for a common cold.

OK this is reassuring! Think we will get him tested.

The symptoms thing makes no sense. I waited until I had a very slight temp (3 days into feeling crap) before I felt like I was allowed to get tested. Didn't have any of the big 3 at that point really. Positive. Luckily I hadn't gone into work as it was over a weekend - I'm a secondary teacher. I didn't give it to anybody thank goodness.

Yes, we’ve all had a cold this week. No temperature, no cough. Streaming noses. DS has started a new nursery and picked it up there.

Yep. DS has an alarming cough so we got him tested. All clear, so it must just be the cold.

Yes they are. A couple of my classes at school are full of colds. I’m so looking forward to having it over Christmas 😭

Yes normal bugs still about. Really hard to tell in children as lots don’t exhibit the three main covid symptoms but headaches, runny nose and sore throat.

Yes, regular coughs and colds are still around though interestingly our school newsletter this week said that if you exclude the couple of bubbles who have had to self isolate, attendance is actually up on the same half term last year. They are putting it down to the anti Covid measures also reducing the spread of other viruses which often lead to a lot of absences at this time of year. I guess that makes sense. Both my boys are asthmatic and are usually off several times through the first term of each year with colds that set their asthma, but they've both been better than usual this year.

All the normal bugs are around , same as every year

Ds2 has a throat infection and a slight temperature. I tested him for covid and it was negative few days ago. I then called Gp and he prescribed some antibiotics after I sent a picture of ds2 throat. Normal colds happing too said Gp.

Yes of course they do.

My DD2 has had two colds, snotty, slight temp etc both which turned into hacking coughs. I tested her both times and both negative.

She's always been prone to coughs and I live in fear every time she has the sniffles at the moment.

@IHeartKingThistle
What other types of fraud are you willing to commit because you don't agree with the rules. Unless you are paying for a private test you cannot get a test because you are not eligible for a publicly funded one and would need to lie in order to get one on the NHS.

@StatisticalSense really?

I'm a secondary teacher. NO ONE is keeping me safe. I went for a test without any of the big 3 symptoms and it was positive. If I hadn't I would have been in school infecting your kids. Would that have been preferable? Fuck sake.

Since the huge focus on handwashing at our school, we have not had one illness. Its been very strange tbh, as usually in winter we are fighting one cold after another continually. Its been so long that I reckon whichever bug does hit the house will feel a LOT worse than 'usual' simply as we are not used to it now!

3 year old has had about 3 since September. Last one we got tested as he also had a temperature. Was negative.

Of course normal colds are still circulatingz DS has had 3 covid tests since September and all negative. He always follows the same pattern- really snotty and sneezy but not poorly at all and then after a few days the snot causes post nasal drip and he coughs abit. I understand there can be overlap and so test has to be done but it is frustrating when it’s always the same pattern.

Mine haven't, the 5 year old was a bit bunged up for a few days after she'd gone back to school in September but nothing since, she and her sister usually get them quite regularly.

Yes, and in Australia this is a mammoth pain in the arse, although I am incredibly grateful we are so rigid about it.
Because unlike the UK, in many of our schools - a kid who shows up with cold symptoms( stuffy nose, snot etc, sneezing), a fever, diarrhoea, headache or a cough is sent home ASAP or isolated till their parents get them, is banned from attending school till they return a negative Covid test and are symptom free. This also takes out the whole household including other school age teens till we are ALL tested, whether we have symptoms or not for the rest of the household.
We have a MUCH broader scope of symptoms that require tests.
And while I'm on my third round of having to keep the kids away, and my third negative test - I would take this option anyday over what is happening in the UK in schools. We still don't have assemblies . Breaks are segregated, orientation day for high school kids saw the rest of the junior year off school due to increased numbers, and classrooms are split to reduce numbers.
( and we have bugger all Covid ).

Yes we've had a whole term of coughs, colds, infections, fevers, D & V etc. A few Covid tests too, all negative!