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Original poster

schools list of symptoms not to send kids in with

105 replies

jupitermars1345 · 06/03/2021 17:54

During the autumn term we was told not to send in with a continuous cough
High temperature
Loss of taste or smell or both
Stay home and test.

For the return to school this has increased to also include
Runny nose
Headache
Fatigue
Muscle or body aches
Head cold symptoms .
I think there is a couple more to but I can't remember them from memory

Aibu to worry about how much more education will be missed if we can't send with a runny nose ?

We've been asked to test for any of these symptom's to. Nightmare for working parents if your kids have allergies to

OP posts:
sherrystrull · 06/03/2021 20:57

@EnoughnowIthink

Why is this so hard for,people,to get their heads round? There are thousands of school staff not yet vaccinated and plenty more who are but who can still get covid and need time off. If you allow your children in school with symptoms, it’s going to do the rounds, close bubbles and potentially whole schools. Again. And all these infected children will carry it home to their parents, grandparents etc. The vaccine is not quite a cure-all. We can still get ill and remember ‘mild’ covid is knocking some people out for weeks, if not months. And that’s without thinking about the impact of new strains.

Just do as you are asked or everyone will be off again in a matter of weeks.

Oh my goodness. Spot on.

HazeyJaneII · 06/03/2021 21:11

I really hope ds's school does this - he'll be returning after Easter, after nearly a year at home. The brief spell that he was in school was a nightmare for people sending their childten in with symptoms, sickness bugs or 'just a cold'.

HazeyJaneII · 06/03/2021 21:14

Those who have children with allergies -
Are school aware of them?
Also with ds, I am aware of when his allergies are causing symptoms and when it is a cold...is this not the case for others.

Sirzy · 06/03/2021 21:29

That’s what I don’t get hazey. Surely schools are aware of children who may display the symptoms normally and parents will know if it is out of the norm for them.

Ds regularly shows the symptoms due to his various conditions and before we got a new diagnosis which has very firm “any sign of illness 48 hours off school” instruction with it I would just say to the school that he was coughing because of his chest or whatever

NotJustAnyOldDog · 06/03/2021 21:32

I would err on the side of caution. I suppose your choice is to keep them at home and see if they recover quickly, or send them to school and get them sent home. Which is far worse as then they will have to go for a Covid test and won’t be allowed to return unless it’s negative.

needadvice54321 · 06/03/2021 21:37

@jupitermars1345

During the autumn term we was told not to send in with a continuous cough High temperature Loss of taste or smell or both Stay home and test.

For the return to school this has increased to also include
Runny nose
Headache
Fatigue
Muscle or body aches
Head cold symptoms .
I think there is a couple more to but I can't remember them from memory

Aibu to worry about how much more education will be missed if we can't send with a runny nose ?

We've been asked to test for any of these symptom's to. Nightmare for working parents if your kids have allergies to

My DS would never be in college if they took on these rules, he lives with chronic rhinitis and spends his life sneezing and with a runny nose
Theimpossiblegirl · 06/03/2021 21:39

I wish my school was being this cautious. If I send a child to the office unwell, they send them back saying they're fine after doing a temperature check. I think this could seriously backfire very soon. It's too blasé considering were in the middle of a pandemic.

needadvice54321 · 06/03/2021 21:41

@CKBJ

I think this is good every school should follow suit. Allergies such as hay fever can be treated with antihistamines and added to child record at school.
Even with strong prescription only antihistamines DS still suffers daily
poshme · 06/03/2021 21:47

I have a 'runny nose' every single day of the year.
I take antihistamines but I still get a runny nose.

If I was a child I'd never be able to go to school.

It's ridiculous.

Dee1975 · 06/03/2021 21:51

We had the long list last term. I remember thinking it was ridiculous and my kids would be off most of the time. But actually they never missed a day (apart from bubble having to SI) and actually, better be safe than sorry. We don’t know everything about it yet, especially in children and transmission and we have to look after the teachers.
Im not in an at risk category or anything, but I wouldn’t fancy being in a room of 30 snotty kids from 30 different households, where you can bet some of those households don’t follow the rules.
ALSO, they don’t really want staff off with general bugs and colds. Staff are likely to be stretched as it is. If only takes a few teachers who need to SI because someone in their house has a cough to mess with staff numbers.

HarveySchlumpfenburger · 06/03/2021 22:30

@jupitermars1345

Didn't say I wouldn't oblige Just worried about the lost education from it for my daughter
She'll miss a lot more education if the bubble keeps closing because all the kids whose parents sent them in with colds turned out to have covid.

Allergies aren't really an issue. Once the test is back and negative you can send them in. You don't need to wait for the symptoms to stop.

And if the kids with colds aren't in school, then the chances of other kids catching colds are reduced too. It might seem a faff in the short term, but in the longer term it will lead to more time in school.

Azuretwist · 06/03/2021 22:34

I wonder if staff have to stay off with those symptoms?

Yes, I agree taking hay fever medication etc is wise but not totally relief symptoms for some I imagine. I would be thrilled of kids with heavy colds stayed at home. However, with school absence policies for staff being so strict - I cannot imagine staff being allowed to stay off with those symptoms especially as they are doing tests themselves twice a week.

makingmiracles · 06/03/2021 22:37

Ridiculous, half of schools be off with cold symptoms! I had my vax first week of feb, promptly came down with a heavy cold the following week, as did dd4 and dp, neither other 2 dc have it, we are now in march and we still have it, still can’t hear out of one ear and blocked up sinuses.

If they cant go in with cold symptoms, what is the actual point of getting kids to do lateral flow tests? Surely if they have runny nose etc, they can take a lateral flow and go in if neg

Theimpossiblegirl · 06/03/2021 22:41

They only stay off to be tested. If negative, they go back. There is no LF testing in primary and all changes to health should be treated with caution at the moment, not enough is known about the different strains or how it presents in children.

HazeyJaneII · 06/03/2021 22:43

Exactly @Sirzy. Ds has allergies and reflux- he has a runny nose from allergies and a persistent cough (and regular vomiting) from reflux - but through discussion with the school and an understanding of what is unusual for ds, he doesn't miss more school than he needs to. I think if you have a child with health needs, this is maybe a tightrope you walk more often.

eaglerising · 06/03/2021 22:52

Just don't notice if it's minor. If it's obvious you won't miss it and they'd probably be pretty miserable with it.

Basically, this is just like saying keep them off if they're ill.

KasparKat · 06/03/2021 23:00

I agree with this and I wish our school would do the same. The Zoe covid app says 52% of children that tested positive didn't have any of the three "main" symptoms. I think the main ones are fatigue, headache, sore throat and diarrhoea in children.

Now testing is so quick your DC will only be off school for a day, max two. Its a small price to pay for avoiding 10 day isolations, rocketing rates, further lockdowns and restrictions and more needless deaths.

supersonicginandtonic · 06/03/2021 23:01

DD is anaemic and always has fatigue and quite often headaches.
DS gets bad hay fever and no antihistamines take away his symptoms fully.

KasparKat · 06/03/2021 23:03

Sorry I meant 52% of children that test positive don't have the three NHS acknowledged symptoms of cough, temp or change in taste or smell.

The most common symptoms in children are headache, fatigue, sore throat and upset stomach.

KasparKat · 06/03/2021 23:04

If your DC have allergies test them when the symptoms first appear and then you only need to retest if they get significantly worse or change.

BungleandGeorge · 06/03/2021 23:48

I’m surprised gastro symptoms aren’t on the list. I think they need to qualify it with symptoms that are not usual for your child or similar. It’s obvious to me when it’s hayfever because there are no other symptoms (eg fatigue, under the weather) and the symptoms are worse outside/ when pollen count high/ when medication is wearing off etc. Accompanied by itching eyes etc. I wouldn’t test for something that is obviously a pre-existing condition.

BungleandGeorge · 06/03/2021 23:49

@KasparKat

Sorry I meant 52% of children that test positive don't have the three NHS acknowledged symptoms of cough, temp or change in taste or smell.

The most common symptoms in children are headache, fatigue, sore throat and upset stomach.

Those symptoms would suggest to me my child is actually unwell with something so fair enough!
rainbowfairydust · 07/03/2021 07:11

The testing sites near me are really good at turning round results in 24 hrs so it's not too bad, annoying but we need to stamp the cases right down so we all need to be cautious and do our bit

rosesinmygarden · 07/03/2021 08:59

If parents keep their children at home wjen they have a 'cold' then a lot less people will catch that 'cold'...

Sorry but having been a teacher for nearly 20 years, I agree with the school. Stop sending your kids in when sick to give their germs to every other kid!

Obvious exceptions for those with chronic conditions like hayfever. School will know about their condition anyway.

Sirzy · 07/03/2021 09:37

@supersonicginandtonic

DD is anaemic and always has fatigue and quite often headaches. DS gets bad hay fever and no antihistamines take away his symptoms fully.
But I’m sure school are aware of this? And you know when it has reached a point of being abnormal for your child?