Nursery and PHE letter

[FlatToppedTree]

Received this letter today from nursery. Anyone else seen this communication? Am I reading it correctly that any respiratory disease will result in 5 days off from the setting?

So any sniffle, even if tested negative for COVID will result in 5 days off. It doesn't include colds, but does include cough, nasal discharge and sneezing

It does include cough, nasal discharge and sneezing but only when accompanied by a temperature? I think that's fair enough really. Too many people give them a spoon of Calpol and send them in to spread it everywhere.

I’d be moving nurseries. No-one needs to isolate for a bloody cold. We’ve all survived this far in life dealing with a few a year 🤦🏼‍♀️ It’s just not conducive to real life. My employer isn’t letting me have a day off cos I have a cold or my child does, particularly now I WFH. There’s even more expectation that you battle through illness as you can work in the comfort of your home!

I’d literally lose my job. My child has a cold every 5 minutes. It’s all part of building their immune systems & important to their long term health!

I did miss the PLUS a temperature bit 🤦‍♀️

Luckily DS rarely has a temperature, but he does suffer with, what feels like, constant colds and croup.

If 19th July goes ahead, surely they won't be able to implement this past that date anyway?

OP, Are you in Northamptonshire? I’ve been reading that this guidance has gone out to all settings In that area today, following a significant rise in the delta variant cases. If that’s the case, please don’t blame your nursery/childminder/school, it’s not their doing and they will be worried enough about how they are going to implement this, stay financially viable and deal with the inevitable fall out from parents.

I’m not saying what they are suggesting is right, but it’s come from higher up than the nursery staff.

It clearly says colds are not included. So it’s not “any sniffle” at all. Surely the vast majority of your child’s illnesses are the common cold.

Not any sniffle. If I'm reading it right it's only if accompanied by a fever.

Too many people give them a spoon of Calpol and send them in to spread it everywhere.

This

So if they have a temperature and any symptoms, even if they get a negative covid test still keep them home for 5 days so you don't give all the other kids your infection?

Seems reasonable to me.

To be fair, OP, it does specifically exclude colds/non productive coughs/runny noses/no temperature. It also says that time limits may be flexible. I really think it’s quite fair?

Any child that has worse symptoms than the above will feel too shitty to be in childcare any way, surely? It’s very inconvenient for parents, I completely get it, but I don’t think it’s an unreasonable policy at all.

I really hope this happens where we are too. Our daughter is on her third nursery bug in six weeks (not Covid). All with a high temperature, all pretty unpleasant, and ear infections developed from two of them. So three lots of Covid testing, endless GP visits, one visit to A&E sent by 111, two lots of antibiotics- and now I’ve got the latest lurgy and it’s knocked me for six. So if people keep their kids at home when they’re sick, that would be a bloody good thing. And yes, I’ve always thought that regardless of Covid! Phew, rant over

Ours has operated this policy throughout, even if negative test no going back until symptoms have gone, it's to stop the Domino effect for staff and children

If your child has a temperature then you need to test them and let them get better. When that doesn't happen, of course children will be picking up constant bugs, because you haven't given their immune system a chance to get over the last one and respond effectively. Just let your child recover when they're ill, it shouldn't need saying.

@MRex

If your child has a temperature then you need to test them and let them get better. When that doesn't happen, of course children will be picking up constant bugs, because you haven't given their immune system a chance to get over the last one and respond effectively. Just let your child recover when they're ill, it shouldn't need saying.

This!

I’d be moving nurseries. No-one needs to isolate for a bloody cold

No point. As it's PHE advice, it'll apply to all nurseries in the area

Oh god. My child spikes a fever with every cold, but is then fine a day or two later bar the snotty nose. I would never send him in if he needed Calpol, but if I have to keep him at home for 5 days after every fever he'll never be at nursery and we will swiftly run out of holiday to look after him. Argh.

@whatswithtodaytoday

Oh god. My child spikes a fever with every cold, but is then fine a day or two later bar the snotty nose. I would never send him in if he needed Calpol, but if I have to keep him at home for 5 days after every fever he'll never be at nursery and we will swiftly run out of holiday to look after him. Argh.

Hopefully if there are fewer children going in and spreading germs, they’ll all catch fewer of these bugs/ have fewer temperatures.

Covid is neither here nor there. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t “let them get better” by keeping their nursery child at home if they are unwell until they are recovered, regardless of covid. They may still be (or have been) contagious before or after being more unwell, and that can’t be helped, but I don’t know anyone who is actually sending in a child who is too unwell to be at nursery (as my child would be with a fever, regardless of calpol). At most I have known some parents to ask a grandparent to look after the poorly child at home so that they can work. Everyone I know has always kept unwell children at home before covid times as it is.

At the bottom it says ‘not colds’.

@RocheLobe - that's great. Most nurseries round here have to have occasional notices to "remind" parents still that they shouldn't send in children with fever, diarrhoea etc.

RacheLobe if only. Several times our nursery have sent kids back who arrived with a temperature in the morning! We know because we then get a notification of when they attended, how long for, and that they've been sent to have Covid tests...

I think everyone keeps missing the bit where it sends they will be flexible with times?!

@RocheLobe

Covid is neither here nor there. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t “let them get better” by keeping their nursery child at home if they are unwell until they are recovered, regardless of covid. They may still be (or have been) contagious before or after being more unwell, and that can’t be helped, but I don’t know anyone who is actually sending in a child who is too unwell to be at nursery (as my child would be with a fever, regardless of calpol). At most I have known some parents to ask a grandparent to look after the poorly child at home so that they can work. Everyone I know has always kept unwell children at home before covid times as it is.

You’ve clearly never worked in childcare

Loads of people send their children in doses up on calpol, with fevers, or having vomited in the night. Even now people are sending kids with coughs and fevers in.
A lot of parents will only keep a sick child home as a last resort.