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Original poster

Schools and isolations

40 replies

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 30/08/2021 14:56

This is hypothetical..

In England, U18s no longer have to isolate if a close contact.

Would you...
A) send your child to school if a household member had a positive test/symptoms awaiting a test
B) apply the same answer for other infectious illnesses, such as chicken pox, impetigo, scarlet fever, stomach bugs, hand foot and mouth etc?

OP posts:
ColettesEarrings · 30/08/2021 15:02

A) Yes
B) Yes

Wiv have a choice for A as they'll be marked unauthorised absence otherwise. And as for B, none of those listed require isolation for household contacts anyway.

ColettesEarrings · 30/08/2021 15:02

Won't have a choice, that should read.

SunbathingDragon · 30/08/2021 15:08
  1. No
  2. Yes although we have all had chickenpox, HFM etc so unlikely to have again and transmit. Bugs like norovirus can be contagious for a long time but it’s impossible to tell who is and who isn’t carrying. I’ve worked with people with various bugs and infectious illnesses for years with very minimal or non existent PPE and have yet to bring one of them home to my family. However, the kids have kindly brought norovirus home from nursery a couple of times.
actiongirl1978 · 30/08/2021 15:12

Yes and yes.

And DD has just been for a sleepover and to the theatre whilst half the family is at home with active covid. Her isolation ended on Saturday.

The other child's parents were aware and I made it clear I'd understand if they'd rather cancel.

GintyMcGinty · 30/08/2021 15:15

I'm in Scotland so its slightly different - we still have to isolate if a close contact tests positive until we ourselves have a negative test so

A) would not send to school until we had a negative test
B) yes would send to school and have always done so in the past

Karlee30 · 30/08/2021 15:21

Interesting thread op. I am interested to know what guidance my kids school will give for their return. I guess they have to follow gov guidelines but to me it feels a little soon for the whole household isolation to end.

Hypothetically I'm not sure how it would work for me. Say for instance one of my children test positive but the other negative. I couldn't leave positive child home alone to take the other to school so likely would have to stay off anyway.
I have Dp but as a double vaccinated person he can still go to work if me or the kids were positive and works long hours. As above I feel it's too soon.

Waxonwaxoff0 · 30/08/2021 15:23

Well, as a single parent, if I have Covid I can't go out so DS will have to stay home with me as he's too young to walk to school alone. So he'd have to stay home with me.

Hopefully won't be an issue any time soon as we have both just recovered from Covid.

Original poster
Aroundtheworldin80moves · 30/08/2021 15:26

Thanks for replies so far.
I do feel uneasy about no household isolation. Especially as my children, to my knowledge, have not had Covid or been exposed to it.

As for other illnesses... I was wondering if attitudes would change to them going forward. These can be serious in vulnerable people as well. I also have strong memories of a glandular fever outbreak at school, which resulted in a teacher losing hearing in one ear. Over half the class got it.

OP posts:
whiteonesugar · 30/08/2021 15:32

We are in this situation at the moment. I have one in nursery and one going back to school this week, and my DH currently has Covid.

The nursery have said their policy will be that a child who’s been in contact with a positive case will need a negative PCR to be allowed in.

School haven’t given any guidance yet but I am erring on the side of caution and got them both a PCR and intend to do LFTs too.

Saying that, there were no symptoms Initially, DH got a positive LFT before going to football, then booked the PCR, so slightly different and not sure what I would do in scenario 1.

whiteonesugar · 30/08/2021 15:34

I’ve realised I haven’t really answered the question but for b I would say no, so I guess no for a too!

It’s strange to not have to isolate anymore, I felt like I was doing something really bad when I went to the shop yesterday.

Shakirasma · 30/08/2021 15:41

I work in a school and feel uneasy about about children attending school while they have somene with an active case in their home. But those are the rules now. Any children kept at home by parental judgement, when the government says they should be in school will be recorded as unauthorised absence Sad

Bizawit · 30/08/2021 15:52

@Shakirasma

I work in a school and feel uneasy about about children attending school while they have somene with an active case in their home. But those are the rules now. Any children kept at home by parental judgement, when the government says they should be in school will be recorded as unauthorised absence Sad
Can the schools not just turn a blind eye ?
glitterelf · 30/08/2021 15:53

No I will keep mine off if there is a positive case in our household and will test them daily. There are several reasons why I would this but the main one being there is a CEV child in DD's class and I would not want to put that child at any risk.
For all other illnesses I've followed advice and kept my child off much to the annoyance of the school and their attendance targets if my child is unwell or infectious they stay home.
There will be lots of parents who will struggle morally with their decision on what they do and there will be some parents who just don't give a shit and send in their sick kids regardless of what illness they have.

IceCreamAndCandyfloss · 30/08/2021 20:43

No
Yes but would for scarlet fever or stomach bug.

hotasharibo · 30/08/2021 20:56

Possibly not
Yes

I feel very uneasy about the lack of household idolation tbf. It spreads so quickly amongst households I think this restriction should have been kept at least for a bit longer.

motherrunner · 31/08/2021 07:16

Yes - I will have to. I’m a teacher so cant WFH.

Mazig · 31/08/2021 08:27

We are in this situation. I got symptoms over the weekend and had a positive PCR on Sunday. DH, DD and DS had PCR tests yesterday. DH’s just came back positive. Both children are negative.

So they can go to back to school and DD who starts 6th form is desperate not to miss her first week. It feels uncomfortable but i think if we continue to do LFTs and she remains negative we will let her go. Interested to see if anyone strongly disagrees with that as it’s a really tough call. She has had one vaccine dose and I’ve isolated from her since I had symptoms.

herecomesthsun · 31/08/2021 11:34

I would have a word with the school. I suspect my children's schools would be happy if children were kept home in this situation, especially to avoid more illness and disruption to other children.The heads do have some leeway about authorising absence.

We are able to home educate, though our kids would prefer at this point to be with their mates. However, I don't think they'd want to spread infection round their schools, they're quite thoughtful about those issues.

We'd probably end up keeping them off.

Bobholll · 31/08/2021 11:45

Undecided
Yes

Undecided - will make the call when/if it happens. I think I probably would send my negative kids to school as I can’t work with them at home. I would PCR test regularly as precaution.

Yes- I always send my other kid into nursery/school of the other is ill 🤷🏼‍♀️ I think people are missing what the OP is asking here. Not would you send your kid if they are ill but if another household member is, as per the covid rule. Our youngest is constantly ill, she’s recently started nursery. DD1 would miss weeks of school if I kept her off cos her baby sister was ill. That’d be silly. Obviously if either were actually ill & needed to be off, then they would be but not if simply another household member was ill. DD2 had a stomach bug recently & DD1 continued to go to nursery & my OH to work. I couldn’t cope looking after a vomiting toddler & a bored 4 year old 🙈 & then I caught it obviously..

Angel2702 · 31/08/2021 14:01

Unless you lie to school it isn’t a choice is it? If you don’t send a child to school that isn’t unwell it will be an unauthorised absence.

The other illnesses aren’t really comparable though. Impetigo doesn’t usually spread around siblings, chicken pox often the siblings have already had it. Hand foot and mouth can be contagious for weeks afterwards so there isn’t a defined safe quarantine period.

It isn’t something I feel comfortable with. It’s something I struggle with when Noro virus is doing the rounds and siblings are in school and then spread it.

JustABloodyMinute · 31/08/2021 17:42

A) Yes, until negative PCR
B) No

containsnuts · 01/09/2021 08:22

A compromise could be doing an LFT every couple of days if DCs will tolerate it. Quick note to the school to check that a window/door is open in the classroom. Plus reminders to kids about not sharing drinks, extra handwashing etc. Not sure what else we can do if absence is not an option.

RandomDent · 01/09/2021 08:26

I wish I could say people would be less keen to send sick kids in, but even at the end of the summer term I was feeling with lots of sneezing children who “just had a cold” or “the LFT said no”. They were still ill but got sent in anyway.

It also depends on the attitude of the parents’ employers. I suspect nothing will change really. Many employers will still be unsympathetic and sick kids will still be sent in.

DancesWithTortoises · 01/09/2021 08:44

If anyone sent a child to school with an infectious disease our Head would phone the parent to collect the child.

You don't send a child to school with chicken pox, impetigo, scarlet fever, stomach bugs, hand foot and mouth, mumps, measles, glandular fever, rubella, whooping cough etc.

One parent sent a child covered in chicken pox with a bottle of calamine lotion for the teacher to administer. The mother was furious when summoned from work and tried to refuse until the head said the next call would be to social services.

Unbelieveable.

SpringRainbow · 01/09/2021 09:23

Most people have no choice, my children’s school expect them in unless guidance states they shouldn’t be in. Keeping them home would mean an unauthorised absence.

I work from home and my employer would expect me to do as much work as I can from home, if I don’t continue to work I will not be paid. My husband can’t work from home and he was considered a ‘key worker’. His employer would expect him in, if he doesn’t go in then he won’t be paid.

In our situation the only person who would be allowed to stay home would be the person who tested positive. Which means if it is one of the children I would have to stay home and try juggling looking after them with working (again).