Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Covid

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Original poster

Can someone talk me down please?

26 replies

deaexmachina · 01/01/2022 22:44

DS has covid, he is also immune compromised and too young to be vaccinated. It’s only Day 1 and he already has a fever and cough.
Usually if he has high fevers we take him to A&E (only been admitted twice but been treated and sent home a few times) but this was all before the pandemic. I’m really reluctant to go at the moment though with how busy it’s all going to be. He’s also autistic and will really seriously struggle without his own space. We have an oximeter but I’m starting to panic sitting here in the dark. I have health anxiety which doesn’t help. Aaargh!!! (Also panicking about when I get it off him even though I’m triple jabbed because I’m overweight)

OP posts:
lljkk · 01/01/2022 22:51

Can you manage his fever with Calpol?

wonderstuff123 · 01/01/2022 22:53

Oh,handhold for you. What's his temp and is it coming down with Calpol/ibuprofen?

Original poster
deaexmachina · 01/01/2022 22:54

It’s 39 and comes down with calpol although goes back up again. He was in hospital with sepsis a couple of years ago and his temp was hitting 41 then poor kid

OP posts:
wonderstuff123 · 01/01/2022 22:56

Oh yeah,I can get how scary it is. My 12 year old tested positive a few days ago and the first 24hrs were awful,I've never seen him so sick but he was honestly back to normal the next day. And he hasn't had a vaccine either. Hopefully your son will be the same?

rrhuth · 01/01/2022 22:57
Flowers

Something I do when I am worried about a situation is to write myself a flowchart - I will do X/Y/Z, if outcome A happens I will do [this], if outcome B happens I will do [that] - would this help you to at least stop thinking about it all the time?

So think thorugh in advance what will prompt you to go to A&E and how often you will review etc?

CovidForChristmas · 01/01/2022 22:58

My DC was hospitalised with covid, the hospital were brilliant. 111 called and booked us in in advance and they knew we were coming. The nurses were fantastic and gave us loads of advice and medicine when we were discharged.
Would definitely recommend going in through the 111 route rather then just turning up at A&E, it made a massive difference.
And remember with the fever it’s ok to alternate paracetamol and nurofen alongside each other
eg paracetamol at 2
Nurofen at 5
Paracetamol at 8
Nurofen at 11
If the fever is high and prolonged.
Best wishes OP.

Original poster
deaexmachina · 01/01/2022 22:58

wonderstuff123 thank you that’s reassuring

OP posts:
CovidForChristmas · 01/01/2022 23:00

It’s a really good sign that its dropping with calpol. It’s when it doesn’t respond to the medicine that there’s cause for concern.

Original poster
deaexmachina · 01/01/2022 23:00

rrhuth good idea, my adhd brain will appreciate me breaking it down into steps!

CovidForChristmas thanks for the tip. If I have to take him I’ll call 111 first

OP posts:
Original poster
deaexmachina · 01/01/2022 23:01

It drops to 38 then heads back up again.

OP posts:
wonderstuff123 · 01/01/2022 23:01

Yeah I'd echo about alternating the Calpol and brufen. Ibuprofen is so much better at getting the temps down

wonderstuff123 · 01/01/2022 23:04

My sons sat at around 38 for the first day and part of the second. I kept reminding myself that a fever is his bodies way of fighting the virus so it's good in a way x

Original poster
deaexmachina · 01/01/2022 23:06

I thought you weren’t supposed to use ibuprofen with covid?

OP posts:
wonderstuff123 · 01/01/2022 23:12

AFAIK there was talk in the very early days of the pandemic about ibuprofen not being suitable to use but that has since been debunked.

www.abdn.ac.uk/news/14267/

Choccymumma · 01/01/2022 23:19

My Dd11 had a temperature of 38.3 and a cough for 48 hours, we knew it was covid. Pcr confirmed it. Then she was absolutely fine. I've heard of so many children who have this for a couple of days and then are ok so hopefully it will be the same for you. All you can do is monitor and follow your instincts. Lots of good advice on this thread. I barely slept while she was like this, so I get your anxieties. Take care 🙂

LSLLM · 01/01/2022 23:25

Our DD is unvaccinated, had it twice, she has autism and epilepsy. We were SO worried about her getting it .Didn’t have a temp for long and just recently she tested positive again but looks like we only found out at the tail end of it - there were zero symptoms.

Springspringhurrah · 01/01/2022 23:31

Sending a hug .

What can you do for you and your anxiety. Then you can attend to.his needs better. Put on your oxygen first! Does breathing help? cuppa? You know yourself.

Best of luck XXX

HoldenCaulfieldismyhomeboy · 02/01/2022 00:08

Thinking of you OP.Flowers

Thepowerofthelook · 02/01/2022 00:34

If he's immunocompromised have you been told to contact anyone when you get a positive result? My dc is older (has been vacinated) but have been told we need to contact gp/hospital as soon as he gets a positive result as they will start him on antivirals (best started in first 5 days we were told). Have you got a consultant team /gp you could contact for advice? You could ring hospital switch board and ask to bleep on call for speciality your child's under who would be able to access your child's history and also have knowledge how covid has affected dc with same condition.

keepmovingslow · 02/01/2022 02:30

Hope you are doing OK OP. Prayers xx

Original poster
deaexmachina · 02/01/2022 08:53

Thanks all for the hand holds and reassurance.
Thepowerofthelook no we have no protocol for covid. Without going into too much detail (I’ve written some personal stuff on MN and didn’t think to name change for this post. He’s got a rare condition that may out me if someone reading this knows me) his body fights viruses like normal people but doesn’t cope well with bacteria. So technically he should be fine with covid. The worry is if covid then leads to a secondary bacterial infection. So for example he had chicken pox and you’d hardly have known he was ill but a UTI put him in hospital.

OP posts:
2toastornot2toast · 02/01/2022 09:14

Yes it's fine to use ibuprofen and paracetamol, ds had covid - we think- right at beginning and calpol did nothing for his fever. Ibuprofen brought ut down straight away. He had a fever for a week and we had 3 or 4 online GP appointments. It was a tough week but on day 6 as they were about to admit him he improved. As long as drinking your dc should be ok.

Lex345 · 02/01/2022 09:33

Hand hold for you OP. You know your child best and dont hesitate to seek advice from 111 if you need to.
DS2 had COVID, I believe it was the delta variant given the timing and outbreak at school. He had bad headaches and a raging temp, but it settled after a couple of days. How is DS today?

Original poster
deaexmachina · 02/01/2022 09:44

When DS had sepsis a couple of years ago I rang 111 and the advice they gave me nearly killed him. When the GP saw him we were sent straight to A&E while she rang ahead. The hospital staff were disgusted with the bad advice 111 had given me.
So other than getting them to ring ahead to A&E for me I wouldn’t trust 111 further than I could throw them.

OP posts:
middleager · 02/01/2022 09:52

How is your son? When my son had Covid (only medical condition was asthma) his temperature waa 39 and I was feeling very anxious.