Do I send DS1 to school whilst DS2 has Covid?!

[TallulahTumeric]

DS2 age 6 tested positive for Covid on Sunday. Myself, DH and DS1 (8) finally got lateral flow tests through today and are currently all negative. By the guidelines, I should send DS1 back to school tomorrow but do I? The liklihood is that he is going to catch it, particularly if it's Omicron which it probably is. Do I risk sending him back and infecting his classmates and a whole museum during a school trip on Thursday too or keep him off? Before Omicron I'd have happily sent him in with a negative lateral flow, but having seen for myself how it's spread through our family this Christmas and New Year I don't know what to do.

Generally speaking, yes siblings of household members with Covid are still expected to go to school, however crazy that seems.

I would email the school to inform them of the situation and see what they say though. My DD's school still wanted her in when DS had Covid but some schools are asking you to keep siblings at home. None of us caught Covid from DS, but that was before Omicron!

Incidentally, as household contacts you should all do PCR tests within the next couple of days, plus regular LFTs until you're in the clear.

I think you're advices to get a PCR test for the contact (although they don't have to isolate while waiting for results).

In theory, yes, I would want to keep my other child home. In reality it'll be treated as an unauthorised absence I should think

Let the school know if you can, in case they do state a preference.

But yes, you are expected to send him in, even though he could well be incubating and viral load could tip over into infectious at any point (typical time to onset symptoms 3-5 days, infectious up to 48 hours beforehand)

Do the LFT as close to the time he leaves for school as possible. Hope neither his teacher is particularly vulnerable to having severe covid, ditto classmates' immediate households.

OP doesn't say if she's in England. In Scotland she would be expected to isolate her household.

Sorry, I am in England. Scotland's rules make more sense! We all had PCR tests the same day as DS2 tested positive (Sunday) and were all negative. Schools general stance is that he should be in if he is testing negative on an LFT.

My instinct is to keep him off as I'm almost sure he will test positive within the next couple of days.

Thanks for the replies.

Hi my ds school has told me to send him in.im waiting for results of a pcr for myself after 2 positive lateral flows..school says my son has to do daily lateral flow tests and remain in school.his have been negative so far and no symptoms.

Somehow myself and my children didn't catch Covid from my husband even though he didn't isolate from us at all as it was over Xmas.

If you can get away with it I think I'd keep him off for a few days and do a pcr on day 5. If negative I would then send in with daily LFT

Depends on school policy. My DDs school implemented extra covid measures when they had an outbreak, which meant any pupil classed as a close contact should not go into school.

If you're happy to keep him off too I would email the school and ask. They might allow it.

Weve just spent Christmas boxed up with a positive ds2 and none if us caught it. Dh and I are jabbed and boosted but ds1has only had 1 dose of vaccine (he had had COVID before though).

In your position I'd keep your son off school for a couple of days and test him out I wouldnt make him miss 10 days "just in case".

Thank you all. I shall keep him off for a few days and see where we are at - certainly seems like the most sensible thing to do with the current situation.

The school I teach in have advised keeping off until PCR. If test was negative then I would send him in but do an LFT daily.

You should do a pcr test.

Also, from my experience when all got covid last month. You could be literally negative one day and positive the next.

Department of Education guidance is 'yes' child attends until the results of the test are known....

Page 6 - in accordance with vaccination status though.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachmentdata/file/1044530/SchoolssguidanceJann22.pdf

Yes, my DD2 didn't catch it when me and DD1 had it, and they were cuddled up in bed together, sharing a bath etc I know plenty of others the same so it's no guarantee that your DS will get it. I'd send to school.

Your other children doesn't need to isolate and can go to school.
However, my school doesn't mark covid related absences such as this as unauthorised. It's marked as covid related and authorised. It's because we'd actually prefer close household contacts not to be in ideally in order to reduce the risk to our vulnerable children and staff, and to reduce the chances of it spreading further within school.

No guarantees sibling will catch it. No need to PCR test now. I'd send sibling into school. Best place for them.

I tested positive Christmas eve ds 2 a couple of days later ds1 still negative on lateral flow tests and the pcr tests not come back yet 😢

I insisted on keeping DS1 & DD at home when DS2 tested positive. I got the impression that school were actually relieved by this. DS1's teacher had alreapreviously been hospitalised with covid and none of the teachers I know are ecstatic at the thought of being in a room with multiple close contacts all day long.

Good job I did keep them home, as both then developed symptoms and tested positive. Yes, there's no guarantee kids will catch it, but come on - this rule change is a big part of the reason schools ended up in such a mess last term. It will only be worse now Omicron is the dominant variant.

Updated guidance is not to PCR close contacts but (if not required to isolate because eg under 18 1/2 years old or fully vaxxed) to LFD every day for 7 days. See www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/self-isolation-and-treatment/when-to-self-isolate-and-what-to-do/

My school advised that although children of parents or siblings who have tested positive can attend school, they have seen a lot of transmission this way and would advise that they don't.

Any absences due to covid reasons - waiting for tests, isolating as contacts or symptoms etc are marked as X and not counted as a proper absence.

I would tell the school and see what they say. If you say you think he may be starting with symptoms, they will probably ask you to keep him home and test him.