DS has all the symptoms but testing negative. I can send him to school can't it?

[Tufty383]

Not sure what to do. He started at the end of last week saying food tasted weird, Saturday he was full of cold and Sunday the same along with headache, cough, sore throat and nausea. LFT and PCR all negative. Lots of cases in his classes over the last 2 weeks.

He's perked up this evening but I'm not sure what to do if he's feeling well enough for school tomorrow. Do I send him?

He's 13.

I would. There's loads of colds and coughs doing the rounds at the moment, not just covid. He's just as likely to have one of those. You've been responsible and tested, if he's now well enough for school then definitely send him.

I would keep him off another day anyway OP with those to make sure he is 100% better - either way he has a nasty cold.

That way Wednesday is day 6 when he could return anyway.

That's what I keep reminding myself but it just seems odd that he's been sat next to multiple friends over the last 2 weeks plus 7 of his friendship group all have covid and he picks up a cold with the same symptoms but it's not covid. Doesn't make sense really does it.

Quartz2208 that's true, whatever name it's got it's been a horrible virus. I'll see how he is in the morning. DH is off work tomorrow so he can keep him company.

Funnily enough @Tufty383 DS has been ill I think 4 times in this pandemic. One of which was Covid (PCR tested the other times) and Covid was the one he felt the least ill with. One wiped him out for a good 5 days - fortunately his sister was isolating so he stayed in with her for quite a lot of it!

That really depends. If they have a fever then no, keep them off.

If they just have lingering symptoms like a cough or runny nose then yes. Dd had covid 3 weeks ago and still congested at times with slight cough. She was negative by day 5.

If he's feeling poorly and fatigued then no.

Treat it as you would an average illness.

Symptoms don't mean much either. Dd has had covid twice in a short time. Last time she was positive still on day 10 despite being totally asymptomatic throughout, the second time she had symptoms - albeit mild and was negative by day 5 and still had niggly symptoms at that point.

I would really just go on how he feels. If he is still feeling rubbish and needs a bit longer to recover then keep him home. Either way it sounds like he has been pretty poorly so I wouldn't rush to send him back.