Interested to know what you would do

[Bunn5]

DD age 9 currently full of a horrid, stinking cold. No cough or fever.

She is refusing an LFT as her nose is sore & she hates them anyway.

I had Covid a month ago and she had a sore throat & tiredness at the same time. She tested daily and was negative throughout but we kept her off school when the sore throat started just to be on the safe side.

I’m keeping her off school at the moment as she isn’t well enough to be there.

But should I be testing her? My gut instinct is to treat this like any other cold pre-Covid and keep her at home until she is better and then send her back to school.

What would you do?

I'd do what you're doing!

The same as you

I've read on here that testing the snot from the hankie might be enough to get a valid result. So I'd do that first, if I were you.

I would do (and have done) the same as you

Same as you.

Bucking the trend here, I would test her.
It's only a couple of moments of discomfort. My DD of a similar age swabs herself whilst I watch. As your DD's nose is sore, get her to do her throat thoroughly and just a quick dab inside her nostrils.
I fully understand that Covid is mild for most people, especially children, but wouldn't be comfortable sending my child into school potentially spreading Covid to people who might have vulnerable contacts.
Also, if your DD does have Covid wouldn't you want it officially on her medical record in case required for travel or vaccination purposes, or in case she goes on to develop long-lasting side effects?
I'm not doing routine asymptomatic testing now but will test for the time being at least if anyone has potential Covid symptoms, or before we visit anyone especially vulnerable.
Most schools still have a policy in place asking that pupils with symptoms test and, if positive, stay at home until at least day 5. If you send your untested DD into school with symptoms they may well ask you to collect/test her anyway.

@BlackInk

Bucking the trend here, I would test her. It's only a couple of moments of discomfort. My DD of a similar age swabs herself whilst I watch. As your DD's nose is sore, get her to do her throat thoroughly and just a quick dab inside her nostrils. I fully understand that Covid is mild for most people, especially children, but wouldn't be comfortable sending my child into school potentially spreading Covid to people who might have vulnerable contacts. Also, if your DD does have Covid wouldn't you want it officially on her medical record in case required for travel or vaccination purposes, or in case she goes on to develop long-lasting side effects? I'm not doing routine asymptomatic testing now but will test for the time being at least if anyone has potential Covid symptoms, or before we visit anyone especially vulnerable. Most schools still have a policy in place asking that pupils with symptoms test and, if positive, stay at home until at least day 5. If you send your untested DD into school with symptoms they may well ask you to collect/test her anyway.

@BlackInk I totally get your point about not spreading Covid to the vulnerable. I am CV so very aware of this. DD has never been able to do a throat swab so that’s not an option. I’m not willing to put her through it when she isn’t well. I will try & encourage a nose swab later today though.

As for the school. She was clearly unwell yesterday afternoon - looked exhausted and came out in tears at pick up time saying she had asked to go home & they wouldn’t let her! The school has not once sent home any ill children throughout all of this and have opted for a laid back approach. They have clarified that children should isolate for 5 days currently though.
My DD has had several colds/coughs over the last 12 months and they’ve not once requested a test.

If she won't be at school for the isolation period anyway, carry on as you are.

Once she feels better, if less than 10 days, I'd try again before sending her back - nose shouldn't be sore by then.

If it's her nose that's sore, then it might at least be worth swabbing both sides of her throat - if she's 2/3 days into symptoms, I suspect you'll get a positive from that.

I'd just keep her home till she's better.