Sending kid to school with covid

[Jadarawson]

Hi. My kid tested positive for covid yesterday. She is not that poorly with it. Just a little snotty. I've looked into guidance and it is confusing. In one paragraph it says keep them home for 3 days and in the next it says as long as they are well enough they should be in school. I don't agree with sending her so she had the day off today. The school have text saying this is unauthorised. I don't want to send her tomorrow as she will still have covid and I don't want her to spread it. What would you do... Jay

My child has also recently had Covid. I went by the advice I would for other illnesses. Fever stay home, feeling very unwell stay home. Otherwise they can go in the same as any other cold/virus. And I say this as someone who is particularly susceptible to Covid.

Technically unauthorised absence doesn't affect you, unless you've taken the child out for a lot of holidays, so either stand firm if that's your view and just tell school they won't be in. Or just tell school they are feeling worse/have a fever then it won't be unauthorised.

Would you send your child to school with covid

No because I have no idea who has vulnerable family. Even if noone vulnerable it's peak head on holiday time so that's pretty selfish to spread it.

Yes I would and I have. Because that’s the guidance.

I think I would if they just had very minor symptoms. If they were very ill I'd keep them home. This is the new normal now and after four years it has to be treated like a normal cold-unless anyone is medically vulnerable.
Bear in mind that many children will be asymptomatic when carrying it and no-one would even know without testing.

i wouldn’t even have tested. I’d have treated it the same as any other virus. Temperature/feeling rotten keep at home. Mild symptoms, off to school.

Please don't. I'm recovering from chemo. My immune system is on the way back up but it isn't there yet. I've had two allergic reactions to the vaccine (yellow card reported) so I haven't had the latest jab.

Doctors Advice on This Morning.. stay at home for 5 days.. children and Adults

Yes because I'd never test or test my child. If she's well, go to school. If she's ill, stay at home. Loads of kids will be going in to school with it, unknowingly.

Also doctors first question in This Morning - why did you test as there is no advice to test anymore?

You don’t keep a well child with a just a sniffle home from school! I wouldn’t have even bothered testing for it.

Sounds like summer holidays are going to start with a 😫in a lot of areas.

Wishing all the best to those who are looking forward to a summer getaway in a week or so, hope your kids manage to swerve it.

I'm mid chemo treatment and this kind of post fills me with horror. If I catch covid or indeed any other infection my chemo stops and my chances of survival reduces.

Exactly my views too.

I wouldn't know if my child has covid as I don't test.
Poorly stay home
Just a bit under the weather go to school 🤷‍♀️

I wouldn’t even test them for covid. I would use my common sense- if they are too ill for school, they stay at home, if they are well enough to get by, they would go in.

Why are you testing? Just the sniffles - send to school. Really unwell - keep at home. Same as any other illness.

I’d keep them off for 3 days, longer if still too unwell to attend

It would be a bugger for us, but it’s clearly not a good idea to keep getting covid over and over again (now we know about the impact on the immune system and seen the consequent rise in all sorts of infectious diseases)

Yes, because I would never test a child who is "just a bit snotty".

I work with the elderly and felt really rubbish with it so I thought I'd test us. I still don't want her to pass it on to people though.

I think if you are going to keep her home just tell the school she has a temperature and then it will be authorised.

Not a chance I would keep my child at home because they are "a little bit snotty".

They stay home if they are unwell. Otherwise they go to school.

And we haven't tested for a couple of years now.

Please don't. From a teacher soon to lose their ability to work due to long covid symptoms after repeated exposure.

If you can keep her off, please do. Tell school she is unwell and it will be authorised absence. You don't need to specify how unwell.

By keeping her at home you will be saving people's holidays, saving them from feeling really rough for days/weeks, you'll be saving someone from getting disabled by long covid or even worse.

Imagine she passes it on to 2 people at school, and they each pass it on to 2 people each week (numbers could be lower or higher). Next week 4 people will be infected, the following week 8 people. After 4 weeks 32 could have it and not all of them will have it mildly.

I certainly appreciate you testing and being responsible. Like PP said, tell school she's actually ill with a virus and it will be authorised due to illness.

I would keep them home. Their teachers or any one of their friends could have an elderly or vulnerable relative.