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

As a teacher with really vulnerable family members, I would rather parents kept their kids off with Covid.

It’s a horror show, isn’t it?! “Why are you testing?!?” The lack of consideration for others astounds me. It’s so depressing.

ps, I am super healthy. Fully vacc’ed. Got COVID last year - ended up with pneumonia and the sickest I’ve ever been in my life. But sure - send your kids into school knowingly without a second thought for the outcome of this action for others… I mean otherwise you might be inconvenienced.

You tested your child for Covid??? 🤦‍♀️

I had pneumonia three times last year whilst working in school (never had it before). I had to give up my job in the end because the child I was supporting kept coming in ill. I’ve not had so much as a sniffle since I left in February.

I’m not going to lie, it’s annoying and disruptive when parents send children in, knowing that they’re ill.

I know two wrongs don’t make a right but I’d lie if I knew for certain they had Covid and could spread. Just while they’re contagious (I’d do the same for other contagious diseases too). We had loads of kids really sick with it in June and they had to miss some really fun summer stuff just because now it’s ok to send in

School are telling me that I really should send her in and treat it like a cold or other virus. I don't agree with it. That's why I'm keeping her away.

I work in a school. It's absolutely rife at the moment. Guidance from Head is don't test, come to work if you can.

So most staff are coming in sneezing and coughing, but others have had to stay at home because they're vomiting or collapsed (no joke). All Covid.

You're doing the right thing keeping her away. (Even some of the people saying why did you test know that really - that's why they don't want testing to be a thing. What you don't know, because you didn't test, you can't feel guilty for choosing to ignore or for having no choice but to ignore.)

School are surely in a position to put pressure on the government by saying look this is unsustainable, we're losing staff, kids are missing lessons due to illness, but for some reason they are still trying to deal with it by ignoring it. It's awful.

Teachers can say this but it's the parents that get fined, taken to court or harassed if their children aren't at school. Official guidance says to send them in so you'll be chastised as a parent if you decide to keep them off.

OP to answer your question, I don't test but I use my common sense as other pp's, if they are ill with temp then I would keep them off but well enough with a sniffle they go to school.

I'd send them. It's on the school if someone dies if they are going to be this idiotic about it.

How is it ‘on the school’?…if someone dies?

One of the issues with covid is that so many young children will be asymptomatic and be carrying it so no-one would even know. The other issue is that many adults will have it but not have the symptoms until several days later. So even if you are doing what you think is right, others will be infectious and not even know, undoing any 'protective' actions that others are doing.

Im a nurse working with the elderly and we have to still go into work with it.

last year we all had it and my sons school said he still had to go in as per department of educations new guidance. Come to just before Christmas and I got it again, my son told school and they were straight on the phone asking if my son tested positive for him to stay off even though that was against the guidance so god knows! We get asked why we’ve tested at work as it’s just treated the same as any other virus now

They're the ones saying send your kid in or we'll fine you

Schools really aren't. They don't make the rules.
The Department of Education set the guidance for schools. This is the guidance written by the Conservative government, currently still in use, with updates for Sept. 2024.

School leaders are under scrutiny by the DfE, through an automatic Colle toon if attendance data from every school.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/65f1b048133c22b8eecd38f7/Working_together_to_improve_school_attendance__applies_from_19_August_2024_.pdf

It's on the department of education if someone dies then

I have exactly this issue now. My son Tested positive yesterday (I am clear). I tested because there is a test and then you can put a name to it (if there was a test to tell the difference between flu and cold, I’d do that too).

The difference here is, that he has been ill. I thought we’d turned a corner today because he actually ate something although tonight again doesn’t want dinner. He’s definitely better than he was but I’d say still under the weather. It’s the last week of term (bloody typical) so my thoughts are keep him home. But it looks dodgy on the last week of term with others maybe choosing to use this week for a holiday.

also don’t really want to send him in to share it with friends and it then potentially ruin everyone’s first week of the holidays.

testing does pose a lot of dilemmas!

I’ve kept mine home. It’s not just the sniffles. It’s a disease that can and does cause long covid - my ultra fit Ironman running colleague caught it after Christmas, is still off work now, struggling to get to the shops and back.

Would not test
If they seem ill they stay off
Otherwise in they go

Yes if they were well enough togo in!!
Everyone is carrying on as normal and treating it like any other cold even school are saying child should be in.

I keep mine off when they have covid. I will not play ball with a policy that deliberately wrecks lives for a tick in the box. Policies that push for unwell kids or staff to attend - or to attend if feel ok with harmful contagious viruses (covid is not a cold) most definitely do not have pupil, staff or their wider families best interests at heart.

It blows my mind that teachers with long covid are preparing a class action suit for schools that knowingly didn't protect them, yet this is still continuing. The number of kids with long covid has doubled since last year. The pressure to harm others is immense, but it doesn't make it any less abhorrent.

What is the matter with you?

Actually … nothing!
I can’t believe people are still sticking swabs up their child’s nose and into the back of the throat for this though 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

poor children 😢

Did the Ironman have any jabs? 🤔

Wait til you hear about toothbrushing...and long covid...and kids picking their nose.