Toddler unwell

[Sed1222344]

I know I always get overly anxious when my two year old gets ill which is why I’m posting to see if anyone has advice.

Have done an instant COVID test which is negative.

He has had a cold since last Sunday with just a snotty nose. Seemed well on tues/wed then Thursday vomited once in the night and sounded chesty. He’s got worse over the weekend has bad conjunctivitis in both eyes which pharmacist gave drops for, he’s so chesty and constantly coughing day and night which is waking him up. Hes got a temperature of 38.1 which was took underarm which I believe means 39.1? As last time he was in hospital I had the same underarm reading and there forehead thermometer read 39.1. He looks so poorly he’s drinking but barely eating.

Basically I’m wondering could it be a chest infection or just a bad virus ?

Obviously I can’t take him to gp as it’s Sunday and 111 will just send me to A&E

I would try and call 111 to get some advice. I had this this week with my two year old and his had turned in to a chest infection, as soon as he started on the antibiotics it's got better really quickly x

Sorry I didn't see your comment about 111. I rang them on Tuesday at about midnight when my little ones temp was 39.9 and they didn't tell me to go to a&e, they got us seen by a dr instead x

Use ibuprofen and paracetamol together to get the temp down. That's the first thing they would do if you took him to A&E so you might as well try it at home.

If it comes down I would have them in with you tonight, monitor overnight and try to get GP appointment in the morning. If you can.

@ohIdoliketobebesidethesea

Oh really I thought they always sent to a&e so that’s good to know !
Did you little ones temp go down with calpol? What kind of thermometer were you using ? I’ve given calpol and his temps gone down now and he’s eating something ! So shall I just wait and see if it goes back up at bedtime? X

Solidarity OP because my 3yo has a virus this weekend, luckily not feverish, and has been an absolute hellbeast to everyone in the house!

@rhonddacynontaf

Brilliant thanks for the advice il do that x

[quote Sed1222344]@ohIdoliketobebesidethesea

Oh really I thought they always sent to a&e so that’s good to know !
Did you little ones temp go down with calpol? What kind of thermometer were you using ? I’ve given calpol and his temps gone down now and he’s eating something ! So shall I just wait and see if it goes back up at bedtime? X[/quote]
Ok so if calpol on its own is working just keep it up, or you can alternate it with kids Nurofen (which you can get in any little Tesco) so every four hours one, then the other and so on.

@rhonddacynontaf

Thank you , Oh it is not easy to please them when there ill is it ! I am exhausted and full of worry x

Calpol wasn't working on its own for us, the temp was 39.9 an hour after calpol so we were told to alternate with nurofen too. I would say if his temp is coming down and he is drinking then it's probably ok to keep a close eye on him tonight and see a dr tomorrow. We only called out of hours because we couldn't get his temp down at all and he wouldn't drink much. It's worrying to see them poorly but I'm sure your little one will be fine x

Sorry forgot to mention we have an ear thermometer like the ones they use at the drs x

Have you done a PCR?
My GP wouldn’t see my DC until I could forward the test result.
They then did it over the phone and said virus!

If he had a temp and cough then he needs to have a PCR a test and he should be isolating (not going to the chemist) until you get the result.

@Pissinthepottyplease

Thanks for the dig there, he didn’t have a temperature when he went to the pharmacy I’ve done two instant tests. I’m not going to keep testing him all the time.

@ohIdoliketobebesidethesea

That’s really helpful thanks il see how he is tommorow ! Hope your son is all better now x

[quote Sed1222344]@ohIdoliketobebesidethesea

That’s really helpful thanks il see how he is tommorow ! Hope your son is all better now x[/quote]
He is thank you. Just finally finished the antibiotics. Ignore the comments about the tests. When 111 made me an appt with a gp I was never once told he had to have a test first. They were more concerned about checking over a poorly toddler. If they are concerned about him they would refuse to see him because of a test x

*wouldn't not would!

How odd, this is exactly the same as what my 13 month old had!

Started with conjunctivitis, then got a snotty nose, then a cough and blocked up nose, then a fever, then was sick one evening. She's just wanted to be on me all day for 6/7 days straight.

Negative covid test and teething is going on too, she's just coming out of it now day 7. Didn't eat for a good 3 days at least.

I'm guessing she got a virus but if she had carried on not eating I'd have had to ring GP again as Id have been so worried !

[quote Sed1222344]@Pissinthepottyplease

Thanks for the dig there, he didn’t have a temperature when he went to the pharmacy I’ve done two instant tests. I’m not going to keep testing him all the time.[/quote]
The guidelines are very clear though and if you take him out and about you are potentially putting vulnerable people at risk. I have several family members including my husband who is ECV - if your child does have covid and passes it on to someone like my husband who then does die would you like to come and tell my 5 year old and 2 year old that Daddy is dead because some one decides do you 2 LTF instead of 1 PCR test. This is people’s lives.

I hope your little one is well soon but I have no idea why you bothered doing any never mind 2 LFT tests on him.

Thank you @ohIdoliketobebesidethesea you’ve been really helpful x

I’m not here for a covid debate @Pissinthepottyplease just worried about my little boy. Your being very over the top if your husband is vunerable he could catch a number of illnesses in public that could affect him. If your still that worried then stay home.

His temp went up last night aand is back up after nurofen so phoning the Docters now.

My little one had something very similar, turned out to be bronchiolitis which is really doing the rounds at the moment. You’re doing the right thing with fluids, rest & keeping the temperature down.

There was no way I was testing a 7 month old so DH & I did LFTs and PCRs.

People seem to forget there are still lots of cold and flu bugs going round that aren’t Covid. And little kids more than anyone pick them up & pass them on!

Hope he’s feeling better soon.

OP I think you're slightly missing the point about the PCR test- if he's symptomatic my understanding is the LFT is just more likely to be wrong.

My 2 year old had 10 covid tests which I was pretty horrified about but she has always been prone to chesty things, the last one, to our utter shock, was positive. She never had a temp but was quite sickly with it. It was really helpful to know, and GP was v supportive. It also means she's considered immune now for 9 months so I don't need to worry about covid.

However, she was genuinely much sicker with a virus that did the rounds a month ago: temp that went right up, then down, then up again, and lasted for ages. Have been told because fewer things circulated last year the viruses doing the rounds through childcare and school this year are nastier.

With that, if I could keep a temp below 40 using calpol and neurofen, I wouldn't feel the need to be seen unless anything else was worrying unless it had been going on quite a while. In our case, she's had steroids and inhalers with coughs than haven't shifted. I'm not sure what they can do with conjunctivitis. But I would agree: I'd do a PCR to 100% rule out covid, as symptoms are evolving all the time, I'd keep on top of fluids and neurofen/calpol, and I'd personally wait till maybe Friday and if he's no better try to get him seen then. That's long enough for this to work its way out of his system.

@Sed1222344 how's your little one doing now? X