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Original poster

Horrible cold - scared my son will get it

53 replies

FTM8987 · 03/10/2021 19:43

I’ve come down with a horrible cold, streaming nose and sore throat, the first I’ve had in 3 years. I’m feeling really rotten but most of all, I’m so worried that my 18 month old son will get it. He’s never had a cold before and I can’t bear the thought of him coming down with it and feeling ill! My symptoms started yesterday morning but have worsened quite a bit today. DH has also got it so DS is going to catch it too isn’t he - it’s inevitable really?

OP posts:
MarcelineMissouri · 03/10/2021 19:48

I think you need to look at this a different way really. It’s HIGHLY unusual for an 18 month old to not have had a cold yet (although not unusual these days I’m sure) It’s a normal part of their immune development - his system needs to come in to contact with germs to practice being able to fight them and to build up immunity going forwards.

Of course it’s rubbish when they’re ill, but my eldest got his first cold when he was a couple of months old and my youngest was similar. Coughs and colds are part and parcel of young children’s lives really but they do tend to bounce back pretty quickly.

Lots of rest, cuddles and calpol if required and if he does get it I’m sure he’ll be fine in no time x

HallieP · 03/10/2021 19:53

Completely agree with @MarcelineMissouri - it’s probably better for him to get it over with! Grab a few bits in from the pharmacy so that you have stuff for him if he does come down with it. Calpol plug in, snufflebabe vapour rub and bath foam are all great and really helped my baby with its first cold at 9 months!

Bobholll · 03/10/2021 19:53

In the kindest way, you really need to get over your healthy anxiety on this one. I’m astonished you’ve made it to 18 months with no colds. Does he go to nursery? Or to toddler groups/classes? Or just mix with other kids his age? Cos let me tell you, toddlers are germ machines. My youngest is 18 months & we’ve had multiple colds, a vomiting bug, hand foot & mouth & chicken pox in the last 6 months (thanks nursery 🙈). Both mine have had permanent colds all winters since they’ve been born!

Kids need to get ill. It’s really important. It’s how their immune system develops & gets stronger. Doctors in hospital over summer (DD2 was really quite ill at one point) were saying that they are seeing a marked increase in very poorly toddlers because of lockdown & a lack of socialisation & exposure to germs. It’s kinda worrying. But hopefully most kids are now back mixing & being exposed to germs again. They won’t always get ill from viruses they encounter but the immune system is still working hard, learning how to fight it off quickly etc!

Your kid will be a’ok catching your cold. Have you checked it’s not covid if you feel really quite poorly? (probably isn’t but..)

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User5827372728 · 03/10/2021 19:54

God I can’t remember the last time my kids didn’t have a cold!!!!

NavigationCentral · 03/10/2021 19:56

Sorry why are you anxious for your 18 month old to not get a cold? My daughter is 19 months old and has been at nursery FT since 6 months old - quite like her older brother and I have lost count of their colds! She’s a tough cookie my 19 month old! How has yours never had a cold and why is it worrying you?!

happytoday73 · 03/10/2021 19:56

Have you done a LFT...... Your cold is perfect description of my child's cold... That turned out to be covid.

Anybridget7 · 03/10/2021 19:57

It's only a cold. He'll get over it.

Lostinacloud · 03/10/2021 20:02

It’s a good thing he gets as many minor viruses and bugs at his age if he’s otherwise healthy. As inconvenient as it is when they’re ill and as sad as you might feel for them while they’re feeling unwell, their immune system is deliberately under developed so that they can quickly learn how to fight infection without their immune system over reacting, which is what is sometimes an issue in adults. The more he is exposed to and makes antibodies to, the better he will do when he comes across similar or the same viruses in adulthood. Please try not to worry, humans have actually got quite a sophisticated immune defence system that occasionally needs exercising.

Finally, if you really haven’t yet seen your DC unwell, be prepared for them to crash in the evenings and overnight. Toddlers tend to get a temperature, then appear a lot better and then get hot again in the evenings and through the night - all normal.

Original poster
FTM8987 · 03/10/2021 20:02

Have you done a LFT......

Yes, I did one earlier today and it was negative thank goodness.

I don't understand how he hasn't had one yet - he goes to a childminder for a couple of days, several toddler playgroups a week and is always out and about with me on public transport, in shops and cafes and at softplay etc.

OP posts:
LBB2020 · 03/10/2021 20:03

You should probably take a lateral flow test, sounds exactly like our “cold” symptoms that turned out to be Covid. Hope you’re on the mend soon

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 03/10/2021 20:05

You should take a PCR not a LF.

Original poster
FTM8987 · 03/10/2021 20:05

The lateral flow test I did earlier was negative. Are you meant to take them daily with symptoms like mine, or is once enough to rule it out?

OP posts:
Original poster
FTM8987 · 03/10/2021 20:08

You should take a PCR not a LF.

I just filled out the questionnaire on the gov.uk website and it says I'm not eligible for a PCR, because I don't have any of the three symptoms it lists - a temperature, continuous cough or loss of taste/smell.

OP posts:
Graphista · 03/10/2021 20:09

I have to say your symptoms are very similar to how my recent COVID started so I think you need to get a pcr test sorted for starters and in terms of your ds act as if it is COVID unless it proves to be otherwise

If it is just a cold, then like pps you've been very lucky to get ds to 18 months without having had a cold but then the pandemic has actually prob helped as the measures we've all been taking to avoid COVID also reduce the risk of getting other droplet spread infections like colds, flu, coughs etc

I have ocd germophobic so I get the anxiety totally and I had a bad flare just after having dd it's really hard but you do have to temper those anxieties with dc to ensure they have as normal an upbringing as possible. As it turns out my dd was a total dirt magnet! Complete opposite to me! That was kinda hard to get used to.

Whether cold or COVID as a precaution I would fetch in things you may need for him to get through it - calpol, cough mix, suction nozzle to clear his nose, klear-vol, I would also recommend getting in some pampers disposable sheets in case it affects his tummy (nappies aren't always enough! And saves having to change whole bed in middle of night!, also very useful for sudden vomiting incidents! When dd was little and had upset tummy I used to tuck her up with one under her and one folded over the top edge of the duvet so if she did that wake up instantly vomit thing it mostly went on the disposable sheet! Hell even if I was ill or when she was older I'd do this!), thermometer etc (my dd is 20 I've prob forgotten loads that's useful for this age) - oh his favourite food/drink that he will always take no matter what! Eg at this age for dd that would have been fromage frais, bananas and sticks of cheddar!

Illness is part of life unfortunately we just have to do the best we can to get them through it.

Original poster
FTM8987 · 03/10/2021 20:10

@Graphista thanks - I'm confused as the gov.uk site says I'm not eligible for a PCR. The only way I can get one is if I fib and say I DO have the three symptoms it lists - even though that would be a lie! Confused Can anyone advise?!

OP posts:
Graphista · 03/10/2021 20:12

Lft not always accurate when symptomatic you need to do a pcr

Symptoms are indicative not definitive. Are you absolutely certain no temp? Have you taken temp with a thermometer?

While I had COVID when I only had a slight temp I felt cold! I was sat shivering and would put a cardigan on and then when I took temp it was 38° odd!

Original poster
FTM8987 · 03/10/2021 20:14

@graphista yes, I checked my temp earlier and it was normal. So what should I do - lie on the gov.uk website and pretend I have the symptoms listed in order to get a PCR? Confused

Whatever I'm suffering with does feel very much like a cold.

OP posts:
SunnyLeaf · 03/10/2021 20:17

I would lie on it to get a PCR as I’d want to know, but up to you. No one checks obviously

Fallagain · 03/10/2021 20:17

Autoimmune system disorders are link to immune system which have not been challenged. Immune systems are like other parts of the body, they have to be exercised to work properly. You don’t want an under active or overactive immune system so it needs to be challenged.

Original poster
FTM8987 · 03/10/2021 20:20

Thanks @Fallagain. I'm not sure what more I can do to challenge his immune system really. I suppose it's almost certain he will catch this off me though...

OP posts:
Graphista · 03/10/2021 20:23

In my opinion the site hasn't been updated to account for new variants having different symptoms and progress. I didn't have a fever cough or loss of taste or smell first couple days.

I had runny nose and very sore throat and headache - which as I'm prone to tonsillitis I was thinking it was my first bout of that this winter (I get 2 or 3 most winters), then the fever hit end of 2nd day and rather than loss of taste and smell everything remotely savoury tasted like pure salt! Not a symptom I'd heard of till it happened to me and then I learned around 1/3 of sufferers experience this. So weird!

Cough didn't arrive until day 6 and then it came with a vengeance! Making me cough so hard I couldn't catch my breath and even so hard I was gagging and vomiting! Horrible! Around this point mucus production also went into massive overdrive just insane! Went through SO Many tissues!

I'm now 3 weeks on from first symptoms and I'm still weak, tired, appetite not great, sore throat, bit of a cough still but nowhere near as bad as it was, still snotty but again not as bad.

I did a tidy up yesterday as place was a tip after 3 weeks of basically very minimal housework being done! Only a couple hours I did but it totally wiped me out! I'm
Sore all over today and totally knackered!

And that was "mild" COVID! I've very very rarely felt that bad with this kind of illness. I'm that annoying type of person that can usually still crack on if grumpily when I have tonsillitis/cold/flu.

This has utterly floored me so I really hope you're right it's not COVID.

Fallagain · 03/10/2021 20:25

Tell him play in the garden and don’t sanitise everything.

I was worried during the first lock down because my 6 months old wasn’t been exposed to virus and my DH has an autoimmune disease, I believe in part because MIL was overly cautious about him getting ill as a child.

Original poster
FTM8987 · 03/10/2021 20:54

I've ordered PCR tests for me and DH. I really doubt it's Covid but we shall see!

OP posts:
Justajot · 03/10/2021 21:03

There's a reasonable chance he's had your cold asymptomatically and actually gave it to you.

HarrisMcCoo · 03/10/2021 21:07

Just wait until they start nursery he will catch everything! Hand foot and mouth disease is common, chicken pox, common colds, slapped cheek, norovirus etc.

Lots of exposure to viruses in nursery and school environment, but most have had some kind of exposure to colds by then.

5 out of 6 in my household have now caught norovirus over last few days, and one that has just recovered from norovirus now has chicken pox. Not great as it means time off school. But these things happen.

Just relax about it OP.