Why doesn't every parent catch their child's sick bug?

[Flopsy145]

My 3.5 year old DD is currently down with the dreaded sickness bug, the last two times she's had one I've also come down with it a day or 2 later. But I know a good few parents who never catch it, their kid has 24 hours of sickness and then they just stay healthy. Even my mum never caught mine as a kid and I once threw up on her face.

I'm always diligent with hand washing and Dettol spraying, this time even more so as I'm 35 weeks pregnant and feeling drained enough as it is! We've also been so far pretty lucky and always contained it in a bowl so I'm not (touch wood) so far scrubbing floors or dealing with multiple sicky sheets and towels in the wash.

How do some parents avoid it?!

Presumably they have steady had it?

Hygiene and immune system.

Already had it would be my guess.

Plus you're 35 weeks, so your immune system is going to be a little suppressed anyway.

I’m also wondering this, as I seem to have dodged one my son had last week. I was literally catching his vomit in my bare hands at times so I had assumed it was unavoidable. I did have nausea and cramps for a couple of days, so I wonder if I did catch it but it just wasn’t as bad for me?

Well one is a teacher, so very likely she has an iron clad immune system. But my mum never really had a sick bug even as a kid, whereas I had a fair few in my life so I would have built up an immunity to it. My hands are dry and raw from washing them so often since yesterday 😂 I know I can't avoid it and it will be pure pot luck if I get it or not, but would like my tolerance to increase if possible 😂

With three kids I assume I've already had all their germs.

Immunity to sickness bugs is very short lived as in only only a few months and they mutate very quickly, so it isn't because they've all ready had it.

It's probably a combination of immune system and luck.

Also blood group B are generally immune to certain noroviruses

I've never had a stomach bug in my life. Not sure why

I think some people are just more naturally immune than others- I think my son was only sick once or twice as a child and that was probably something he’d eaten that he’s intolerant of rather than a vomiting bug- he just never seemed to get these, and nor do his dad or I (touch wood!)

That's really interesting, I'm O so could be a reason why I get them!

Kids and their lovely germs 😅

Adults immune systems are stronger than small children's...

Same here. I get the odd cold but never a sickness bug nor the flu in my life (touch wood, obvs).

Iron clad immune system I guess. The proof will be when DS starts nursery!

I never catch my kids bugs, or generally get ill at all in any scenario, I presume I've just got a good immune system 🤷‍♀️ my DH has a very weak stomach and gets all the stomach bugs.

I read somewhere that you either get sickness bugs or you don't, there was some scientific reason. I always catch them and so does DD1, DP has never had one but gets a bit of an upset stomach at best and DD2 has never had one yet either.

I think some people are lucky with their immune system. My two never got those dreadful rounds of nursery and school bugs and they are grubby little buggers who try to get out of washing their hands. Only once has my nine year old been off school with a virus thing and it wasn’t a Pukey one but temperature and white spots on his tongue. He recovered after three days. I don’t think my daughter has ever had anything bar chicken pox. I’m the same luckily, very rarely ill, not had a winter cold for years, but I only have to look at a handle on public transport and I get a skin infection on my hands which I have to use an anti fungal on. I find it fascinating actually why some people are immune to most bugs and illnesses but then prone to skin infections.

I've never had a D&V bug either. The kids brought home all sorts of things I never caught - conjunctivitis, nits, a million colds and vomiting bugs. Blood type O+.

That’s amazing. I was just about to come on here and say that different people seem to be susceptible to different bugs. I am basically never sick but get ear infections a lot.

And I am group B blood! Am really rather pleased to know this.

Both my ds's never had a sickness bug. Me neither. Not picked up anything from dc. Nor Dh. I'm never really off work, (apart from a broken back in 4 places!) barely, nor is Dh, nor ds's only been off school a couple of days in the whole of their schooling, both primary and secondary.

I do remember ds1 had conjunctivitis twice from nursery. I promptly got some cream and it cleared up quickly.

I guess we are just the sorts who don't pick up much?

Maybe it's the overzealous handwashing, meaning you don't get so much low dose exposure?

As others have said, combination between hygiene and immunity/biology.

Hand hygiene is so important when dealing with D&V. Alcohol based gels DO NOT work on most D&V bugs - thorough hand washing and bleach are the only sure fire ways to clean (outside of hospital grade deep cleans!) So that means bleach spray/diluted bleach on surfaces and hand washing (properly - which should take around 1-2 minutes to do properly), and the hand washing has to be before you eat anything yourself. Don’t share food, cutlery, drinks etc with the infected person.

Biology - as others have said, some people will have natural immunity, or just will not be susceptible. Not the same, but DD and I have both had covid on a number of occassions, DH has never had it - despite sharing a bed, sitting next to me, being in the same car etc.

I’ve never heard of people getting skin infections from touching surfaces! I would have thought they were pretty rare and you’d have to be in direct skin to skin contact.
In general, skin’s a pretty good barrier to germs, so touching something germy isn’t going to harm you if it’s washed off before you touch your mouth/nose/eyes.
But I guess we’re all susceptible to different things.

We are like this in our family. DD1 has been pretty lucky with catching bugs - she's had about 4 D&V bugs through 5 years of nursery+school, and some of those have been during holidays, so has hardly had any sick days off. None of the 3 adults living here have caught those, nor her younger sister. I'm not super strict on hygiene, eg we don't wipe down everything with disinfectant, and don't use hand gel, just soap and water, and rarely use a hot wash.

I've never had D&V as an adult or that I can remember as a child. I'm blood group B. DCs were breastfed until 3.5 years.

I'm a usual hand washer during non sick bug days, only being over zealous while she's being sick!

So fascinating to hear all the different experiences, guess it really is the pot luck of biology and blood groups that determine it!

@LifeofBrienne yeah I’m so prone to it. When I lived in London I was a pro at wrapping my arm around a bar or handle on the tube so as not to touch them with mt hands. We moved away and I stopped using public transport so much and I don’t get so many issues with my hands but always have a tube of anti fungal on the go for that familiar itch, it’s either on the palm of my hand or sides of fingers I get it. Total pain! But not as bad as catching every puking bug going.

I'm always diligent with hand washing and Dettol spraying- that’ll be why.

Stomach bugs come from ingested bacteria which makes you sick. Washing hands, being fastidious about cleanliness will all help.