Schools and Covid 19 (part 5) **Mod warnings in OP**

fun loving criminal

What's up with kids being out of school lately?

I was in a shop this morning and a mother and young enough son, around 8 years old and the kid coughing non-stop and no mask because I think Ireland thinks kids are immune to this virus.

Vaccinated30

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117903732#Comment_117903732

Ive heard numerous times from numerous people even this week

They said kids cant get it but my niece/son/grandchild got it ..

It would send you crazy telling people they said kids dont get really sick from it not that they dont get it...

mohawk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117903732#Comment_117903732

Kids do get it. Statistically they are more likely to get a milder version of the disease then an adult.

fun loving criminal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117904548#Comment_117904548

I very much understand that. But here's a kid with a cough and going about spreading whatever germs he had.

is_that_so

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117904681#Comment_117904681

It's what kids do and in normal times we'd generally ignore it.

kippy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117903688#Comment_117903688

I participated in one in early August and have been using LIDL ones since.

But there's no excuse fo the trials happening "NOW" - should have happened ages ago - and what exactly is being "trialled" i wonder?

Why not do what the NHS did and make the test kits easily available? Responsible people will use them. Surely a better situation than what is there currently.

is_that_so

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117904998#Comment_117904998

Because NPHET still say no but it looks like they have relented to an extent by suggesting that sectors need to decide for themselves.

fits

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117904998#Comment_117904998

It’s in the universities. They weren’t open in august.

kippy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117905210#Comment_117905210

What's to trial though?

fits

Read all about it

https://unicov.org/

shesty

Three year old informed me this afternoon he had a sore throat.

Yep, I booked a test.Tried to do an antigen on him, he wouldn't let me.Brought his sibling along as she coughed a bit.Might aswell.

As it turns out he is now running a temperature.I admit, covid is bottom of my list of concerns.We have the test done so at least if needs a doctor this weekend I can get an appointment and I don't have to wait for him to get worse, ring a doctor, and wait another 24 hours for a test result before getting to see a doctor.

It's a rubbish way to live, his sister's weekend activities are now gone for them while we wait for his result.It's even more rubbish to realise my mind went straight to "how quick can I get a test" instead of "will I need a GP" when he told me.He's back in preschool 3 weeks, I expect him to catch pretty much everything this year, his immume system hasn't had the workout the other two would have had at this stage.Long winter ahead

Beanybabog

My 3 year old woke slightly congested, I hadn’t noticed until he told me he had snots. I didn’t send him in even though it was the mildest snotty nose in history. The list I got from his sisters school says the DES sent an updated list of symptom including congestion and snotty nose and if your child has one symptom keep them home and call the GP. His schooL was already closed recently for cases that spread and he did his time at home and tests (negative). So I was in a bit of a panic about it- not panicking about him getting Covid, but sending them in, the right thing to do etc. I did an antigen and it was negative. I felt like a tool but I rang the GP office because that’s what the email said and they said they’re sending them all pretty much as some schools won’t take them back without the test. But they said just keep him home and see if he gets worse or develops anything else. He didn’t, a few snots and it cleared that day. I’m a stay a home parent so last minute keeping them home is not an issue, and I want to do the right thing, but between the covid cases shutting the school and this he’s only been in 5 days. I did a think through of the rules and my understanding is that a strict interpretation would be

1) keep them all home, including his school going sister (because a snotty nose is a symptom) and you stay home if family has any symptoms

2) go to the test centre en masse, baby and all, because I shouldn’t have anyone mind the others if someone has a symptom.

3) wait for results. Send him back if negative? Or when the snots go?

I have three kids… if I have to do the above everytime someone has a single symptom on the list (it’s a pretty extensive list!) they’ll never get to go in, and probably most of the time won’t have covid anyway.

I think antigen tests need to be rolled out for the kids. They’re pretty expensive to buy yourself though. My sons class was shut down two days before the HSE would have done it on the back of a home administered antigen test.

shesty

This is it, I fully expect next week my oldest will pick whatever it is up and need a test and time off school til results come.

There does come a point where they miss too much because of "just in case" though.

Beany if you bring them all would you expect them all tested?I went the opposite way and thought I couldn't bring them all if not being tested, because they would 't allow it. Had to wait for husband to come home before I brought younger 2 out.

Beanybabog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117905670#Comment_117905670

No, I would assume only symptomatic one is tested but strictly speaking no one from outside the household can mind them if one has a single symptom..and my OH is working abroad. So i would have to do a family trip or wait days or a week until he’s home which defeats the point of testing for tracing as speed matters…

josip

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117905219#Comment_117905219

6G

Vaccinated30

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117906518#Comment_117906518

Anyone thats vaccinated can mind them as Fully Vaccinated people arw not close contacts and dont need to restrict movements. If you/your OH are fully vaxxed then you cam both carry on working going to the shops etc even if the children are positive so long as you have no symptoms.

fun loving criminal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117904886#Comment_117904886

It's not what kids do. It's what the mother did. Bring her coughing kid shopping with her.

shesty

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117906518#Comment_117906518

You can tie yourself into so many knots trying to get this right especially with kids.It's hard.

BobHopeless

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117907065#Comment_117907065

What should she have done, left the child at home by themselves? Not everyone has a nanny and they have to just get on with it.

fun loving criminal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117907088#Comment_117907088

Maybe stay at home with the kid? Shopping for adult clothes isn't essential.

shesty

Also the child may have had a negative test and just have had a cough.

BobHopeless

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117907101#Comment_117907101

Who say's it not essential? Also maybe she was out getting groceries also and paying bills at the post office who knows. It's a cough and sniffle for goodness sake not ebola.

BobHopeless

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117907102#Comment_117907102

Exactly, who knows. The pandemic has produced an army of curtain twitchers.

fun loving criminal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117907102#Comment_117907102

A negative test doesn't mean that they don't have covid. This is even on the HSE website.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117907187#Comment_117907187

I presume the hse website says kids who have had a negative test, are not a close contact of a confirmed and don’t have new symptoms have to restrict their movements so?

shesty

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117907187#Comment_117907187

Good for the HSE website.

If you have kids you realise exactly how many versions of coughs and colds they can get in a winter, and how long these can drag on for.Once a negative test is there, and nothing else is going on in the background at home, that's good enough for me. I am not going to question every child I see with a cough.

Also seeing as this is a purely hypothetical discussion about someone none of us know anything about, I think I'll leave it there.

the corpo

We've caught this really nasty head cold this week, got tested and are negative, but are inclined to stay away from others, just cos it's a brutal enough cold, not keen to pass it on.

I don't think there is any HSE advice on restricting movements in general if you get a negative test, but they do ask you not to return to school until 2 days after symptoms have abated.

If people were in a position to keep there kids out just for a day or two even to just let a sniffle pass it might help alleviate the unnecessary 14 day break many kids are having to endure. Maybe. It's unfortunate timing that such a particularly rough cold is doing the rounds...

bloopy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117907614#Comment_117907614

Caught the same cold. It is a rough one alright. Very hard to shift it off too.

Tested negative for the covid yesterday but still worked from home during the week to prevent spreading it in to the office - don't think i'd be very popular if I brought it in with me.

jrosen

Ive one of mine out and we had him tested yesterday, he is partially vaccinated. Awaiting result. He is pretty miserable anyway and covid aside I prob would have kept him home yesterday at the very least. I dont think its covid as there has been no known cases in any of his circles. That being said I think its only right to be cautious. I also think we could do with learning from covid and keeping sick kids home from school in future rather than sending them to spread whatever they have to the class.

People are stupid. We had one person in work (vaccinated) come to work sick, sore throat, blocked nose, headache. Play down the illness. Turns out they have covid, now 2 of the non vaccinated staff members had to be sent home and to follow public health advice. We are now down 3 staff members and the pressure is being put on the rest of us to cover shifts.

shesty

Have just been tested myself, painful sore throat, woke up with it.

All kids other than me there, some quite upset at the testing (older kids, 8,9,10 crying their eyes out).A couple of screaming toddlers and babies too, obviously unwell and unhappy, being compounded by swabs being stuck up their noses.

I know it is necessary but it seems wrong somehow.And I am sure plenty of people will be here asking me well what else can we do -simply stating what I saw and heard.