Anyone else already nursing sick kids after *just* starting school?

[lilmc]

It gets significantly better at middle and high school.

Sigh, not for us. Senior in high school started school Tuesday, tested positive for COVID on Thursday. Well that didn’t take long

 

[DLgal]

Is everyone who’s dealing with flu/strep/stomach bugs just starting the mask free school? We were normal social distance school last year and dropped masks in March so I’m hoping we don’t have a super crazy flare of sicknesses like you all are. I expect some yucks from starting school, but you’re all sound like you’re describing worse than usual.

My kids were same as yours. Masks went away in March right after spring break. No one got sick through the end of the school year, even though omicron was spiking here.

 

[RangerPooh]

Started school August 8th. Already had one high schooler and one middle schooler out sick.

College kids are honestly just as bad as elementary school kids. They bring their germs into my office, and then I get sick. What's worse, we cannot ask a student to wear a mask or to reschedule if they are sick.

 

[Katie Dawn]

Is everyone who’s dealing with flu/strep/stomach bugs just starting the mask free school? We were normal social distance school last year and dropped masks in March so I’m hoping we don’t have a super crazy flare of sicknesses like you all are. I expect some yucks from starting school, but you’re all sound like you’re describing worse than usual.

Our school dropped masks March 2022, and didn't have a big spike. But TONS of adults I know have gotten COVID this summer, likely because the current strain is so very contagious, so I knew once schools went back the COVID cases would sky rocket. And they sure have.

 

[sasywtch]

No kids in this household but I'm now on my 3rd day of my first covid diagnosis. I'm pretty sure I got it in the ER when I took my daughter in Wednesday night. Lots of coughing in there. I never understood why the ER's don't have a separate entrance for covid symptoms.

 

[mjkacmom]

No kids in this household but I'm now on my 3rd day of my first covid diagnosis. I'm pretty sure I got it in the ER when I took my daughter in Wednesday night. Lots of coughing in there. I never understood why the ER's don't have a separate entrance for covid symptoms.

I believe they did, heck my daughter’s friend was sent home with antibiotics for appendicitis back then, no room at the inn.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

She has had Covid 4 times, 10/20, 2/21, 4/22 and now. She was vaccinated before the third case, and boosted. She can go back to class on Thursday. She had symptoms, now a fever and a cold.

Maybe she should consult with her doctor. While reinfection with Omicron isn't as uncommon as with earlier covid strains having it that many times is a lot. I'd worry perhaps her immune system is comprised in some fashion especially given how close together those reinfections are occurring (if you're saying the year was 2021 and 2022 although now reading that maybe you're saying year 2020, year 2021 and twice in 2022?). And it's possible that throughout the last few years her immune system took a hit like I suspect many of ours did since we weren't exposed nearly as much as normal.

We know the vaccine has a harder time with those immunocomprised in terms of protection and for some it just doesn't work at all. Immunocomprimised also are up to 4 doses of the vaccine presently and that could change things for her if she's only been boosted 1 time but could be qualifying for another.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I'm glad the OP has the answer although having it in August is yucky especially as the CDC doesn't recommend getting a vaccine for majority of people that early since it's not close to peaking although children can be recommended to get it early especially so (according to the CDC) if the need two doses.

According to their map most of the U.S. is minimal to low although New Mexico is high and Georgia is almost there but considered Moderate. You know come to think of it I feel like looking at it last year New Mexico was high when the rest of the U.S. wasn't. I wonder why that is??

 

[DLgal]

Our school dropped masks March 2022, and didn't have a big spike. But TONS of adults I know have gotten COVID this summer, likely because the current strain is so very contagious, so I knew once schools went back the COVID cases would sky rocket. And they sure have.

Yeah, we have had the covid notification email from school every day so far.

I have my kids back in masks right now as they finish recovering from flu. Their immune systems are probably not up to snuff yet and the last thing they need is a covid infection on top of the residual pneumonia and flu cough.

 

[DLgal]

No kids in this household but I'm now on my 3rd day of my first covid diagnosis. I'm pretty sure I got it in the ER when I took my daughter in Wednesday night. Lots of coughing in there. I never understood why the ER's don't have a separate entrance for covid symptoms.

That's weird. You can't come into any ERs or urgent cares here with covid symptoms and wait in the waiting room. They still make you wait in your car until it's your turn and then they take you right into the exam room with a nurse in full PPE.

 

[TipsyTraveler]

I'm glad the OP has the answer although having it in August is yucky especially as the CDC doesn't recommend getting a vaccine for majority of people that early since it's not close to peaking although children can be recommended to get it early especially so (according to the CDC) if the need two doses.

According to their map most of the U.S. is minimal to low although New Mexico is high and Georgia is almost there but considered Moderate. You know come to think of it I feel like looking at it last year New Mexico was high when the rest of the U.S. wasn't. I wonder why that is??

I can’t speak for New Mexico but Georgia schools have been in session for nearly a month already which is probably plenty of time to get a surge going.

On a bit of a tangent here, but I find the current (CDC?) recommendations to be frustrating. The policy for my son, told to me by the pediatrician and the county board of health, was that he needed to quarantine for days 1-5 after testing positive, then he could return to school as long as he wore a mask for days 6-10. I asked how long he would be contagious and was told “10 days.” I blurted out, “They’re allowed back while they’re still contagious?! No wonder he has Covid!” and the doctor replied, “I know.” Ridiculous. How well do you think pre-K and kindergartners are keeping masks on their faces, not to mention they would have to take them off three times a day to eat anyway. What genius came up with this policy?

FTR, my son has been too sick to return to school yet, so he will be well past the contagious period by the time he does. To my knowledge, the school never even notified other parents about the exposure.

 

[DLgal]

I can’t speak for New Mexico but Georgia schools have been in session for nearly a month already which is probably plenty of time to get a surge going.

On a bit of a tangent here, but I find the current (CDC?) recommendations to be frustrating. The policy for my son, told to me by the pediatrician and the county board of health, was that he needed to quarantine for days 1-5 after testing positive, then he could return to school as long as he wore a mask for days 6-10. I asked how long he would be contagious and was told “10 days.” I blurted out, “They’re allowed back while they’re still contagious?! No wonder he has Covid!” and the doctor replied, “I know.” Ridiculous. How well do you think pre-K and kindergartners are keeping masks on their faces, not to mention they would have to take them off three times a day to eat anyway. What genius came up with this policy?

FTR, my son has been too sick to return to school yet, so he will be well past the contagious period by the time he does. To my knowledge, the school never even notified other parents about the exposure.

It is so ridiculous.

When I had covid, I wouldn't even come out of my room until I had a negative covid test. My symptoms disappeared by day 5. That negative test didn't come until day 9.

I always thought the CDC 5 day guideline was for ASYMPTOMATIC people who tested positive. Did that change?

 

[TipsyTraveler]

It is so ridiculous.

When I had covid, I wouldn't even come out of my room until I had a negative covid test. My symptoms disappeared by day 5. That negative test didn't come until day 9.

I always thought the CDC 5 day guideline was for ASYMPTOMATIC people who tested positive. Did that change?

There was almost no discussion about symptoms. The woman from the Board of Health told me he could return on day 6. We were already on day 6 when I spoke to her. I mentioned he currently had a fever and she was like, “Oh, well, he’ll have to be fever-free for 24 hours before he returns,” which is basically just standard school policy for any illness. There were no restrictions mentioned about him not returning with a hacking cough, nose running like a faucet, or fire-engine-red infected eyes. Just five days or fever-free.

In fact, the school has some vague policy for illnesses that students shouldn’t return to school until they’ve “been feeling well” for at least 24 hours. Not fever-free for 24 hours, but actually feeling well. Which kind of sucks when your kid has a headache at lunch on Tuesday and then automatically has to be out on Wednesday as well, but I find it obnoxious that the run-of-the-mill-sickness policy is stricter than the official Covid policy, which the school has no part in. The school tells you to handle it directly with the Board of Health and follow whatever guidelines they give you.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

It is so ridiculous.

When I had covid, I wouldn't even come out of my room until I had a negative covid test. My symptoms disappeared by day 5. That negative test didn't come until day 9.

I always thought the CDC 5 day guideline was for ASYMPTOMATIC people who tested positive. Did that change?

It's been this for a long while, mask thru day 10 as well

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I can’t speak for New Mexico but Georgia schools have been in session for nearly a month already which is probably plenty of time to get a surge going.

That's possible although schools around here have been in session for 2 weeks for 1 of the main districts and 3 weeks for the other two main districts and it's listed here for both states as the lowest you can get. However the most recent date is for the week ending on August 20th so I'm assuming soon they will update soon possible things will change. I'm very curious how this year's pattern shapes up. Getting the flu now is like that awful summer cold, I'd hate to have it right now that's for sure!

 

[PollyannaMom]

and i can't help but wonder if that's because he is the single member of our household who got a different type of vaccine than the others.

I do think the different vaccines protect slightly better or worse than each other for different strains. But around here, it was kind of "you get what you get" for the first series, so we just went with the luck of the draw.

 

[mjkacmom]

Maybe she should consult with her doctor. While reinfection with Omicron isn't as uncommon as with earlier covid strains having it that many times is a lot. I'd worry perhaps her immune system is comprised in some fashion especially given how close together those reinfections are occurring (if you're saying the year was 2021 and 2022 although now reading that maybe you're saying year 2020, year 2021 and twice in 2022?). And it's possible that throughout the last few years her immune system took a hit like I suspect many of ours did since we weren't exposed nearly as much as normal.

We know the vaccine has a harder time with those immunocomprised in terms of protection and for some it just doesn't work at all. Immunocomprimised also are up to 4 doses of the vaccine presently and that could change things for her if she's only been boosted 1 time but could be qualifying for another.

That’s a good point, she also has alopecia and celiac, autoimmune diseases. Maybe when she comes home in december. I’ll have her contact her doctor (who she just saw a couple of weeks ago and just had blood work, her liver enzymes were high and she’s supposed to try and follow up on that, but she is 12 hours away with no car). Now that she has Covid she has to wait a few months anyway.

 

[mjkacmom]

It is so ridiculous.

When I had covid, I wouldn't even come out of my room until I had a negative covid test. My symptoms disappeared by day 5. That negative test didn't come until day 9.

I always thought the CDC 5 day guideline was for ASYMPTOMATIC people who tested positive. Did that change?

You never had to test again, it used to be 10 days if your symptoms were gone or getting better, it’s now 5 days unless bad symptoms but you should mask for another 5. I had/have 3 at different colleges and know the protocol for each as well as current CDC guidelines. We’ve had a lot of Covid here.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

You never had to test again, it used to be 10 days if your symptoms were gone or getting better, it’s now 5 days unless bad symptoms but you should mask for another 5. I had/have 3 at different colleges and know the protocol for each as well as current CDC guidelines. We’ve had a lot of Covid here.

It's been 5 days since late last December that you could leave isolation although you were still supposed to wear a mask thru day 10.

 

[DLgal]

You never had to test again, it used to be 10 days if your symptoms were gone or getting better, it’s now 5 days unless bad symptoms but you should mask for another 5. I had/have 3 at different colleges and know the protocol for each as well as current CDC guidelines. We’ve had a lot of Covid here.

For me, personally, I didn't want to give it to my kids, who have not yet had it. That's why I tested until negative. I know most people don't bother with that.