So Much Sickness!

[ItsAllSonShineAndRainbows]

Is it just me or is everyone getting sick lately?!
I feel like as soon as people stopped being careful with Covid, I feel like there's been sickness after sickness spreading through the kids and I'm SOOO tired of it. I have a weak immune system and don't want to keep getting sick (Thankfully I've dodged the last two!) I know it's because it's sicknesses these kids may not have been exposed to when everyone was staying home... but I just want a week without sickness!
We started school on the 16th of August. First week was great. Since then there has literally been 1 or more kids sick every week.
My parents have been pretty good about keeping sick kids home, and we've been sanitizing aver school every day... but it seems like a loosing battle!
Have you guys been dealing with this too? What are you doing to keep sicknesses at bay?

[e.j.]

Knock on wood, my dc kids have been pretty healthy so far. I had 2 siblings out the week before last with fever/cough/stuffy noses. They were tested for Covid but the results came back negative. The rest of us lucked out! None of the other kids, parents or me or my family members got it. I'm not doing anything extra other than being careful to wipe high touch areas down a little more than usual and I do wear a mask during day care hours. Would like to think our luck will continue! Hope it gets better for you.

[Annalee]

HFM caused me some issues a while back but we have been good since then. I send home for any little symptom so I think my parents are aware and helping with this issue now as well...Hopefully your sickness passes soon.

[gumdrops]

We have had illness really bad too! I'm thinking about telling parents to keep all siblings home if one of their kids get sick. I have a feeling COVID went through here a few weeks ago without anyone realizing that's what it was.

[Michael]

Yes, I think between Covid and the other seasonal pathogens spreading that many are not getting tested or seeing their doctors as they should. I worry about immune system burnout. I’ve been trying to keep up on my superfood, zinc, C and D. The sickness been lingering much longer than normal. I wonder if this is the “catching up” from being isolated so long.

[ItsAllSonShineAndRainbows]

Ended up having ONE child today. Mom messaged yesterday that her child had "a bit of a runny nose, but nothing else" Came this morning with a constant stuffy/runny nose and is struggling with eating because of it. Other than that she does seem fine, but I'm so tired of the boogers :P

[Cat Herder]

All of my kids started back on Claritin, today. It is just beginning allergy season, here. Everyone's houses are green and needing pressure washing.

[Annalee]

Question: got a set of siblings dcb5 & dcg4 that haven't been here this week....were tested for covid Monday and diagnosed then as well with bronchitis and strep....asking to come back tomorrow per the negative result they got today and the per the doctor.....still have a bad cough the parents say.... sporadic coughs don't bother me but constant coughing does with ANY sickness. I've told them this and they haven't contacted me back since I told them. What are y'alls thoughts on them coming back?

[Michael]

Trust your gut. If the constant coughing is a red flag, keep them out a few more days.

[Cat Herder]

I'd stick with my typical 24 hours on antibiotics (Strep), plus symptom free 24 hours without meds (coughing/fever), plus able to participate in all activities (body aches, exhaustion), 48 hours minimum.

[Annalee]

CH, the strep doesn't bother me, it's the bronchitis with so much RSV going around......I'm waiting for them to reply about how serious the 'bad cough' is.

[flying_babyb]

i swear we have at least 1-2 kids per room out every week lately! We had to close a room for covid exposure, had a couple of kids out with rsv, a few more out with covid symptoms..neverending!

[Springvalley]

Administrator is retiring this year and we've got kids out with HFM. The administrator thinks something is fishy because every time teacher A calls out someone either has to close because she can't work or they've got to combine classes and the administrator got mad because teacher A called her at 3am this morning because her kid was sick

[TwinMama]

I have two Moms that have FOMO big time. I don't want to say it's their generation, but I think it's their generation. They literally have to be at everything. They even go to friends houses where they know the kids are sick so they don't miss something. Then they show up to my house and say it's allergies. Now that I'm licensed I told them that if they want to claim allergies they need to be diagnosed by a doctor. Otherwise it's a cold.

[ItsAllSonShineAndRainbows]

Oh yes, it's always "allergies" or "teething"
Lady, it's the middle of winter and your kid is 5. It's a cold :P

[ItsAllSonShineAndRainbows]

So when I wrote this, there was a cold going though all of the kids. Me and my co-teacher got it too. It's been several weeks and everyone still has a cough, myself included. It's just hanging on like a bad breakup. One parent got a covid test, so we know it wasn't that. Any ideas?

[Ailseyblue]

RSV is running rampant in the daycares where I live. Read that it is lasting weeks also.

[e.j.]

I think I jinxed myself when I responded! Never trust knocking on wood! It apparently doesn't work! Was informed tonight that one of my dc kids tested positive for Covid. Parent has it, too. Hoping and praying no one else comes down with it.

[ItsAllSonShineAndRainbows]

Oh no!! Praying nobody else gets it!!!

[e.j.]

Thank you! Me, too! My family members are all vaccinated, thank goodness, but my kids and husband all have health issues that put them at additional risk for more severe illness. I'm hoping the vaccine does what it's supposed to do and protects them. Also hoping none of the other dc kids and their families get it. It's going to be a long couple of weeks as we wait to see what happens!

[ItsAllSonShineAndRainbows]

So I've come to realize other than the very first time, it's been the same kid getting everyone sick. She will seem ok for a few days then come back with another cold. Starts out as a runny nose, then a little bit of a cough, then Boom! Everyone else gets sick. She usually stays home on day three, but by then everyone is exposed. This has been happening every few weeks for the last 3 months! I'm not usually one to exclude for just a runny nose, but I'm this kid is getting everyone sick over and over! This week I finally caught one and am contemplating closing tomorrow to do a deep clean and get some rest. No temps with any of this, but it's definitely not allergies because one or more other kids get it from her each time.
They don't know it yet, but this families days are numbered. The only reason they're still here is because we are closing on a house next Friday and I needed their last payment :P

[Springvalley]

Thank you! Me, too! My family members are all vaccinated, thank goodness, but my kids and husband all have health issues that put them at additional risk for more severe illness. I'm hoping the vaccine does what it's supposed to do and protects them. Also hoping none of the other dc kids and their families get it. It's going to be a long couple of weeks as we wait to see what happens!

If they are able get them a booster it will help their immune system ramp up protection even better. I got mine Thursday (10-29) and I've done great with it, the only side effects I had were sore muscles, soreness at the injection site, and a headache similar to when I got my second COVID shot in march

[e.j.]

That's good to hear. We're all planning to get a booster. Just need to figure out how, when and where.

Only the baby and his mom got sick during that last exposure. The rest of us tested negative and because of the timing of the exposure and the fact that I had been vaccinated, I only closed for one day. Phew!

[Springvalley]

e.j. thats great. Hope no one else gets sick

[ItsAllSonShineAndRainbows]

Closed yesterday because I was feeling so cruddy. Tried to get some rest and sanitize everything. The parent of the kid that got everyone sick didn't respond to any messages. The other parents, who's kids were home sick, messaged asking how I was feeling yesterday evening. Everyone is back today. I still feel horrible. Most of the kids just have a faint cough, everyone (except the original germ spreader) covers their mouths pretty well. I'm so done with this family. If anyone brings in Covid, I know who it will be...