Require Covid Test

[Momboss]

With covid presenting as pretty much anything, especially in kids, are you requiring a covid test to return to daycare if the child is sick with anything?
I almost feel like making this a requirement and im okay with the results of a home test. DCM texted last night that DCB has a fever but that she had taken a test earlier this week and her test was negative, so she doesnt think he has covid. Even though that doesnt make any sense….
the child goes to preschool twice a week at another facility so theres other places and situations where he can be exposed. For the safety of everyone i almost think testing even for JUST a fever or JUST vomitting would be best and gets rid of any doubt.

[Cat Herder]

I refuse to put a kid through it. There is no treatment, so a test is an invasive procedure that could potentially expose them to injury or secondary infection. Why bother?

The silliness with this flu is legendary.

I just follow my usual illness policy and exclude for symptom's.

[GirlMomma]

This is going to be an unpopular opinion… but I am treating COVID like any other illness. Children can return 48 hours without medication and of course being symptom free. I haven’t had any issues so far.

For example, I had one family I know diagnosed with COVID. DCD got it the week I was closed for break. DCM got it the week I opened after break. Child came the Monday I opened after break. DCK didn’t have any symptoms or signs of it. We made it two weeks later and no other family has been out and none of my kids are showing symptoms of it. My immediate family is healthy. I disinfect and sanitize like I usually do.

[GirlMomma]

*I too am following my illness policy. Kids will go home with diarrhea, green runny noses and persistent coughs.

I still didn’t have to exclude anyone 🙏🏽

[Momboss]

I go back and forth on whether i should treat this super seriously or whether i think covid is just a cold. My state has strict policy on how to treat covid and could lose my license if i let a child attend with covid without quarentining the required amount of time

[Cat Herder]

That is rough.

Luckily my state believes in common sense. We all had it, it was very mild because no one has preexisting conditions, obesity, smoke inhalation history or uses a high quantity of alcohol routinely (the main issues with those on vents) and no one had to miss more than 3 days of work the entire two years. I have never closed this entire time and everyone is perfectly healthy with parents still earning full paychecks.

Here there is not even a registry or inspectors to follow up on it if I did try to report it. There is no liability on the vaccine makers, the government, the state or us. The mandates are hot air and I am not sure how they are able to keep passing them.

[Annalee]

Food for thought, I now have three children with covid....If I had not asked for the testing, I would have never known and thought it was a simple stomach bug?

[GirlMomma]

Annalee I think all anyone can do is make decisions based on their knowledge and based on which works best for their business, family and clients.

[GirlMomma]

I will also say, this pandemic has made me realize how antisocial I am. Anytime I can do curbside pick up or have something delivered, I do it. The last thing I want to do is be around people. 😂

[Alwaysgreener]

GirlMomma lol I am perfectly happy not leaving home too. Last year when I stopped driving my old van I had put about 12000 miles driven in the 23 months I drove it. (Got it at the end of 2019)

My dh even drove it to run errands on the weekend and we consider it the family vehicle, we use it for trips as well.

[Alwaysgreener]

My DD school and Local health department sent out this message

A healthcare evaluation is needed if: The child has any TWO of the following symptoms: fever, chills, headache, extreme tiredness/fatigue, sore throat, new congestion or runny nose, body aches, or nausea/vomiting. The child has any ONE of the following symptoms: new cough, loss of taste or smell, or shortness of breath.

Please remember the guidelines call for siblings to stay home as well if there are concerning symptoms.

So this list says that I do not need to test my own kids if they only have a fever. When my dd9 gets a cough, I have to call the doctor for an evaluation and they say that they do not want to see her and to get her tested, so I test her. If she tests positive or if ds3 starts or has a cough too then I get him tested too. My ds no matter if dd is positive or if he or she is really sick has tested negative every time. My ds plays night and day with his sister that is positive with, as they say, "a highly contagious virus" (He even plays with her with and without symptoms) and yet he always tests negative and rarely masks.

[GirlMomma]

That’s so funny you say that. My husband has been working in with the general public since this started and he’s never gotten it. Even when our DD’s and I had it in November 2020, he still didn’t get it! His immune system is made of steel or it’s in his bloodline. Just hours before I showed my first symptoms of COVID, I sat next to his grandma at the table and conversed with her for nearly an hour, she brought us a pie. We hugged when she left. She had prior health conditions and his grandpa has diabetes. THEY NEVER GOT IT!

[Alwaysgreener]

GirlMomma My Ds eats a balance diet and takes his vitamins including elderberry daily, DS also just stopped nursing just before lockdown, however my DD refuses to take vitamins and would rather eat just grains and sweets all day.

Dh and I both have only tested negative and got the first vaccine but opted out of the boosters for now. I also take vitamins plus elderberry.

[GirlMomma]

Alwaysgreener for what it’s worth…. I am the older version of your DD 😂 it’s terrible and you know I’m working towards better health in 2022 LOL

My immediate family doesn’t take any vitamins or supplements. Not that we won’t or shouldn’t, it’s just not something DH and I have ever done. We do eat fairly healthy, we eat out about once/week and drink a lot of water - but my youngest DD and I have the sweet tooth.

[GirlMomma]

I understand the points above. If licensing requires certain things, I would follow those requirements. My pay stays the same as well whether the child is here or not. That has no affect on my decision to treat this like any other illness.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want my family (specifically my elderly grandparents with COPD and diabetes) to get COVID… but I also don’t want my family to contract the flu, bronchitis or pneumonia either. All of those illnesses could be contracted the same way we can contract COVID-19. Most of the named illnesses above are more severe than a coronavirus, which by definition is “a common cold.” To me, unless I am going to require tests for all of the illnesses I mentioned above, I can’t expect a DCP to test a child now.

[Cat Herder]

The income lost that I am referring to was when the provider was forced to close down, entirely, to quarantine. My state had no funds available for us if that happened. We have been on our own.

[Annalee]

Oddly, the two giving me grief are the last of the ones that received the 20 month free daycare..March 2020-August 2021. The others know what's happening could happen to other daycares. Parents are so used to FREE!

[Annalee]

I don't require tests for every symptom; just did with the stomach bug per other daycare family being positive and my contact with the pediatrician.

[e.j.]

With covid presenting as pretty much anything, especially in kids, are you requiring a covid test to return to daycare if the child is sick with anything?

If the kids present with any of the symptoms of Covid I send them home and do require a negative PCR test (home tests aren't as accurate) in order for them to return to day care. The members of my family are high risk for various reasons. I'm trying to protect them as well as the other kids in my care.

[Springvalley]

I've been taking vitamin c & d since March 2020, added probiotic this year and I've also been doing zyrtec and Flonase for years on account of i have seasonal allergies plus I've had lung problems all of my life because of being a preemie

[Annalee]

My daycare center friend said she had two teachers and many kids with covid but someone told her she didn't have to do anything and IF the teachers were asymptomatic they could work as long as they wear a mask So I guess we all just do what we feel is best, right?

[GirlMomma]

There’s no right or wrong answer at this point lol

[Momboss]

Licensing requires we have to report to them if anyone in daycare has covid. #1- Why? #2- How would they find out if I dont?

[GirlMomma]

Momboss I know when DD and I got tested in my state in November of 2020, we had to list the name of any employers, daycares or schools attended so they could contact them and let them know of the positive case.

It’s possible that a DCP could put your daycare down as being one they attend. If you don’t report it and licensing puts two and two together, you’ll lose your licensing.

[GirlMomma]

As for the why part - I have no clue! To “track” the cases?

[Momboss]

Momboss I know when DD and I got tested in my state in November of 2020, we had to list the name of any employers, daycares or schools attended so they could contact them and let them know of the positive case.

It’s possible that a DCP could put your daycare down as being one they attend. If you don’t report it and licensing puts two and two together, you’ll lose your licensing.

Ive been in close contact with a few people who tested postive and never received any notice from anyone except the person who tested positive. With people testing at home now, Im guessing they arent reporting it anywhere.

[GirlMomma]

Then it could just be for the state to keep track maybe? I know in our state it was reported to DD school

[e.j.]

That would be my guess, too. Back when the pandemic first started, they were contact tracing in this state so I think we had to report cases for that reason. Now that they're no longer doing contact tracing, I think it must be so they can keep track of how many kids in day care are getting sick.

[Annalee]

Here, they must not keep up with the covid/quarantine crew as there is a daycare that willingly keeps all the quarantine kids from schools and daycares; she has been doing this since 2020 so you would think they would have shut her down if the state was keeping track of it. Our state is leaving alot up to the provider right now BUT they also rear their head occasionally to make sure everything is under control as best it can be??