Daycare/preschool regs for upcoming year and COVID

[Anonymous]

Just wondering what the norm is in dc and nearby jurisdictions: does a two year old with a runny nose but no other symptoms have to stay home? My LO is starting outside care for the first time and I’m expecting a lot of runny noses.

[Anonymous]

In Maryland the Office of Child Care does not consider a runny nose a symptom of Covid and it alone would not require exclusion. Of course I assume daycares can set their own policies.

[Anonymous]

Ask your daycare what their specific policy is. Mine will allow a clear runny nose with no other symptoms. If anything additional happens like cold, cough or green snot then it’s stay at home until negative Covid result is produced.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ask your daycare what their specific policy is. Mine will allow a clear runny nose with no other symptoms. If anything additional happens like cold, cough or green snot then it’s stay at home until negative Covid result is produced.

I don't understand the clear runny nose thing. That usually happens at the beginning of a cold which means when it is clear, they are most contagious.

[Anonymous]

DC daycare. They literally turn runny noses away at the door and send for Covid testing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DC daycare. They literally turn runny noses away at the door and send for Covid testing.

Are the kids not wearing masks? Hard to see a runny nose at the door that is covered up….

[Anonymous]

DC director here. Runny nose is still considered a symptom of COVID and we are to begin COVID protocols for it. It sucks. From the latest regs:

• Anyone experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 or who is required to isolate or quarantine
due to COVID-19 diagnosis or exposure should stay home and should not enter a childcare
facility due to the risk of exposing others. This includes staff, children, and visitors.
o Symptoms of COVID-19 include: fever (subjective or 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit),
chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body
aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny
nose, nausea or vomiting, poor appetite or poor feeding, abdominal pain, or
diarrhea.
o Please note that children with COVID-19 infection often present with non-specific
symptoms, such as only breathing or stomach symptoms, with the most common
being cough and/or fever.
• Ask families to be alert for signs of illness in children and to keep them home if they are
sick.
• Individuals who are under quarantine (for example due to exposure to a close contact),
isolation, or have a COVID-19 test result pending also should not enter the facility.

[Anonymous]

For DCPS, runny nose alone no longer requires exclusion: https://dcpsreopenstrong.com/health/ . Wish DOH and OSSE would update their guidance for childcare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DC director here. Runny nose is still considered a symptom of COVID and we are to begin COVID protocols for it. It sucks. From the latest regs:

• Anyone experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 or who is required to isolate or quarantine
due to COVID-19 diagnosis or exposure should stay home and should not enter a childcare
facility due to the risk of exposing others. This includes staff, children, and visitors.
o Symptoms of COVID-19 include: fever (subjective or 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit),
chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body
aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny
nose, nausea or vomiting, poor appetite or poor feeding, abdominal pain, or
diarrhea.
o Please note that children with COVID-19 infection often present with non-specific
symptoms, such as only breathing or stomach symptoms, with the most common
being cough and/or fever.
• Ask families to be alert for signs of illness in children and to keep them home if they are
sick.
• Individuals who are under quarantine (for example due to exposure to a close contact),
isolation, or have a COVID-19 test result pending also should not enter the facility.

It is but according to the chart on the link page it needs to be one of two symptoms. It looks like it was just updated on the 20th.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC director here. Runny nose is still considered a symptom of COVID and we are to begin COVID protocols for it. It sucks. From the latest regs:

• Anyone experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 or who is required to isolate or quarantine
due to COVID-19 diagnosis or exposure should stay home and should not enter a childcare
facility due to the risk of exposing others. This includes staff, children, and visitors.
o Symptoms of COVID-19 include: fever (subjective or 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit),
chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body
aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny
nose, nausea or vomiting, poor appetite or poor feeding, abdominal pain, or
diarrhea.
o Please note that children with COVID-19 infection often present with non-specific
symptoms, such as only breathing or stomach symptoms, with the most common
being cough and/or fever.
• Ask families to be alert for signs of illness in children and to keep them home if they are
sick.
• Individuals who are under quarantine (for example due to exposure to a close contact),
isolation, or have a COVID-19 test result pending also should not enter the facility.

It is but according to the chart on the link page it needs to be one of two symptoms. It looks like it was just updated on the 20th.

Never mind. I was looking at the school page and not daycare page.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DC director here. Runny nose is still considered a symptom of COVID and we are to begin COVID protocols for it. It sucks. From the latest regs:

• Anyone experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 or who is required to isolate or quarantine
due to COVID-19 diagnosis or exposure should stay home and should not enter a childcare
facility due to the risk of exposing others. This includes staff, children, and visitors.
o Symptoms of COVID-19 include: fever (subjective or 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit),
chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body
aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny
nose, nausea or vomiting, poor appetite or poor feeding, abdominal pain, or
diarrhea.
o Please note that children with COVID-19 infection often present with non-specific
symptoms, such as only breathing or stomach symptoms, with the most common
being cough and/or fever.
• Ask families to be alert for signs of illness in children and to keep them home if they are
sick.
• Individuals who are under quarantine (for example due to exposure to a close contact),
isolation, or have a COVID-19 test result pending also should not enter the facility.

OP here-
Well this is going to make daycare a non-starter for us. Canceling our spot and starting the nanny share search. Who can possibly live with this level of uncertainty? It’s ridiculous to be honest- and obviously DCPS and other school systems have woken up to the fact but OSSE is living in a dream world where parents work from home and have infinite flexibility and paid leave.

[Anonymous]

OP - It is a pain, and I would very much like to see the guidance change, but it is manageable. For one, your child won’t be exposed to as many viruses given masks, social distancing, and cleaning. When your kid does get sent home, you can go get a Covid test and your kiddo can return with a negative result (so long as no fever). We were really worried last year that our two kids in daycare would be home all the time, but it really hasn’t been so bad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP - It is a pain, and I would very much like to see the guidance change, but it is manageable. For one, your child won’t be exposed to as many viruses given masks, social distancing, and cleaning. When your kid does get sent home, you can go get a Covid test and your kiddo can return with a negative result (so long as no fever). We were really worried last year that our two kids in daycare would be home all the time, but it really hasn’t been so bad.

Same- we’ve literally had two colds over the entire year.