Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids have had a lot of "ear infections" and "tummy aches". Though, that's mostly because if you reported any symptom on the list of possible COVID symptoms they daycare required a PCR test to return. I've spent over $1,000 on rapid turnaround PCR tests for that reason. Lately I've just been reporting a different symptom and using a rapid test.

The problem with the OP's comment is that, at least in Maryland, you need a doctors note to return if you miss 3 days of daycare. The other problem is that you're incentivized to report the case early because the 5-10 day isolation clock starts on the day you say symptoms started or a positive test.

I was able to bypass this when my kid got it. With the weekend, it worked out such that I could say she didn't test positive until >48 hours after she was last at daycare without impacting her return date.

Also, a positive case gets you out of future quarantines for 90 days! So if your kid has to stay home anyway of course it's to your advantage to report it. It just sucks for everyone else.

Some places, yes. A lot of daycares in MoCo weren't doing that for kids, though.

Anonymous wrote:My kids have had a lot of "ear infections" and "tummy aches". Though, that's mostly because if you reported any symptom on the list of possible COVID symptoms they daycare required a PCR test to return. I've spent over $1,000 on rapid turnaround PCR tests for that reason. Lately I've just been reporting a different symptom and using a rapid test.

The problem with the OP's comment is that, at least in Maryland, you need a doctors note to return if you miss 3 days of daycare. The other problem is that you're incentivized to report the case early because the 5-10 day isolation clock starts on the day you say symptoms started or a positive test.

I was able to bypass this when my kid got it. With the weekend, it worked out such that I could say she didn't test positive until >48 hours after she was last at daycare without impacting her return date.

Also, a positive case gets you out of future quarantines for 90 days! So if your kid has to stay home anyway of course it's to your advantage to report it. It just sucks for everyone else.

My kids have had a lot of "ear infections" and "tummy aches". Though, that's mostly because if you reported any symptom on the list of possible COVID symptoms they daycare required a PCR test to return. I've spent over $1,000 on rapid turnaround PCR tests for that reason. Lately I've just been reporting a different symptom and using a rapid test.

The problem with the OP's comment is that, at least in Maryland, you need a doctors note to return if you miss 3 days of daycare. The other problem is that you're incentivized to report the case early because the 5-10 day isolation clock starts on the day you say symptoms started or a positive test.

I was able to bypass this when my kid got it. With the weekend, it worked out such that I could say she didn't test positive until >48 hours after she was last at daycare without impacting her return date.

Anonymous wrote:What is the point? The other kids were already all exposed as well as the teachers. Just tell school your child has an ear infection/you are on vacation and call it a day. It doesn't actually prevent anything and instead just makes every other family struggle. And if the other kids are going to get Covid-they are going to get it regardless of having to stay out of school for 10 days.

There is literally no point to this anymore.

Signed,
An exhausted mom who was just notified of the 5th 10 day quarantine in less than a year the same week I am starting a new job.

I get it OP (my DH said the same thing the other day!) but what if the kid is actually sick and needs to stay home? Can you really tell your daycare they have an ear infection for 5 days? Vacation would be ok but with the laundry list if potential Covid symptoms an ear infection or something like a sprained ankle is the only thing you can use for an absence for illness. It’s also harder if you have a verbal kid who feels the need to share everything with their teachers/classmates. The problem is ridiculous policies that encourage parents to lie.

I absolutely agree with you, OP. Sorry this stinks so long for so many of us on this board.

Anonymous wrote:But let's say Larla brings in covid on Monday. She only gave it to Tommy. If Tommy had stayed home, then he wouldn't have given it to Harry Sally and teacher Karen on Friday.

Sure and there are a million ways the different people at the school are exposed every single day outside of school. It doesn't matter.

But let's say Larla brings in covid on Monday. She only gave it to Tommy. If Tommy had stayed home, then he wouldn't have given it to Harry Sally and teacher Karen on Friday.

My daycare only closes for at most one day quarantine so I test and tell the daycare for public health tracking purposes. If they were doing ten full days I would absolutely never tell them. Ooof, OP, five 10-day closures in a year is awful.

Daycares need to switch to a more reasonable policy because 10 day quarantine for exposure just encourages people to lie. My kid had covid (we only knew because of the test to stay policy) and was only out for 6 calendar days. We have another exposure now and he just tests for 5 days and wears a mask for 10 - but he is still at preschool.

Keeping healthy kids out of school "just in case" should never be the norm. I really don't understand how we are still here after 2.5 years of this.

PP here, I will note that nannies/babysitters don't seem to care about COVID risk anymore (especially if you do a quick rapid test on your kid and they're negative) so I've been able to hire people to cover quarantine periods much more easily than early in the pandemic.

+1 I have this thought all the time. It's sad that policies incentivize it but they absolutely do

Amen.

I agree. I wish people would just stop testing. Pull your kid out and lie. I’m too exhausted to care anymore.

What is the point? The other kids were already all exposed as well as the teachers. Just tell school your child has an ear infection/you are on vacation and call it a day. It doesn't actually prevent anything and instead just makes every other family struggle. And if the other kids are going to get Covid-they are going to get it regardless of having to stay out of school for 10 days.

There is literally no point to this anymore.

Signed,
An exhausted mom who was just notified of the 5th 10 day quarantine in less than a year the same week I am starting a new job.