Are we treating every little ailment as if it’s Covid?

I’m genuinely curious what other pediatricians are doing. 2 weeks ago DS had an awful cough and a slight fever of 100. After 2 days home from school I took him to the doctor, thinking it was strep. Doc forced him to get swabbed, he flipped and needed 2 nurses to hold him down (it was awful). Even after I refused and said I’ll take him the next day to urgent care if he isn’t better. Alas, it was negative. I had to keep him home from school for a whole week.
Now DD woke up this morning with a fever. Are we just going to assume she may have Covid and keep her home all week? I’m really hoping she doesn’t need a doctors visit. And school requires a doctors note if child is out for 2 consecutive days. So a visit and a week home may be inevitable. Doctor doesn’t have rapid tests in office unfortunately.
I’m just frustrated and stressed out , sorry just venting!

Re: Are we treating every little ailment as if it’s Covid?

Not sure. I had a talk with my school nurse one day because my daughter had a plain old stomach ache and she said that was ok and she could come back the next day no issues.
She also suggested if your child has a chronic issue like allergies that would cause them to cough or sneeze, or sniffle, or some stomach issue to get a doctor's note stating that and have it on file with the school- she said that would make it easier for them as well.
Fevers though- there really isn't any leeway with that I don't think.

In terms of you refusing the Covid test for your son at the peds office and them forcing it- really? I would have raised a fuking riot if anyone tried to touch my kid against my will. OMG it would have been ugly.

Re: Are we treating every little ailment as if it’s Covid?

Re: Are we treating every little ailment as if it’s Covid?

The doctors near me are no longer using the covid test that goes all the way in. They are using the ones that look like you are picking your nose. I would be so upset that they needlessly traumatized my kid. For our school, if your kid has a fever over 99.0 they must stay home. As we have both virtual and on line available, a child with a mild cold is encouraged to do virtual if they can. If they are really sick they need to stay in bed.

Re: Are we treating every little ailment as if it’s Covid?

Re: Are we treating every little ailment as if it’s Covid?

Re: Are we treating every little ailment as if it’s Covid?

Are we treating every little ailment as if it’s Covid?

I would be finding a new ped immediately. That is illegal for them to perform a test without your consent.

Not all doctors are treating everything as Covid but I'm not sure how they decide. The urgent care centers do seem to want to Covid test anyone who walks in the door but I haven't seen the same response from primary care offices.

Re: Are we treating every little ailment as if it’s Covid?

the school, cdc and NYS apparently are with all the symptoms they consider covid

I feel like my dr is reasonable but I havent really had to try yet for them yet but I did call when it first was out because my mom was worried and made me call lol and he was so laid back about it so I cant see him now being that way!


My school requires a note from the dr that says a symptom they have on the list is something else (just a regular cold, allergies etc) or a negative covid test!!


I have hear urgent cares will not write any note unless you get a covid test.

my plan is if my kids are ever required to get one, I will try to find a place to get a rapid test done so they are not out for long if they dont have it!

Are we treating every little ailment as if it’s Covid?

I dont think we need to treat everything as covid, but I do think that in this day and age, its a good to keep kids home if they are sick with antyhing -- runny noses, coughs, fevers (even if less than 100 --) etc. Nobody wants their kids to get sick with anything and if one gets sick and then another then we ALL have to wonder if its COVID this time etc. My kids have been sick since returning to school (they are prek and nursery)-- my pre-k got sick and I actually kept my nursery home in case he started showing symptoms -- then I sent them both back and of course, the day I sent them back the nursery child came home and THEN was sick from what his sister had (so it manifested days later).....I'm trying to be a good neighbor by keeping them home -- I realize that they may end up missing a fair amount of school, but I do hope others do the same -- whether is a cold, strep, or COVID, I think its just good practice to try not to get others sick.

Re: Are we treating every little ailment as if it’s Covid?

DD had a croup cough on Sunday, slight fever 99.7 that went away on own that night. Took her to ped yesterday and they spent 30 minutes talking about the fever. I was so annoyed, then they wouldn't even give her the steroid. She has had croup many many times, March was her last episode. But yes, let's focus on covid??

Re: Are we treating every little ailment as if it’s Covid?

Re: Are we treating every little ailment as if it’s Covid?

Are we treating every little ailment as if it’s Covid?

I think kids with legitimate Covid symptoms should be tested. However, I don’t think a pediatrician can or should hold a child down to test them if their parent refuses.

The rapid tests aren’t very accurate. As much as I wouldn’t want my DD to have the test, if she has symptoms I would expect she would be swabbed like anyone else.

Re: Are we treating every little ailment as if it’s Covid?

Message edited 10/13/2020 2:51:53 PM.

Are we treating every little ailment as if it’s Covid?

My pediatrician doesn't even have Covid tests. She told me when I took DD for her back to school physical and required immunizations.

Re: Are we treating every little ailment as if it’s Covid?

Are we treating every little ailment as if it’s Covid?

Idk but this is what I'm worried about. I am having to hold all my accrued time God forbid they have a runny nose and can't go to school.

Are we treating every little ailment as if it’s Covid?

If a child has any one Covid symptom in our district, they must have a negative test result before returning to school... They only accept PCR tests - which they do have a rapid option in some places. Our peds office doesn't go all the way up into the nose though (I haven't gone but friends have).

Even if you keep your kid home because they have a stuffy nose and you think they would've been sent home if you sent them to school - they need a negative test before they return.

My peds office doesn't agree with the school's policies - they usually only test if there are two minor symptoms or one major symptom.

I have a nurses note in for allergies for DS 2 because he's horribly sniffly but they haven't sent him in yet and the nurse said monitor for additional symtpoms.

Message edited 10/13/2020 4:25:06 PM.

Re: Are we treating every little ailment as if it’s Covid?

Our district only requires a dr note to return to school IF they are sent home with symptoms. The dr then decides if a covid test is necessary. If we keep our kid out of school they are free to return as soon as they are symptom free, no questions asked.

If my ped requires me to hold my child down for a covid test over a runny nose or a fever of less than 100 I will be finding a new dr that same day.

All of these stories are making me sure I won't be voluntarily bringing my child to the doctor for anything less than imminent death.

Re: Are we treating every little ailment as if it’s Covid?

Re: Are we treating every little ailment as if it’s Covid?

Message edited 10/13/2020 7:47:29 PM.

Re: Are we treating every little ailment as if it’s Covid?

I think nurses/doctors are being reasonable. DS went to nurse with a stomach ache. She felt bad (DS had no obvious signs of a stomach virus), but told me that I couldn't bring him back to school without a doctor's note with an alternative diagnosis or else he'd need a covid negative test. The ped was very understanding and said it sounded like constipation. She wrote me the note I needed for DS to come back to school.

Are we treating every little ailment as if it’s Covid?

2 weeks ago my youngest DD got a cold. She had a low grade fever for less than a day, runny nose and cough for about a week or so. I kept her home from school because COVID, but I needed a note to send her back so I had to take her to her ped. Her pediatrician said it was a cold and he's seen a bunch of kids with the same symptoms. He said he's done a COVID test on all of them and hasn't gotten a positive result yet (DD was negative as well). He did a great job doing the test though and by the time he was done she was just realizing he swabbed her nose. I hate that she had to get it done but at the end of the day she needed to go back to school so what other choice did I have?

Also FTR NYC schools are requiring parents to consent to random COVID tests meaning even if your kid has no symptoms etc they can just randomly test them. WTF?? If you don't consent then you can't send your kid to in person learning. I have two friends that have had to relunctantly consent because their kids do not do well with virtual learning, have learning disability issues, etc. Crazy world.....

Re: Are we treating every little ailment as if it’s Covid?