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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>DC Parents Back From Malaysia...
HeidiH 06:38 PM 03-12-2020
So I recently wrote about my dc family traveling to Malaysia. I asked them to stay home for two weeks to monitor symptoms. My fault, but I did not ask them if they had fallen sick during those two weeks. They brought their child back on Mon and all seemed well. Tuesday she began to have a runny nose, which progressed to a cough on Wednesday. I wasn't too concerned because she had no fever, but by the time she left to go home on Wednesday evening, she looked BAD. Pale, red nose, and her cough was dry and hacking. It progressed fast. Her mom texted me an hour after that she would be staying home the rest of the week because she had developed a fever.

I live in Mn, where the cases of covid19 are just beginning to multiply daily. I texted them today for an update, and whether or not they were going to take her into the doctor's office, but I haven't heard back. I guess I'm just looking for input here... I already asked them to stay home for 2 weeks prior. If she gets diagnosed with something like the flu, or an ear infection, all is well. My concern, and maybe I'm getting ahead of myself, but my concern is that they don't take her into the Dr. They tend to lean towards holistic measures, offering her coconut water and herbal remedies. I want to help prevent the quick multiplication of this virus, and I have a responsibility to keep my family and my other families healthy. What kind of illness policy should take place in a situation like this, especially if they just ride it out with her with no diagnosis? Any input is appreciated.
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Michael 01:17 AM 03-13-2020
Well, after their trip and her sudden symptoms would have me concerned. Their holistic measures really don’t matter since there is currently no remedy, medication or cure if it’s coronavirus. What matters is if she sees a doctor and either gets cleared or has a test for the virus. There don’t seem to be many young children that are infected with Covid-19 per the statistics.

I think these days your exclusion or illness policy should have provisions that now cover infections that may need self-quarantine. It now doesn’t seem so far fetched to update your policies in light of what the country is now dealing with.
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Blackcat31 06:21 AM 03-13-2020
Im in MN also. I am simply excluding any child with symptoms. Runny nose, cough, fever etc.....

Usually kids with mild seasonal colds aren't excluded but considering the situation, I feel it's better safe than sorry.

I will stay open for business unless we are told we MUST close so I will just be extra cautious and exclude ALL kids with flu like symptoms without exception. Better to "inconvenience" one family than an entire community should things spread even more.

I am also no longer allowing any non-regular people pick up. Only those parents and grandparents that normally do.

I stopped allowing older siblings to come in during drop off and pick up a while ago so that helps too.

None of that is guaranteed to stop anything but I think it definitely reduces the likelihood of spreading.
I would definitely think every little bit helps.

As for payment, as long as I am open payment is due.

IF I have to close by choice I will probably take the stance of payment is due in full the first 2 weeks and any closures beyond 2 weeks I will meet parents halfway and compromise with 50% tuition charged.
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Snowmom 06:26 AM 03-13-2020
Originally Posted by HeidiH:
So I recently wrote about my dc family traveling to Malaysia. I asked them to stay home for two weeks to monitor symptoms. My fault, but I did not ask them if they had fallen sick during those two weeks. They brought their child back on Mon and all seemed well. Tuesday she began to have a runny nose, which progressed to a cough on Wednesday. I wasn't too concerned because she had no fever, but by the time she left to go home on Wednesday evening, she looked BAD. Pale, red nose, and her cough was dry and hacking. It progressed fast. Her mom texted me an hour after that she would be staying home the rest of the week because she had developed a fever.

I live in Mn, where the cases of covid19 are just beginning to multiply daily. I texted them today for an update, and whether or not they were going to take her into the doctor's office, but I haven't heard back. I guess I'm just looking for input here... I already asked them to stay home for 2 weeks prior. If she gets diagnosed with something like the flu, or an ear infection, all is well. My concern, and maybe I'm getting ahead of myself, but my concern is that they don't take her into the Dr. They tend to lean towards holistic measures, offering her coconut water and herbal remedies. I want to help prevent the quick multiplication of this virus, and I have a responsibility to keep my family and my other families healthy. What kind of illness policy should take place in a situation like this, especially if they just ride it out with her with no diagnosis? Any input is appreciated.
Personally, I would likely require a DR's note to return at all.
And I'm the one who hates going to the DR for ANYTHING.
Given the over seas travel, a DR would likely do a C19 test with those symptoms.
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Blackcat31 06:33 AM 03-13-2020
Originally Posted by Snowmom:
Personally, I would likely require a DR's note to return at all.
And I'm the one who hates going to the DR for ANYTHING.
Given the over seas travel, a DR would likely do a C19 test with those symptoms.

Our clinic and hospitals are telling people to refrain from going to the doctor unless ABSOLUTELY vital.

If healthy and normally well but have symptoms to self-quarantine and not go to the clinic unless really serious.

I wonder if they'd be able to get into the doctor for a note if there wasn't symptoms present already... kwim?
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Snowmom 07:28 AM 03-13-2020
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
Our clinic and hospitals are telling people to refrain from going to the doctor unless ABSOLUTELY vital.

If healthy and normally well but have symptoms to self-quarantine and not go to the clinic unless really serious.

I wonder if they'd be able to get into the doctor for a note if there wasn't symptoms present already... kwim?
I get what you're saying.

Question though: given the fact the family has traveled overseas (OP- 3 weeks ago?), warrants mandatory testing?
Personally, I do.
The DR's offices are asking all patients if they have traveled in the last 4 weeks (they just asked me this when I called to cancel my physical this morning).
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Blackcat31 09:07 AM 03-13-2020
Originally Posted by Snowmom:
I get what you're saying.

Question though: given the fact the family has traveled overseas (OP- 3 weeks ago?), warrants mandatory testing?
Personally, I do.
The DR's offices are asking all patients if they have traveled in the last 4 weeks (they just asked me this when I called to cancel my physical this morning).
Yes, given the fact that the family traveled I would think they are the people the clinic DOES want to see/check.

If anything they should call their physician and ask.

As the provider, I would exclude as a safety precaution. As I said previously I'd rather tick off one family than spread something to everyone.

I just wrote up a letter and info packet to send home with all my parents pretty much telling them that I wont make exceptions and that care and prevention for them is THEIR responsibility. I'll do my part FOR the group but they must do their part INDIVIDUALLY.
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Ariana 11:01 AM 03-13-2020
Medical experts say 14 days is long enough for this to not likely be the virus. Runny nose is also NOT part of coronavirus. I would get them to see their primary care DR though if you are worried.
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Blackcat31 11:23 AM 03-13-2020
Originally Posted by Ariana:
Medical experts say 14 days is long enough for this to not likely be the virus. Runny nose is also NOT part of coronavirus. I would get them to see their primary care DR though if you are worried.
Hmm A runny nose is the first symptom listed on the WHO website
Attached: 83717A2D-4822-488B-AA11-9FFA95F350CE.jpg (183.5 KB) 
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HeidiH 12:50 PM 03-13-2020
Parents said her fever is gone and they will not be bringing her to the doctor because she does not have symptoms of coronavirus!? I'm going to also be updating my families about tightening up my illness policy excluding ANY symptoms, and returning only when all symptoms are gone, but I'm not sure what to do about this family! I mean clearly the virus has proven to be mild in children and she has all the symptoms, along with her parents recent travel... this family is pleasant but they've always been inconsiderate. They've always been 5-10 min late for pick ups. I asked them to pick up on time and lock in a pick up time so they started leaving her here until 5pm and were still picking up late! Once they established a 5pm pick up, they would meet each other at home, run errands and come pick her up together at 5-5:15pm. I wasn't sure bc mom said she had a schedule change , but after a couple weeks of that, I has enough so revised my policy so their child could not stay more than 8.5 hours. I could tell they felt bad and just didn't realize it, but they are just naturally super inconsiderate. It's frustrating.
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HeidiH 12:56 PM 03-13-2020
I can't decide if i should ask for a doctor's note clearing her, or just applying the new illness policy ... I guess with the ambiguity of the coronavirus and it's life span, I should prob ask for a doctor's note, given their travel history....
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LittleExplorers 12:57 PM 03-13-2020
You could say due to the uncertainty and recommended travel restrictions, I am requiring x to remain out for 14 days, or whatever time you wish. That is the beauty of running our own businesses. You make the rules, not them.

Edited to add, from a foreign country, I would be thinking of more than just coronavirus that the child could pick up.
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HeidiH 01:25 PM 03-13-2020
Originally Posted by Snowmom:
I get what you're saying.

Question though: given the fact the family has traveled overseas (OP- 3 weeks ago?), warrants mandatory testing?
Personally, I do.
The DR's offices are asking all patients if they have traveled in the last 4 weeks (they just asked me this when I called to cancel my physical this morning).
I agree. At first I thought I could just exclude her for 14 days, or until her fever resolves, but the new coronavirus is so ambiguous at this point. I read an article on csnbc that some studies show the virus can survive for 37 days. There are also two tests to take to be cleared of the virus, and I don't want to take that chance with her. My 8 year old son had pneumonia twice last season and was hospitalized and had to be given a very strong antibiotic because augmentin was not doing the job. He is still vulnerable, and my mom is elderly and diabetic so I don't want to take my chances...
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Ariana 04:00 PM 03-13-2020
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
Hmm A runny nose is the first symptom listed on the WHO website
Weird! Everywhere else including the CDC there is only fever, cough, shortness of breath.

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019.../symptoms.html
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Tags:coronavirus, exclusion policy, illness policy, quarantine, self quarantine
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