Mum sparks debate for wanting to send her child to school with coronavirus

A mum has left the internet baffled after she considered sending her son back to school despite him testing positive for covid.

As children head back to school this week after the summer holidays, parents would likely expect families to keep their children at home if they test positive for the virus.

However some parents online were outraged when a mum who posted on the internet forum Mumsnet shared she was seriously considering sending her child back to school with a 'glaring positive' result.

She explained that her son had received a positive test result a few days before he was set to start the new academic year at high school.

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“[Dear Son] tested positive on Sat, and was still a glaring positive last night,” she began.

“He's due back at high school tomorrow. [Very] few symptoms apart from a snotty nose, and [Dear Husband] and I seem to have swerved it.”

She added that her son was ‘desperate’ to not miss his first day and she was aware of the official government guidance, which states those who test positive no longer have to isolate.

The mum also said she is aware that sending her son to school could ‘unleash a new infection’ that could ‘spread through the school like wildfire’.

She went on: “He's desperate not to miss the first day of term, and I'm aware that official guidance means that you no longer have to isolate etc if you test positive, if all reasonable steps (masks, distancing etc) are taken. However, I wouldn't be confident he'd remember to do this (little scatterbrain!)

“On the flip side though, I don't want to unleash a new infection that will no doubt spread through the school like wildfire.”

One parent responded: “Of course he shouldn't go to school with an active covid infection.”

While another person gave a frank answer: “You shouldn’t have tested if this is a question for you - as it is you know he has it, keep him off.”

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One unimpressed commenter called the mum’s post: “Twisted logic.”

A parent took to the comments to share their own experience with Covid after sending their child back to school. “Keep him home,” they said. “I've been laid up for two weeks now with Covid, I don't think it's a coincidence that [Dear Child] had not long returned to school (Scotland).

“Don’t be selfish to your DC or others, wait til [sic] he's well enough to return and no longer symptomatic.”

Someone else wrote they would not send their children to school with Covid symptoms. “I wouldn't, no. I honestly don't care what the current advice is, I would not send my child to school knowing they had Covid. Certainly once the symptoms are gone, I would send them in, but not if they're going to be snotting all over everyone.”

MBI / Alamy Stock Photo.

The NHS guidance states that that children or young people under the age of 18 who develop covid symptoms or who receive a positive test are advised to stay at home for at least three days, but are obliged to under law. This starts on the day the test was taken.

Children and young people tend to be less infectious to others for less time compared to adults.

If parents insist on sending their children to nursery, school or college with covid symptoms, the institutions can take the decision to refuse your child attending ‘in their reasonable judgement’ to protect other students and staff.