Keep her home?

[amcal]

Sigh....this has been the worst couple months of sickness our family has had. There hasn't been a week since mid December that someone hasn't been sick.

So, yesterday DD woke up with a sore throat, low grade fever and bright red bloodshot eyes. It's not pink eye. A friend of ours had this virus and she got it from someone an so on.....and it's the same symptoms. (on a side note - anyone know what this virus is? The bright red bloodshot eyes are freaky!)

So, I kept her home yesterday. Fever never got higher than 100.8.

She continued to have a mild fever last night (around 100.2) so, I kept her home today.

Today, her throat is better but she's tired and a tiny bit gunky in her head but, her fever hasn't gotten over 99.8.

She says she feels ok - tired, gunky but ok. Again, her temp has fluctuated between normal and 99.8 most of the day.

So, knowing the school as a no fever for 24 hours rule and, not wanting to expose other kids to something, what are your thoughts on school tomorrow. Is 99.8 even considered a fever?

I'm asking because she's already missed so much school over the past few months and catching up is so hard but,I don't want to get anyone else sick or send DD to school if she should really be home.

[SuburbanHippie]

I would definitely keep her home.  An elevated body temperature signifies the body is still working on fighting something off.  This is also why she is tired.  If you send her, she may end up relapsing or catching another virus because her immunities are down.

[amcal]

Thanks . She had really restless sleep and was up every couple hours so, I'm planning on keeping her home but, she says she feels better and aside from gunkyness, seems fine.

I'm curious what would be considered a fever worthy of keeping her home in the absence of other symptoms? Is anything over 99 considered a fever that would require her to stay home?

I'm truly not looking to send a sick kid to school, there just so often seems to gray areas where I'm just unsure what to do when a fever is so mild.

[amcal]

I actually ended up talking to the nurse and 99.6 is their limit. So far today, she's sitting at 99.5. Sigh....guess we'll see what the day brings.

[ttcintexas]

My DD's school has 100.4 as their limit. Odd, I think. Clearly a fever before that, in my opinion. But I do get that there are gray areas. Glad your DD is feeling better. We also have had a bad run this Fall/Winter.

[tinuviel_k]

I would keep her home. 99.8 is still a fever, and it sees to me that she is still fighting off her illness. It would be much better to let her rest and heal.

[mattemma04]

I will keep home at 99.6 OR if they are just off. I kept my ds home after a weekend of illness so he could recoupe.Now I feel bad that I even made him go,because he is sick all over again. Maybe he never kicked the last illness,or was exposed to something in his weakened state.

Personally I don't mind keeping the kids home days at a time if needed,but the truancy laws are going to catch up with me. Around here if you don't have a doctors note for an illness then a call off is considered a truant day. I can't afford to pay $100-200 for a doctors note. Oh well,kids health comes first.

Speedy healings!