Influenza Questions

[preppy]

DD1 was tested positive for influenza A this morning. She’s a hot mess and we are just keeping her comfy and trying to keep her fever down. I asked the pedi about how it works for flu if once the fever broke if the same 24 hour rule would apply or if it’s longer and she said to expect her to be out all week. Is this typically the case? I am working on some backup care but wasn’t sure if the whole week is typical.

Additionally DD2 was sick last weekend with similar fever but did not test positive for flu - her pedi said she actually may have had it but just tested negative so she is unlikely to catch it again from DD1 but to try and keep them separated as much as possible. Ugh. If DD2 does get sick her bday is next weekend and that would totally suck to be sick for her first bday and have to cancel her party. Is it true that the test could have given her a false negative?

Also we are going on vacation in 2 weeks and with this I will be out of PTO the second day of our trip. Ughhhhhhh.

[kkfeb04]

A whole week is typical, hell my work doesn't allow an employee back to work for a week if they test positive and started Tamiflu. The flu isn't a short-lived virus unfortunately, she will probably still be down for the count most of the week.

[curbsideprophet]

DS tested positive on a Sunday. They advised keeping him out most of the week depending on how he was doing. They said even if he seemed better after a couple of days it was good for him the rest. He was doing much better by the end of the week so we did take him to daycare for a half day on Friday.

Our pedi did prescribe Tamiflu for DD as a preventative measure.

Are they both on Tamiflu?

I have heard it is possible to have it and test negative but not sure how common that is.

[preppy]

Ugh. Poor baby that it’s so long. I see a lot of Moana in my future. I secured my mom Weds and Thurs and I text out evening babysitter to see what her college schedule is like - hoping she can help us out other times so we can work.

[imimahoney]

I hope she feels better, asap!

My pedi does not trust the rapid test because of false negatives/positives occur more than he is comfortable with. He always goes by symptoms if the results are questionable.

[preppy]

Jan 27, 2018 14:30:38 GMT -5 curbsideprophet said:

DS tested positive on a Sunday. They advised keeping him out most of the week depending on how he was doing. They said even if he seemed better after a couple of days it was good for him the rest. He was doing much better by the end of the week so we did take him to daycare for a half day on Friday.

Our pedi did prescribe Tamiflu for DD as a preventative measure.

Are they both on Tamiflu?

I have heard it is possible to have it and test negative but not sure how common that is.

Neither are on tamiflu our pedi said they don’t like to give it? Did you find it helpful?

[curbsideprophet]

Jan 27, 2018 14:33:26 GMT -5 preppy said:

Jan 27, 2018 14:30:38 GMT -5 curbsideprophet said:

DS tested positive on a Sunday. They advised keeping him out most of the week depending on how he was doing. They said even if he seemed better after a couple of days it was good for him the rest. He was doing much better by the end of the week so we did take him to daycare for a half day on Friday.

Our pedi did prescribe Tamiflu for DD as a preventative measure.

Are they both on Tamiflu?

I have heard it is possible to have it and test negative but not sure how common that is.

Neither are on tamiflu our pedi said they don’t like to give it? Did you find it helpful?

Yes. Sunday and Monday we were giving ibuprofen for fever/discomfort. We did not need that after Monday. DS was taking it twice a day since he tested positive. DD only once a day as a preventative measure, she did not get sick.

[preppy]

Now I am wondering if I should call back and push back on the tamiflu thing. She said GI side effects are bad so they try and avoid using it but it sounds like that may not generally be the case? Now I’m confused!

[oceanstbride]

I hope she feels better! I would expect that she will be out for a few days. We recently discovered that our employer offers subsidized back up care through care.com. We've used it twice so far and have had a good experience. I have no idea how much it costs unsubsidized, but if it's offered in your area, that might be an option.

[cricketwife]

Jan 27, 2018 14:32:11 GMT -5 preppy said:

Ugh. Poor baby that it’s so long. I see a lot of Moana in my future. I secured my mom Weds and Thurs and I text out evening babysitter to see what her college schedule is like - hoping she can help us out other times so we can work.

The flu sucks. DS2 had it last year at 4 months at Xmas. They gave him tamiflu. And it was definitely at least a week. I was off from work so I don’t remember exactly how long. We think DS1 had a milder case first but he was older and had received the shot so we didn’t take him to get tested. Plus, last year’s flu season was nothing like this year,s and it never even occurred to me it might be flu.  I feel they both got tamiflu iirc.  WRT the sitter, I know it sucks to miss work, but do you really want to expose your sitter to the flu? 

[bdubs419]

Oh no! So sorry to hear that. Flu seems to be so much worse this year. I feel like with tamiflu I have heard such differing opinions on it. Our pediatrician is also against using tamiflu but the other practice in our town does prescribe it. So confusing. The only thing I will say is that I heard it often only helps people get better by one day on average.

[docholly]

Jan 27, 2018 14:32:11 GMT -5 preppy said:

Ugh. Poor baby that it’s so long. I see a lot of Moana in my future. I secured my mom Weds and Thurs and I text out evening babysitter to see what her college schedule is like - hoping she can help us out other times so we can work.

How old is your mom? I would hesitate to expose her to the flu. Kids tend to shed the virus for as long as they have symptoms.


ETA... my son had influenza A when he was three. They tried tamiflu in the hospital but he threw up immediately every time. That said, a lot of other kids seem to handle it fine.

[preppy]

Jan 27, 2018 15:04:26 GMT -5 docholly said:

Jan 27, 2018 14:32:11 GMT -5 preppy said:

Ugh. Poor baby that it’s so long. I see a lot of Moana in my future. I secured my mom Weds and Thurs and I text out evening babysitter to see what her college schedule is like - hoping she can help us out other times so we can work.

How old is your mom? I would hesitate to expose her to the flu. Kids tend to shed the virus for as long as they have symptoms.


ETA... my son had influenza A when he was three. They tried tamiflu in the hospital but he threw up immediately every time. That said, a lot of other kids seem to handle it fine.

She’s in her late 50s. I was thinking if she wore a mask it would be ok? Ugh now I’m not sure.

Secondary question - what do people do when their kids are sick so much that they run out of PTO?

[dcn]

Oh no! I’m sorry. My sister’s kids had the flu and the pedi didn’t want to give them tamiflu, said they generally don’t give it to healthy kids.

If I ran out of pto I’d have to take leave without pay. I know it sucks. Ds2 had hfm the week H was out of town so I was out an entire week. Not much I could do as we don’t have family here and our sitter is in high school.

[icedcoffee]

Don't you and your H both work from home? Any way you can just tag team it for the week? When DS is sick we have done days where we both WFH and I take the morning, we both work during nap time and then he takes the afternoon. It's not great, but we make it work. We both keep our eyes on our email and phone for emergencies. Luckily DS typically naps a lot when he's sick. Maybe you can throw DD in the couch with lots of TV and snacks?

Sorry to hear about the flu. Sickness is so hard.

[jorja]

Flu is contagious from one day prior to symptoms, then for 5-7 days after symptoms start. So, I would try to keep her out of daycare for all of next week if at all possible.

I think Tamiflu can be tougher on little little ones, so that may be why your pediatrician isn’t recommending it.

As far as sitters, mask and lots of hand washing (or gloves). I’m a nurse, and I’ve taken care of many a flu patient and never caught it myself.

[docholly]

Jan 27, 2018 15:13:19 GMT -5 preppy said:

Jan 27, 2018 15:04:26 GMT -5 docholly said:

How old is your mom? I would hesitate to expose her to the flu. Kids tend to shed the virus for as long as they have symptoms.


ETA... my son had influenza A when he was three. They tried tamiflu in the hospital but he threw up immediately every time. That said, a lot of other kids seem to handle it fine.

She’s in her late 50s. I was thinking if she wore a mask it would be ok? Ugh now I’m not sure.

Secondary question - what do people do when their kids are sick so much that they run out of PTO?

Since your mom is not in a high risk group, I think a mask and hand washing should be ok. My mom is over 65, so in that case I would keep them away. I know it stinks when they are sick so long.

[preppy]

Jan 27, 2018 16:03:12 GMT -5 icedcoffee said:

Don't you and your H both work from home? Any way you can just tag team it for the week? When DS is sick we have done days where we both WFH and I take the morning, we both work during nap time and then he takes the afternoon. It's not great, but we make it work. We both keep our eyes on our email and phone for emergencies. Luckily DS typically naps a lot when he's sick. Maybe you can throw DD in the couch with lots of TV and snacks?

Sorry to hear about the flu. Sickness is so hard.

We do both WFH but unfortunately I am traveling Monday and DH is away T-W. So right now he’s taking Monday, I have Tues and my mom is on for W-Th. Friday we will play by ear. There will def be lots of Moana on the days DH and I are covering so we can try and work as much as possible, my work does require I use PTO for the other hours though.

[miamigirl]

Ugh. I’m sorry. I hope she feels better soon.

[halfpint]

Jan 27, 2018 14:47:05 GMT -5 preppy said:

Now I am wondering if I should call back and push back on the tamiflu thing. She said GI side effects are bad so they try and avoid using it but it sounds like that may not generally be the case? Now I’m confused!

I’ve heard it can be mixed on how much it helps, and the side effects can be pretty miserable, and more so with kids.

[ssmjlm]

I’m sorry your DD is sick.

As for PTO, can you use FMLA to cover the time when they’re sick? You can use it to take care of family.

[JRo]

We just went through this last week. DD tested negative for flu on Sunday, DS got sick on Tuesday with what we assumed was the same non-flu virus. Finally took him to the doctor after 3 days of high fever. They said probably flu but didn’t test at that point because he was already 3 days in. My H got sick on Saturday and tested positive for influenza a, and that doctor said the test gives a lot of false negatives, so both kids almost certainly had it.

Anyway, my H got Tamiflu and the doctor gave me a script for it as well to prevent me from getting it, because if I hadn’t gotten it yet, I was bound to. I ended up just getting a mild cough, not all out flu.

Your other DD isn’t likely to get the same virus again, but I would consider asking for Tamiflu for you and your H.

Oh, and DS missed Wed-Fri of preschool and still had a low grade fever on Sunday morning. It takes FOREVER to kick.

We all had flu shots too.

[preppy]

Jan 27, 2018 18:34:55 GMT -5 ssmjlm said:

I’m sorry your DD is sick.

As for PTO, can you use FMLA to cover the time when they’re sick? You can use it to take care of family.

I’m not sure since I was on ML this year? I am planning to ask about going negative for PTO on Monday, I feel like that’s a thing.I won’t have an issue this week but our vacation will put me over the edge. I will see what my boss says Monday. I also earn comp time when I have weekend events and I have some in March and April so I’m wondering if she will let me “borrow” from the comp time since it’s not an official system and just something she does for us.

[audry80]

Jan 27, 2018 19:17:00 GMT -5 preppy said:

Jan 27, 2018 18:34:55 GMT -5 ssmjlm said:

I’m sorry your DD is sick.

As for PTO, can you use FMLA to cover the time when they’re sick? You can use it to take care of family.

I’m not sure since I was on ML this year? I am planning to ask about going negative for PTO on Monday, I feel like that’s a thing.I won’t have an issue this week but our vacation will put me over the edge. I will see what my boss says Monday. I also earn comp time when I have weekend events and I have some in March and April so I’m wondering if she will let me “borrow” from the comp time since it’s not an official system and just something she does for us.

FMLA protects your job but does not cover your pay.

[preppy]

Jan 28, 2018 18:47:44 GMT -5 audry80 said:

Jan 27, 2018 19:17:00 GMT -5 preppy said:

I’m not sure since I was on ML this year? I am planning to ask about going negative for PTO on Monday, I feel like that’s a thing.I won’t have an issue this week but our vacation will put me over the edge. I will see what my boss says Monday. I also earn comp time when I have weekend events and I have some in March and April so I’m wondering if she will let me “borrow” from the comp time since it’s not an official system and just something she does for us.

FMLA protects your job but does not cover your pay.

Thanks, I will ask about using FMLA. I would much rather not get paid than have no PTO left, lol.

[AmyRI]

I'm sorry. Flu has hit so hard this year.

DS had it and was out 3 days. DD1 got it and was out 5. (There was a little mercy in the whole mess because it was over the snow days during the last storm and a weekend.)

I had to reschedule DD1's 5th birthday party because of it. That sucked and she looks (and was) miserable in all the pictures on her actual birthday when we were quarantined at home.

[jorja]

Jan 27, 2018 16:43:33 GMT -5 chilerellanos said:

Jan 27, 2018 16:35:23 GMT -5 jorja said:

Flu is contagious from one day prior to symptoms, then for 5-7 days after symptoms start. So, I would try to keep her out of daycare for all of next week if at all possible.

I think Tamiflu can be tougher on little little ones, so that may be why your pediatrician isn’t recommending it.

As far as sitters, mask and lots of hand washing (or gloves). I’m a nurse, and I’ve taken care of many a flu patient and never caught it myself.

Yeah, I’ve never caught influenza from my patients. I’ve only caught it when I’ve had my sick kids laying and breathing on me.

True, lol. I certainly do not get nearly as close to my patients as my kids require me to be (at all times) when they are sick. I didn’t even think of that.

[clseale]

Jan 28, 2018 18:47:44 GMT -5 audry80 said:

Jan 27, 2018 19:17:00 GMT -5 preppy said:

I’m not sure since I was on ML this year? I am planning to ask about going negative for PTO on Monday, I feel like that’s a thing.I won’t have an issue this week but our vacation will put me over the edge. I will see what my boss says Monday. I also earn comp time when I have weekend events and I have some in March and April so I’m wondering if she will let me “borrow” from the comp time since it’s not an official system and just something she does for us.

FMLA protects your job but does not cover your pay.

But you can only take 12 wks a year, and she already took it for ML. So it would depend on what her employer is using to determine the year time period. She might not qualify.

[preppy]

I talked to my boss and she said to do what I need this week, work when I can during naps or whenever, and not to use any PTO this week and save it for my vaca. This relieved a lot of stress.

S is perking up as well, I had ordered her a Moana doll on prime Friday and she was pumped to get it today and I think that helped, lol.

[vtdiamond]

Hope she feels better soon, glad you have a supportive boss.

Daycare sent out 2 emails this morning about illnesses and that a number of kids at our center have the flu. I'm just waiting to get a call that one of mine has it.