Gastro Flu

Hi Fellow DCP,

How long do you ask your parents to keep their kids away after a pretty bad Gastro Flu. I have a DCB that is very sick with a Stomach Flu and hasn't come to daycare in three days he's so sick, so much so that mom and dad brought him to the hospital as they worried that all this vomiting would lead to dehydration. Normally I ask for 24 hours of symptom free but everywhere I read on the internet (damn Dr. Google) it says they are contagious for three days after and up to two weeks........WHAT??? ??? That's crazy, another one of my moms are very concerned as she is going on a vacation with her daughter and really doesn't want her daughter getting sick before her vacation.........WWY D?
How long do you ask them to stay away for?

Thanks in advance for all your input :)

I have also read that they can still be contagious for as long as 3 days after symptoms have stopped. I believe it, too. We had a violent, swift stomach bug sweep through my house last year, and we were in contact with relatives about 2-3 days AFTER we were symptom free, and they caught the bug... and I'm almost positive they caught it from us.

Since everyone has already been exposed, I just do the standard 24 hours without vomiting. Unfortunately, there's not much to be done. Once it's in your daycare, it's in there. It's going through mine now as well. Mainly, kids were getting sick at home, then coming after the 24hr mark with no barfing, then it moves through their families. I have 3 families left who haven't had it and we'd managed to keep it out of our house....till yesterday when my teen son started up. I stayed open and most parents opted to come, due to already being exposed. The problem is that this bug is everywhere right now. If they're not being exposed at daycare, they likely are out in the general public or at home from school aged children, or from their own parents who are llikely being exposed at work.

So, my short answer, 24 hours vomit free and they're back in.

This winter when gastro went through my son's school, they issued a 48 hour symptom free period. I think if it is a relaly bad outbreak, 48 hours is reasonable. And even after that you have to be relaly careful with diapering...it is carried in the feces so even a tiny amount on your hand or on a surface can infect the others. I would use dispoable gloves for diaper changes for a couple of weeks just to be safe and disinfect the diaper area and bathroom several times a day.

But it isn't in my daycare yet....... We have not been exposed at all. He was out on vacation for a week with his mom and caught it on the weekend while on a playdate........so no one has been exposed at my daycare yet...........until he comes back that is, would you still say 24 hours knowing we'll all get it most likely?????

I would probably assume he is fine to return on Monday because likely he will be more or less symptom free by then and you won't even know that he was still a bit sick on the weekend and parents for sure won't tell you.

As to the other family getting it there is always the argument that it is out in the community and child was kept home the full week so if they now get sick then there is only a remote chance it came from the now sick child.

At the same time do not plan shared activities next week as much as possible - no cooking together, no playdoh, no sharing anything you can't wash although so what at the end of the day it is too late anyways.