Why my kid getting sick again?

October 17, 2021 5:28 PM

We are on cold #4 since school began. But he’s masked all day! Same precautions as last year. Why?

My five-year-old is on his fourth cold since September. He is attending the same school as he did last year and does no activities besides that. He is masked all day, as he was last year. He sits at a table with one other kid, and it’s the same kid he sat with last year. We commute to school on foot. I don’t get it. Last year, he was not sick at all. This year, same precautions but he is getting sick all the time. What might account for this?

posted by ficbot to Health & Fitness (15 answers total)

This year he's taking off his mask during recess/playtime and not getting caught doing it? This year, the other kids are sneaking to take off their masks and not getting caught doing it? The kids aren't washing their hands as religiously or with the same materials as they were last year? Everybody's going to more places this year, bringing back a bigger variety of germs which may be hardier?
posted by headspace at 5:45 PM on October 17, 2021 [1 favorite]

Sure, the mask is "on," all day.
Nevertheless, fingers will find a way.
posted by Rash at 5:53 PM on October 17, 2021 [8 favorites]

There are more things going around because other families are out doing more things and seeing more people. And maybe people aren’t as strict about keeping kids home for any symptoms this year?
posted by songs about trains at 5:57 PM on October 17, 2021 [13 favorites]

4 colds in a month? You sure the kid isn't developing seasonal allergies?
posted by phunniemee at 6:21 PM on October 17, 2021 [10 favorites]

Allergy.
posted by Mr. Yuck at 6:22 PM on October 17, 2021

Allergies seems like a likely explanation. Alternatively, is your kid at school all day, including lunchtime? My kids have been getting sick too because they have to take their masks off to eat, and that's when they're exposed to other kids' germs.
posted by christinetheslp at 7:14 PM on October 17, 2021 [4 favorites]

Fwiw we've definitely seen a major return of non-Covid illnesses where I live. My thinking as to why is the same as songs about trains. Also, my understanding is that a lot of viruses (unlike Covid) spread easily via surfaces, so even proper mask-wearing may not keep things like colds at bay. I've also read that a lot of viruses that people would normally shake off are making people more sick this year, because our immune systems have been so sheltered due to Covid precautions, so maybe that has something to do with it as well?
posted by DTMFA at 7:26 PM on October 17, 2021 [5 favorites]

Are you sure it's not a flu, allergies, or Covid? Has your kiddo gotten a flu shot yet? Like others, I think the easing of restrictions means that colds are going to be spreading more. Your kiddo might not be doing much outside of school, but perhaps others are, including teachers (who, even if they are vaccinated against Covid, could certainly be catching and spreading colds).
posted by bluedaisy at 10:46 PM on October 17, 2021 [1 favorite]

Might be like in the UK (search for “super cold”) with immune systems having to do less work for so long, colds are much worse than usual this year.
posted by tardigrade at 11:50 PM on October 17, 2021 [1 favorite]

We got either a cold or... something... this last month, despite same precautions as usual, only a toddler (so no school or daycare) and while we did have the toddler tested (she was the first one sick), and it was negative, and the adults all have had vaccines... I'm still skeptical. She may not have been perfectly tested, we went ahead and quarantined ourselves anyway just in case.

It consisted of really annoying cold-like symptoms that lasted longer than colds normally do for us, and primarily low-grade fevers that took more than a week to completely resolve, even in the adults that got sick. The toddler had a higher fever at the start, then it tapered off. The same people were sick in the same order of severity as we were with covid, the one who hasn't been sick despite exposure, didn't even get a sore arm from the vaccine, still didn't get sick... and that darn lingering fever that barely registers on the thermometer, but FEELS like a higher fever, y'know? It all combines to make me really suspicious.

What I AM absolutely certain of, though, is an awful lot of people, way more than before, are choosing not to get tested even if they have symptoms, and they're still going out and about and to work. They don't test, because they don't want restricted from work.

The longer this goes on, the more I understand why everyone in pandemic or zombie movies die.
posted by stormyteal at 12:11 AM on October 18, 2021 [2 favorites]

I agree with allergies. My son developed seasonal fall allergies around the same age. Now, we start a daily Claritin around mid September and he’ll continue through January or so. Check with his dr but allergies are the most likely culprit.
posted by pearlybob at 3:33 AM on October 18, 2021 [2 favorites]

I have had an allergy "cold" for 3 months that increases in severity at random to the point where I have to take sick days because I feel that bad, but it's definitely not an actual cold. All my coworkers are in the same boat, as are their kids. It's just bizarre. We all take non-drowsy Benadryl or Claritin and pray for relief.
posted by Hermione Granger at 3:58 AM on October 18, 2021 [3 favorites]

This is in no way throwing shade but I would look at your mask protocol if you’re not using disposables. For me, last year when I wore cloth masks we washed and dried them on hot, but they ended up irritating me into that perpetual cold feeling - for me personally I think it was the detergent but I decided with that + Delta just to go to a wear and toss.

It’s also possible a few germs are getting in and his immune system is different this year.
posted by warriorqueen at 4:47 AM on October 18, 2021

Last year mostly everyone stayed home and everything was closed so the viruses had nowhere to circulate. This year, mostly everyone is traveling and everything is open and the viruses are having a ball. Plus, everyone's immune system is out of practice. You're not doing anything wrong (except I'd also bet the mask "stays on") but things are different this year.

Sincerely, someone else who's been sick three times since September because kids.
posted by epanalepsis at 5:20 AM on October 18, 2021 [3 favorites]

The majority of the population was staying home (and being very cautious with any symptoms) last year. This year, there's just so much more going around. We've been fairly cautious the whole time and over the past month, my spouse got sick, my dad got sick, and now I might be getting sick - all of us with different symptoms.
posted by DoubleLune at 7:21 AM on October 18, 2021