Looking for some feedback!!!!!!

[stella9]

My daughter has a field trip tomorrow to see a play at Goucher College. There was a piece on our local news last Friday about a terrible outbreak of gastroenteritis on campus. So many kids were sick and the dorms were overcrowded with sick kids. Ten actually were admitted to the hospital for dehydration. No one knew what it was and the Health Department was called in for investigation. There was also an article in the Baltimore Sun over the weekend about it, which reiterated the same information from the television news. It was stressed by both sources that handwashing was crucial for the spreading to stop and that students were told not to return to class until they were truly well for two full days. Many activities and events were canceled.


I realize that the media blows things out of proportion, so I decided to call the college's nurse. She told me that the outbreak began suddenly on February 22th and peaked last Friday. While it is on the "downswing," she is still seeing a great deal of it. I told her that I was concerned about letting my daugher come ot the school. She chuckled and said if it was her daughter, she would let the child go on the trip. She also noted that "it," meaning the sv,is going around "all the schools" so my daughter (and son) could get it that way.


My rational mind tells me that she is right. On the other hand, I quite don't know what to believe. Everyone has their own agenda. The media is hyped. The school nurse does not want to cause alarm. The entire third grade of my daughter's school is going so someone is bound to get it and bring it back. Once that happens mydaughter will be exposed anyway.


I wrote a note to her teacher this morning stating that my daughter would not be going and I explained why. Until this morning there had been no disclosure abut what was causing the illness and I explained that until I knew for certain what it was I was not sending her. This afternoon, the results have been made public - Norwalk.


What would you do?


Stella

[babygap5]

It's a touchy situation. On the one hand you don't want her to go because she could possibly get sick. On the other hand she probably would like to go and by telling her she can't she might not understand. The thing about the norwalk, it passes very easily from person to person. However, it also is fast moving. If I were in your situation, I would let her go. I wouldn't want my EMET to get in the way of her education/fun. I know I'd be doing the countdown till I knew she and I and the rest of the family were in the clear, but by keeping her off this trip, if you tell her your reasons, she might become an EMET also, which would be awful. Good luck w/ whatever you decide to do.

[liz28]

i wouldnt let her go.

[shiva]

How old is your daughter? How badly does she want to go? If you don't send her will you be spending some one on one with her? Maybe go out and have a mom/daughter day? Is she good about washing her hands/ not touching her face, etc?

[stella9]

Thanks for some of your replies. The reason I wrote the note is because it was not confirmed what this illness was. My guess all along was that it was Norwalk, but until I was sure I did not want to put her into the lion's den, so to speak. Who knows? It could have been Shigellosis or something even worse. The nurse at the college also said that Norwalk does not affect younger children, so that goes to show you just how wrong people, who are supposed to know, can be.


I am on the fence on this one. I will discuss it further with my husband and a few other parents.


Stella

[japa]

I would echo these questions from shiva. How old? How badly does she want to go? What will you tell her? What will she do instead?


Also, the illness swept through the dorms. She's going to the theater.

How old is your daughter? How badly does she want to go? If you don't send her will you be spending some one on one with her? Maybe go out and have a mom/daughter day? Is she good about washing her hands/ not touching her face, etc?

[liz28]

heres an article about the sickness at that school

http://www.noroblog.com/Archives/003559.html#more

[ontariogirl]

If it was my child when he was younger I would probably would say no, only because the Norwalk is a horrible virus and very contagious, it isn't like the 12 or 24 hour flu.
My oldest son who doesn't live at home had the Norwalk 2 years ago New Years Eve and he can handle being sick but with the Norwalk it was horrible, he wouldn't go into details about it but he said he never wants that again! So yeah I would say no.

[ontariogirl]

Did your daughter go?