Every disease has a different wellness and incubation period. Most minor diseases like a runny nose, or slight wheeze are not harmful to others while any condition brought on by a virus or a bacterial infection is considered contagious.
To reduce the spread of disease in our Dubai international preschool, we follow a strict illness policy in our all our facilities to be adhered by the staff and children. Most of our parents are in fact working parents and may not be able to stay home with their young children, however, taking a day off is not only necessary for the sake of other children, but also for your own, who might have a relapse should they attend nursery and play outside, if their symptoms remain persistent.
Little children are still learning to fight disease and common illnesses, as their immune systems are still maturing. With each new illness, they become stronger making antibodies to fight a specific condition. With good nutrition, proper medical care and plenty of rest, they are usually on the road to recovery anywhere from 12 hours to 7 days.
For a simple stomach bug, with symptoms of vomiting, or diarrhoea, your child might require a day at home, to recover and attending preschool may not be suitable. A stomach bug is not considered contagious, and your child can return after a 12-hour period of the symptoms disappearing. A mild cold, cough, or wheeze will require the same.
A more serious common cold or flu will mean your child rests for a minimum or two days or at least till the symptoms have disappeared. Most viral and bacterial illnesses need a longer incubation than the simple rash. If your child has caught the flu, they are usually contagious a day prior start of the symptoms. To prevent other children from catching the same, we maintain high standards of hygiene in and around our classrooms throughout the year. However, once the symptoms become full blown, it is a must that your child stays at home for two-to-four days, depending on how severe the attack. If you're not sure about the time you need to keep your child at home resting, talk to a doctor who will be able to give you an approximate period.
For more complex illnesses like chicken pox, German Measles, and mumps; these require a minimum of 7 days at home or at least until the scars have dried over. Conjunctivitis is only contagious for a maximum of three days, however, do make sure that your child's eyes have stopped discharging thick mucus before bringing them to school.
Kids Island and Cocoon Nurseries is international British Nursery in Dubai and we follow the EYFS guidelines for keeping your child healthy and safe while in our care. Every child is treated individually, and together with your family physician and our in-house nurse, we aim to ensure that they miss as little school as possible.
