29/12/2025
‘Tis the season to be poorly, fa la la la la la la la la….are we right?! 🤧🤒😮💨
A question we get asked a lot in our classes is how to tell if your child just has a bad cold or if they have flu.
Colds are caused by viruses such as rhinovirus and they spread easily through the air by germs from coughs and sneezes, or indirectly through contact with objects that germs have landed on, followed by transfer to the mouth or nose - which is why colds spread easily in childcare settings as children explore and touch everything!
Colds usually clear up within a few weeks. Symptoms can appear quite similar to flu with a few key differences.
🤒 A cold will appear gradually whereas flu can come on quickly.
🤒 A cold affects mainly the nose and throat whereas flu can affect more than just the nose and throat.
🤒 A cold makes your child feel unwell but okay enough to go to school, whereas the flu makes a person too unwell to carry on as normal.
It’s fine to send your child to school or nursery with a cold if they are otherwise well and do not have a high temperature. But if they have a temp, diarrhoea and/or vomiting, they should stay home for at least 48 hours after the last episode.
Who is struggling with a poorly child with a cold or flu right now?
