Twice weekly lateral flow tests for households of school pupils

SingANewSongChickenTikka · 2021-02-28T08:45:58+00:00

This seems a brilliant step forward, twice weekly lateral flow tests for households and bubbles of school staff and school pupils. Posted or ‘click and collect’. Yes the lateral flow tests have their limitations, but it still should help I think. [[https://www.gov.uk/guidance/rapid-lateral-flow-testing-for-households-and-bubbles-of-school-pupils-and-staff]]

camelfinger · 28/02/2021 08:50

I think it’s a good idea, but sadly I suspect there will be low uptake now that children have been out of school for so long already.

I have had my children in school this year and have been going for these tests once or twice weekly.

MrsWhites · 28/02/2021 08:55

I also think the uptake will be low, lots of people don’t get paid if they have to self isolate. Right or wrong, some people don’t want to know if they are asymptomatic!

IceCreamAndCandyfloss · 28/02/2021 09:06

Good idea but many won’t comply as lots are already refusing to test children frok what I’ve read and I’ve seen numerous posts about not isolating and even going out with covid so if that’s echoed in real life how many won’t bother.

bathsh3ba · 28/02/2021 09:17

The BBC article reads like you will have to pick up your home tests from a test centre. This will surely put a lot of people off, me included. My nearest asymptomatic testing centres are a good 30 minutes in the opposite direction to school...

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-56226020

twinkletoesimnot · 28/02/2021 09:17

Good idea in principle.

Then some people won't do it.
Some will do it, but not properly.
Some will panic and log a negative result instead of a positive. ( ie they need to go to work, have no childcare and are asymptomatic.)
Add to that the unreliability of the tests........

The government must just have a shit ton of these tests to get rid of😂.

I guess as primary children don't get tested, at least it might pick up a few family members they have infected.

VikingsandDragons · 28/02/2021 09:26

I would do it if these are the tests you can do at home? We live rurally and the idea of driving 20 minutes each way twice a week, to the nearest town where presumably the testing centre would be , that's not time I have to be honest, I'm just coming out of 2 months of homeschooling I need to get my paid work back on track.

Frazzled2207 · 28/02/2021 09:30

good idea in principle but they need to be distributed by the school if they really want people to do it.
great news for me as I am self employed working with children and i will be able to reassure myself and parents this way.

Frazzled2207 · 28/02/2021 09:31

[quote bathsh3ba]The BBC article reads like you will have to pick up your home tests from a test centre. This will surely put a lot of people off, me included. My nearest asymptomatic testing centres are a good 30 minutes in the opposite direction to school...

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-56226020[/quote]
the guidance says we can order online from tomorrow.

Donatella · 28/02/2021 09:31

[quote bathsh3ba]The BBC article reads like you will have to pick up your home tests from a test centre. This will surely put a lot of people off, me included. My nearest asymptomatic testing centres are a good 30 minutes in the opposite direction to school...

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-56226020[/quote]
From the gov.uk link above you can collect up to 4 kits at a time, each with 7 tests, so only need to go every couple of weeks. You can also order them to be posted to you, it seems they are making it as easy as possible. I will definitely be getting some for DH (I already do twice weekly home testing) and I think my parents will get some too (childcare bubble).

Original poster

SingANewSongChickenTikka · 28/02/2021 09:31

They are home tests, the .gov site confirms they can be sent to homes and don’t have to be collected locally. (Can be ordered from tomorrow)

OP posts:

Frazzled2207 · 28/02/2021 09:32

@VikingsandDragons

I would do it if these are the tests you can do at home? We live rurally and the idea of driving 20 minutes each way twice a week, to the nearest town where presumably the testing centre would be , that's not time I have to be honest, I'm just coming out of 2 months of homeschooling I need to get my paid work back on track.

no you can pick up four at a time from a test centre or order online

SissySpacekAteMyHamster · 28/02/2021 09:33

Surely it would make sense to store the tests at school and send them home with your child twice weekly

Frazzled2207 · 28/02/2021 09:35

@SissySpacekAteMyHamster

Surely it would make sense to store the tests at school and send them home with your child twice weekly

agree entirely. or just have batches at school for parents to pick up. Odd.

DumplingsAndStew · 28/02/2021 09:36

Secondary school pupils in Scotland who have returned for some face to face learning have been offered home testing kits. We got given a box of 7, to be done twice a week then reported online (or by phone) on the gov website. I assume we just collect more from school when these are done.

Not been given to household members though.

KatherineOfGaunt · 28/02/2021 09:37

@SissySpacekAteMyHamster

Surely it would make sense to store the tests at school and send them home with your child twice weekly

So a school with a couple of thousand students, even if only half wanted the tests, needs to find somewhere to store these tests and then time and staffing for someone to give them out twice a week?

MrsHerculePoirot · 28/02/2021 09:38

@SissySpacekAteMyHamster

Surely it would make sense to store the tests at school and send them home with your child twice weekly

Schools won’t have the capacity I don’t think to store and manage this - we’ve already got to do it for our 1200 students and staff.

It’s also totally optional - so if households eligible don’t want to do it they don’t have to. If others want to then the option is there.

My main concern is making it clear that getting a negative on them doesn’t mean you haven’t got covid - just the test hasn’t found it. Unlike the PCR tests.

DayBath · 28/02/2021 09:38

I don't think people will bother unless it's the school giving them out directly. There's a big psychological difference between having to go online and order a delivery yourself versus the school sending them home with the kids. You can't stick your head in the sand as much if the school are directly asking you to do them.

I will definitely be doing them for peace of mind, but I know most of the moms at my school won't bother at all.

Lifeaintalwaysempty · 28/02/2021 09:39

Looks like you can order home test kits online from 1st March.

DavidsSchitt · 28/02/2021 09:39

"Surely it would make sense to store the tests at school and send them home with your child twice weekly
agree entirely. or just have batches at school for parents to pick up. Odd."

Odd that people expect schools to do everything for them. Just order them online, could it be made any easier?

Frazzled2207 · 28/02/2021 09:40

@MrsHerculePoirot
@KatherineOfGaunt

no. these are for parents of Primary aged kids. Obviously primary schools are much smaller. I don't think parents of secondary aged kids are being asked to do them.

Frazzled2207 · 28/02/2021 09:41

@DavidsSchitt

"Surely it would make sense to store the tests at school and send them home with your child twice weekly agree entirely. or just have batches at school for parents to pick up. Odd."

Odd that people expect schools to do everything for them. Just order them online, could it be made any easier?

agree that ordering online - if it works - is easier. And preferable for me. But am dubious as to how many parents will bother. Which makes you think what's the point.

DayBath · 28/02/2021 09:44

If the school requires you to report negative results then people would participate much more. It sounds like there's no comeback from avoiding the tests which is why I think parents won't do them.

Flev · 28/02/2021 09:45

I would absolutely do this if we can - I have a toddler at nursery and whilst I'm keen to avoid testing her unnecessarily I'd happily test myself (and my husband) to protect the nursery staff and reduce the chance of cases in nursery. We're on day 9 of her self-isolation as there was a case in her nursery bubble and both my husband and I are heading to our newly opened asymptomatic test centre later to get tested as extra reassurance before we send her back on Tuesday.

ScarlettDarling · 28/02/2021 09:46

[quote Frazzled2207]@MrsHerculePoirot
@KatherineOfGaunt

no. these are for parents of Primary aged kids. Obviously primary schools are much smaller. I don't think parents of secondary aged kids are being asked to do them.[/quote]
*The following people in England will have access to regular rapid lateral flow testing made available to them as schools reopen:

secondary school pupils
primary and secondary school staff
households, childcare and support bubbles of primary and secondary-age pupils
households, childcare and support bubbles of primary and secondary staff*

This ^^ is taken from the document linked in the op.

These tests are for the households and bubbles of all school age children, primary and secondary

KihoBebiluPute · 28/02/2021 09:46

This is brilliant news! I really hope people take this opportunity. Infection rates are very low and if any infections get picked up quickly we can keep it that way and won't have to have yet another lockdown!