All have covid except one DC. Do I really send them to school?

[LarryVeest]

All of us have covid, except youngest DC, who has had a negative PCR result yesterday, and a negative LFT just now. I'm a bit torn about sending them into school. Surely it's just a matter of time before they get covid too? On the other hand it seems unfair to DC to keep them at home for (potentially) an extra long isolation (eg if they get a positive result in a few days, and then have to start 10 days isolation).

Our local authority have just written to everyone (before half term) asking that if you have a positive case at home you keep children off for at least 3 days and then do a PCR after that. To try and reduce the spread in schools. Exemption from this if child is vaccinated.
Letter acknowledged they can't force people to follow this request but points out that since at least one person in the household will be at home isolating they hope you will be able to.

@twinmum86 LFT caught all of our cases and my friends kids too, so very useful.

I’d do LFT and send them if negative

I agree with others. It’s not a given that everyone will have it.
My dts both had COVID this year.
One of them had it back when we had to self isolate. The other one caught it a few months later after it started going around in school.
Neither me or DP have caught it from either of them.

The rules are total nonsense, but I think that means you are able to make what is essentially a well-being decision. It’s likely he will get covid and do his own 10 day isolation, is it better for him to stay home now? Or go to school now in anticipation of isolation later?

LFTs don't magically stop working if you have symptoms. They're actually more accurate if you have symptoms than if you don't.

The reason you're not meant to use them as a definitive test if you have symptoms if that PCR is generally more accurate.

It's absolutely not true that they don't work if you have symptoms (and totally unscientific!).

One theory is he's less likely to get it if he goes to school so it's better for everyone if he goes.

I would send him in.
I have a friend in your situation so she’s LFTing the child every day but as we’re on half term here she doesn’t have the dilemma about school. She is keeping him at home and not sending him to play dates etc this week which is sensible but she will be sending him to school on Monday.

It’s such a crazy situation isn’t it! When we had the same situation we couldn’t get youngest DC to school as the rest of us were isolating (it is a drive away). But it has gone down as an unauthorised absence, and DC didn’t catch it in the end.

You sound very morally responsible.

Shame this government isnt really!

But doing LFT daily is very sensible and the best you can do right now. I'd do another pcr on Friday just to be sure.

I work in a very small school. We had an outbreak recently. A child coming in who's whole family had covid but they tested negative.
Spread to people on school bus (only small bus if 5) and around that class. Which the staff in the class then spread to other staff who took it to their classes.

The poor child ended up in hospital they were so poorly.

One of the sixth formers I teach was in a similar situation. She stayed off, but she's obviously older and able to complete work at home. School supported her choice.

However, as school have said it would be unauthorised, you're not left with much choice.

If they do develop any symptoms (cough, fever etc) then I'd keep them off awaiting another PCR. School should authorise this and mark it with an X code.

@itsgettingwierd

You sound very morally responsible.

Shame this government isnt really!

But doing LFT daily is very sensible and the best you can do right now. I'd do another pcr on Friday just to be sure.

I work in a very small school. We had an outbreak recently. A child coming in who's whole family had covid but they tested negative.
Spread to people on school bus (only small bus if 5) and around that class. Which the staff in the class then spread to other staff who took it to their classes.

The poor child ended up in hospital they were so poorly.

Oh noooo! That's just the sort of thing I'm worried about!

Family of five here and on last day of isolation. Three have it, two of us don’t. I kept my dd off but she is only reception so wasn’t missing much and school didn’t mark as unauthorised absence (don’t know if they can as she is still early years)

I think school haven’t left you with any choice really, so I’d send them in.

We had this. 2 adults 2 teens (all vaccinated). We all had it, apart from one teen. I asked the school if they really wanted him in and if so whether they would keep him out of assemblies etc where kids are just squashed in. They said send him, he is required to attend assemblies and everything as normal. I lateral flowed him every day but was shocked the school demanded his presence.

It's not morally responsible to make healthy kids keep missing school though. I think it's a really difficult balance as it's only with hindsight you know whether they're going to get it or not. I'd have felt awful keeping my son off when he never got it given it means he might have to isolate at a later date if he does get it.

@MrsDeaconClaybourne

It's not morally responsible to make healthy kids keep missing school though. I think it's a really difficult balance as it's only with hindsight you know whether they're going to get it or not. I'd have felt awful keeping my son off when he never got it given it means he might have to isolate at a later date if he does get it.

I agree with this. Ds did get it later here.

Did you send him in op?

Send him but do ltf every day and do another PCR in a couple of days. It's possible though that he's already had it. He might have even been your household patient zero and no longer contagious

Similar situation here. Dd2 positive lft last Tuesday backed up by pcr
Rest of us negative lft
Test and trace sent us all for pcr which dd1 and dd3 came back positive from but ds negative
Ds still attended school as he tested negative
We’ve been lft every day and he showed positive Sunday backed up by pcr
Hopefully he didn’t pass it on at school…
Me and dh negative on lft and pcr

It's crazy, my dd tested pos on 18th, household of 5, we all did pcr tests, came back neg, tested again on sat and me and DH pos, just hoping two other dc don't get it. I feel awful as I work in a school and special needs centre with vulnerable children. Was told as I'm neg I need to follow the guidance and work. Yet I could have infected many.

Send them in. I know a couple of families where one or two members tested positive but the others didn’t. It’s like any other virus really, it isn’t a given that you’ll catch it just because you live with someone who has it. Take norovirus for example, I don’t get it every time my DC do.

If school are happy to have them in with a negative LFT I would send them in ,
The rules seem ludicrous but it is what it is ,🤷

I did wonder if DS was asymptomatic patient zero in our house too and just didn't have enough viral load at the right time to show up on 2x weekly LFT. When the rest of us had it we knew we'd been contacts and were doing daily tests by then.

Sorry for the delay

Keep them off that's outrageous!!!

Can't believe it would be unauthorised how annoying is that

Just take the unauthorised leave on the chin