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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think school parents won’t get themselves or their kids tested

244 replies

Sistery · 10/08/2020 20:45

...and will probably send in kids who should be isolating?

I did a Covid test last week (negative). It wasn’t terrible but was a faff and uncomfortable.

I just think that if so many people won’t even wear a bit of fabric over their face to protect others then they definitely won’t miss work or stick a swab in their nose/throat. Especially bearing in mind that they’ll have to do it every single time anyone in their family has a cough or temperature or can’t smell anything (all winter... ) They just won’t. People send sick kids to school a lot anyway - it’s how sick bugs and viruses fly round so easily so they’re already inclined to do this, and given the government is pushing hard at the narrative that Covid is some magical virus that children conveniently don’t spread, parents will be even more likely to send them. Especially if it’s someone else in the household that’s got symptoms

We just don’t seem to live in a country with a strong sense of social responsibility but equally we don’t enforce any so no temperature checks or mandatory PPE or anything at school.

YABU = People will isolate for 10 days if they get any Covid symptoms and their household will isolate for 14, until a throat and nasal swab shows a negative result, and they’ll repeat this every time anyone in the household gets any symptoms all winter.
YANBU: No they won’t.

OP posts:
JuniperFather · 10/08/2020 20:46

YANBU at all, this is an excellent and salutary post on the issue.

BeingATwatItsABingThing · 10/08/2020 20:48

No, I don’t think they will get tests done. It’s too massively inconvenient to do this and isolate for two weeks.

SummerSazz · 10/08/2020 20:52

YABU - I would 🤷‍♀️

SexTrainGlue · 10/08/2020 20:53

If the DC is coughing or displaying other symptoms in school, it'll either be test to return (if negative) or 10 days off (positive assumed, unless tested otherwise)

Which do you think families will choose in those circumstances?

Employers may well take a similar stance - because they have to ensure all their employees have a safe workplace. Which means complying with symptomatic isolation unless there is a negative test

IceCreamAndCandyfloss · 10/08/2020 20:54

YANBU. There are always bugs galore in schools because parents send children in ill. If anything I think it could be even worse than usual as many just what the children back in childcare regardless.

Dumbie · 10/08/2020 20:56

Yabu
I'd get a test. You find out the next day, don't you?

Drivingdownthe101 · 10/08/2020 20:58

Schools won’t accept children who are coughing or have a temperature (and will send them home if they develop either during the school day) so it’ll be the choice to either test or isolate regardless, surely?
I will take mine for a test if they have symptoms. I can’t imagine any of my friends/social circle not doing the same. And school will send them home if they’re ill at school.

Appuskidu · 10/08/2020 20:58

@SexTrainGlue

If the DC is coughing or displaying other symptoms in school, it'll either be test to return (if negative) or 10 days off (positive assumed, unless tested otherwise)

Which do you think families will choose in those circumstances?

Employers may well take a similar stance - because they have to ensure all their employees have a safe workplace. Which means complying with symptomatic isolation unless there is a negative test

I suspect there will be a fair new parents who lie and say they took their child for a test, say it’s negative and just send them back.

As schools are not allowed to ask to see a negative result, we will never know...

Drivingdownthe101 · 10/08/2020 21:00

@IceCreamAndCandyfloss

YANBU. There are always bugs galore in schools because parents send children in ill. If anything I think it could be even worse than usual as many just what the children back in childcare regardless.
The only time I’ve ever felt the need to send my child in ill is after receiving a letter saying my child’s attendance was ‘unacceptable’ and I needed to take steps to improve it. She was a summer born in reception so not compulsory school age, and had 2 days off for d&v then 3 days off for scarlet fever. I did write back asking which one of those highly contagious illnesses I should have sent her in for?
JacobReesMogadishu · 10/08/2020 21:01

It’s not just school kids.

It’s every employee who doesn’t have good sick pay.

Including nhs employees. I know a nurse who had a household member with symptoms and she went to work. If she rang in sick and her dh swabbed negative she wouldn’t get sick pay. Even if a nurse has symptoms and their swab is negative they won’t get sick pay.

Also some people just won’t want to isolate while waiting for results.

Original poster
Sistery · 10/08/2020 21:01

My Covid test took 5 days for results. I don’t think that’s meant to happen but it did.

But also - who is policing the results? If a parent says the kid has had a negative Covid test, what then?

I’d take a test and so would people I know but we would also wear masks and social distance and things that lots of people don’t seem fussed about.

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ginnybag · 10/08/2020 21:01

No, they won't

Not least because lots of parents are in jobs where repeatedly taking time off at short notice will result in them losing those jobs and they won't be able to afford the time off on ssp each time anyway so they'll make what they see as the least bad choice.

walker1891 · 10/08/2020 21:01

Schools can't ask for a negative result so we're just trusting parents not to infect us.

I know ones who will send theirs in regardless.

MiniTheMinx · 10/08/2020 21:03

Sadly I think you're right.

Iliketeaagain · 10/08/2020 21:03

I think YABU - schools will be hot on symptoms. I got my 3yo tested on Friday, in a drive through centre, results were back on saturday. Meant she could go back to nursery today. She had a weird cough for 24 hrs (probably a mix of hay fever and the humidity), and it was a lot more convenient than having to isolate for 14 days after she had a cough. Because let's face it, schools and nurseries would be well within their rights to say kids couldn't return without a negative test or isolating for 14 days without.
Sent the text results to nursery and back today.
It's not pleasant, but at least it's not a blood test, and I just made it a game - see if you can catch the swab. To be fair, it did make her gag a bit, but it was done in 10 seconds in the car.

JacobReesMogadishu · 10/08/2020 21:03

They need to sort out the near instant 90 min test. Ideally one teachers can do on pupils.

Heartofstrings · 10/08/2020 21:05

I wont be testing my children for every single cough or cold. My 3 year old was tested a few weeks ago and he found it traumatic.

That said, I'll happily self isolate for two weeks to avoid it. It'll be tough as work will be a massive juggle but I don't think I'll get testing done.

My husband might disagree with me

MarshaBradyo · 10/08/2020 21:06

I would. I’d want to know

uniglowooljumper · 10/08/2020 21:06

How are people supposed to pay their bills if they have to keep taking off work and isolating? Or take time off to take their kids for repeated tests. So much focus, too, on just primary-aged children.

Morfin · 10/08/2020 21:07

I've had to help me sis pin her kid down to get a test. We won't be doing that again.

Original poster
Sistery · 10/08/2020 21:08

The problem with relying on schools sending kids with symptoms home is that the cough is the only one that’s obvious. And even that can be shrugged off with ‘He’s has a negative test’. But the other symptoms can go unnoticed. We also know kids can be asymptomatic or low level symptomatic so we really need them off school if someone else in the house has symptoms. But given many parents send in kids that have themselves been vomiting overnight, I don’t think this is going to happen.

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DamsonDragon · 10/08/2020 21:10

YANBU. A quick read of "usforthem" clearly shows that most of the supporters who are regularly writing to MPs, children's commissioner, talking on radio, absolutely refuse to allow their children or themselves to be tested, as fervently as they refuse to allow their children to be "muzzled" (how they went from being socially responsible and wearing a mask, to "muzzling" children is beyond me).

IceCreamAndCandyfloss · 10/08/2020 21:10

@ginnybag

No, they won't

Not least because lots of parents are in jobs where repeatedly taking time off at short notice will result in them losing those jobs and they won't be able to afford the time off on ssp each time anyway so they'll make what they see as the least bad choice.

Then the government need to get tough and insist on tests and seeing the results or remove the school place. Money shouldn’t come before the lives of others. There could be vulnerable staff or family members in the class.
EmbarrassingAdmissions · 10/08/2020 21:10

Ideally one teachers can do on pupils.

It's very unlikely that would be permitted even if parents were persuaded to give blanket consent.

Original poster
Sistery · 10/08/2020 21:10

@Heartofstrings I don’t think many employers would accept parents repeatedly isolating for a fortnight instead of getting a test.

I agree with you about the trauma though. One of my DC has SEN and I’m well aware that a winter of repeated testing is going to be dreadful for him (and me!)

OP posts: