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

[Sistery]

...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.

I think people will do it. Testing has been made a whole lot easier. I had my result the same day, much better than having to isolate. Teachers and staff will notice children who have symptoms and will want to see proof before they return to school.

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...

This is my worry.

If I've read our school policy correctly, you are at home for a week (which likely has increased to 10 days) if you show symptoms of Corona, whether you test positive or negative. And siblings at home for 2 weeks, positive or negative test.
One that basis, if a test is convenient to get, I'll do one, but if it involves a 2 hr round trip and we still have to isolate, I probably wont bother with the testing (we would isolate).

If a negative test stops the isolation, I'd do whatever I could to get a test.

@EmbarrassingAdmissions

Ideally one teachers can do on pupils.

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

I was thinking something like a spit test rather than a swab but agree I think maybe people would still refuse consent.

Testing is going to become very frequent over the next few months.

Our nursery has already requested 5 families have tests within the last fortnight or isolate for 10 days-14 days. We want to protect other children, their families and staff but we also need to work and pay bills and on a selfish note we don’t want to pay hundreds of pounds for a service we cannot use due to a likely cold so testing it is.Very unpleasant but quick and the results took 12 hours to come back. Awful administering the test on your young kids though. Quite distressing but obviously very necessary.

The nursery have to see evidence of testing before children are allowed back so there is no way you cannot get it. They obviously know when a child has a temperature or a cough, people will not be able to hide it.

The issue I have is the nearest testing centre is a challenging (London) half hour drive. Might have to do it every month with a teething/cold filled baby. Dreading it.

As a teacher there is no way I am testing children. That would be a ridiculous idea.

@RedCatBlueCat But then surely all the parents who can’t afford time off work, or think Corona is bull, or don’t care about others etc will just not disclose that their child or siblings have symptoms? Unless it’s an obvious cough (which it seems not to be in kids mostly) then who will know? My kids are at different schools. None of the schools would know what state of health any siblings were in.

@JacobReesMogadishu

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

Nick Gibb has already said this test isn’t going to be used in schools.

So they get one negative test, they can still be carrying and spreading the virus round.

I agree with the OP - lots won't test. But since a really high proportion of kids who get it are asymptomatic, they won't get tested anyway and so the virus will still be whooshing around schools, regardless of whether parents test or don't test.

Realistically there needs to be pay and protection for employees or people just won’t bother. Or will say they’ve had a negative test.

@Ickabog

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...

This is my worry.

We also can not ask for proof of a negative test but if I have a child coughing in class, looking unwell etc I will immediately send them to first aid. If they return the next day and their condition hasn’t improved, I will again send them to first aid. I will keep doing this as the only protection I have is the ‘guidance’.

Didn’t people really want to test back in March when we couldn’t?

I’d have thought increased testing would be welcomed.

I must admit it sounds a bit grim, shame there isn’t an easier one.

*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...*

Agree this is a worry, if schools have to accept this. They cant make parents prove it but they can surely insist that if a parent must show a negative test IF they want to cut the isolation period short?

The nursery have to see evidence of testing before children are allowed back so there is no way you cannot get it.

I’m pretty sure state schools can’t insist on seeing medical test results. Besides which, mine were an email and a text. It would be extremely easy to fake. If you were that way inclined! In fact my results didn’t have a date on them so could be reused.

@JacobReesMogadishu

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.

Nurses who are off sick due to Covid get sick pay, usually including enhancements. Also paid to those who are self isolating - see link below. If DP has symptoms, she would’ve required itself isolate and would be paid accordingly.

Not sure why she would ring in sick if her DH tested negative if she had no symptoms herself?? Guidance is if a partner tests negative, the other person can return to work immediately.

www.nhsemployers.org/covid19/staff-terms-and-conditions/staff-terms-and-conditions-faqs/pay

@Tobebythesea

Testing is going to become very frequent over the next few months.

Our nursery has already requested 5 families have tests within the last fortnight or isolate for 10 days-14 days. We want to protect other children, their families and staff but we also need to work and pay bills and on a selfish note we don’t want to pay hundreds of pounds for a service we cannot use due to a likely cold so testing it is.Very unpleasant but quick and the results took 12 hours to come back. Awful administering the test on your young kids though. Quite distressing but obviously very necessary.

The nursery have to see evidence of testing before children are allowed back so there is no way you cannot get it. They obviously know when a child has a temperature or a cough, people will not be able to hide it.

The issue I have is the nearest testing centre is a challenging (London) half hour drive. Might have to do it every month with a teething/cold filled baby. Dreading it.

Fake testing. They give you the test to swab your own child, try that with a child with special needs, it's not just unpleasant or any other quaint adjective, so you do it half-arsed so there's a negative result as you still have to go to work to keep the roof over the child's head. That's reality. That or even more unemployment, but hey, covid is king!

I am concerned since lockdown - not one of my mindees has had a cough or cold , once everyone settles back how many coughs and colds - we tend to get them constantly . I can’t afford not to work.

Required to self isolate not required itself isolate

Ah. Easy to fake is a problem.

Am a teacher and I have a horrible feeling that YANBU.

There are lots of sensible parents out there too. I’m eternally grateful one parent pulled her son out for isolation before the guidelines changed to do it (pre-lockdown) because she was symptomatic. She turned out to have it.

but they can surely insist that if a parent must show a negative test IF they want to cut the isolation period short?

The schools guidance specifically states schools aren’t allowed to ask for evidence of a negative test before allowing a child back.

The government plans for schools reopening are just terrible, I’m amazed more people haven’t read them and just believe Daily Mail headlines stating teachers are workshy lefties all whinging about nothing.

My school is certainly going to ask for proof of negative test for any child who is sent home with symptoms. And we will be sending every child who has a temperature or new cough home. If parents aren’t willing to show a negative test result, then neither they nor any of their children will be allowed on school premise for 14 days from the day the child was sent home with symptoms.

Fully expect parents to send in their children when sick - that’s why noro flies around schools ....parents know their children are sick but give them calpol and send them in anyway. Then everyone gets sick but most parents don’t give a shit and the child is usually a shivering, vomiting mess by lunch time and has to go home anyway.

Well, I've recently received a fairly snotty letter complaining about my son's attendance so that will need to be looked at as well.

I can't manage to get him to get antibiotics so have no idea how he'd react if he needed blood taken, especially repeatedly.

Luckily I can just keep him at home (and it's what I plan on doing if he's showing any symptoms btw), but then how do I keep his attendance up.

YANBU. It’s why I’m desperately worried about sending my asthmatic child back to school and wondering whether to keep him off for the first few weeks of term. The fact that schools can’t even ask to see a negative result is fucking madness!