Just back to school. Now home. Not tests available

[Whatdowehaveherethen]

My boys went back to school last week. DS1 developed a persistent cough Friday evening. DS2 picked it up on Saturday.

There are no home tests available. I've looked every hour from 7am through to 2am since.

They can't go to school unless a negative result is given. I very much doubt I can get tests through the post. Many people on my area have the same issue.

I know I'm being unreasonable. I know!

Are people ordering tests 'just in case'?

I'm working from home and it's been horrendous. My boys were so happy to be back at school. Now I have to keep them off for a week. I'm pretty sure last Autumn term they developed the same cold/cough symptoms once they were back with their viral loaded friends. It was normal then.

I know keeping them off school is for the greater good but I have no idea how this is going to work in the long term. They constantly pick up viral infections. That's their job!

Actually, I'm not sorry, I'm just completely fucked off. Why haven't the gov made more tests available knowing our kids would be going back to school? What about the teachers?

The school have told me to 'continue to use' the online learning. This involves going out and finding leaves of difference colours etc. Fuck that.

I know the school are using a generalised online learning system but it's not practical at all.

I'm not going to complain by the way. I couldn't respect my boys teachers anymore. They're wonderful.

I'm just ranting.

[quote oceanbreezy]@HasaDigaEebowai

What do you mean?[/quote]
I think they mean that the thread is full of people saying they've been repeatedly trying to get a test at a centre and none are available no matter how many times they've tried and then you post telling us to "just get one at a test centre" as though no one has tried

@oceanbreezy

They release new appt times at 8pm. You’ve got to keep checking

You shouldn't have to keep checking, what if you are working, or caring for someone you can't just keep refreshing the page. You should just be able to book a test, which if you bother to rtft, you would realise you can't.

All those people telling op to drive. I presume she does not have a car.

I've just got a postal test (11th time I've tried today). They've obviously just released another batch!

@SleepingStandingUp my DD has a raised temperature. No cough. No change to appetite or taste. A runny nose and a couple of sneezes.
The temperature forced the Covid test. I thought it was the ‘right’ thing to do. I never imagined the shit show that would follow.
Could I have given her calpol and sent her in? Absolutely. School would be none the wiser.

Instead I’m at home with 2 children missing yet more of their education for god knows how long while we all isolate because I can’t get a test.

I couldn't get through on the phone yesterday but managed to book a drive through one by repeatedly refreshing the website. Initially it was telling me the only available one was 150 odd miles away but eventually it came through with a choice of two sites 11 miles away.
Apparently the sites have multiple courier deliveries daily so it's just a case of having to keep trying.

@MrsMontgomerySmythe

Wow!!! We are aboard and here every child received an invite for a free drive through test before school starts and everyone returning from holiday can test too for free. Same day testing available for anyone with symptoms.

You can also get tested and pay if you don’t fit into those 2 categories. Walk in and results same day.

Am shocked tests are not readily available in the UK to all.

Also find this upsetting that in the UK our government is performing so poorly, failing to provide enough testing capacity (including labs). They only get away with it because the UK is so insular in attitude that many people cannot believe that other countries are not in the same sorry mess. Just imagine if we had tested all children before returning to school like this poster, our DC would have a much better return to school with less disruption.

Matt Hancock was asked about these testing problems by the Commons Health Committee this morning. Here’s his reply (as reported by the Guardian):

We have had these operational issues ... We’ve had a problem with a couple of contracts ... But it’s a matter of a couple of weeks until we can get all that sorted in the short term, in the immediate term.

We have already put in certain solutions to ensure people don’t have to travel more than 75 miles. I appreciate 75 miles is far loner than you would want to go, and indeed the vast majority of tests are much closer than that.

Personally I find it rather baffling that anyone has to travel long distances to a centre if the “pinch point” is lab capacity. In a sensible system the test could be taken locally and then couriered to whatever lab has capacity.

Well, the solution to not have people travel more than 75 miles seems to be to not offer any tests at all...
We are in surrey, this morning we got offered Oldham, cambridge and (my favourite) Isle of wight....

@Potcallingkettle not all schools have actually got these 10 tests yet.... in what will come as a huge surprise to no-one, some schools are still waiting and repeatedly being told 'any day now'......

This is appalling. Thankfully we haven't needed it, but friends overseas have been tested multiple times, seemingly on-demand and quickly. Quick results too.

I’m in Sydney, Australia.
I literally can’t send my Dd to school with any conjunctivitis, cold or Flu symptoms (not a even just a bit of a runny nose) until I supply her school with a copy of her negative test results.
We have a pop up walk through testing nearby and a drive through one about 5 minutes away.
You don’t have to book for either, the testing team does your swab and get your results in 24-48hrs via text message if negative but will be called by trackers for all of your contacts and movements if it’s positive ASAP and all places positive cases have been and the time period they were their (like businesses) and put up on the health department website and in the media each day)
In my state we have positive figures in single to low teens each day.

We are bitching about not getting results fast enough.

Realistically parents who can't afford to take time off will attempt to order tests and if they can't, will send the child to school anyway dosed up. Of course they shouldn't do this, but as I am sitting pretty with a part time secure job and a husband with flexible hours, I don't feel in a position to judge.

Why is nobody reading the comments and just offering unhelpful advice!
It’s pretty clear that they can’t keep up with demand - even if you do get a test you WILL be waiting at least 5 days for a result (I’m on day 6) I managed to get through to the helpline yesterday - and was told basically sit tight for your isolation period.

Thenneverendingstorohree
You're right, the system is awful and poorly coordinated.

What bothers me is that there's clearly a lot of posters on here of the mentality that they'll just send their children in regardless because it's a cold. Most of those won't be people in the situation you've outlined, but the people on the situation you outlined will be the hardest hit if and when bubbles or schools close due to outbreaks.

Matt Hancock's response has made my blood boil. 75 bloody miles? And if you don't have a car or feel too unwell to drive 150 miles? These people live in cloud cuckoo land. They're forcing people to either risk their job by isolating for 24 days possibly repeatedly, being pushed into poverty if they only get SSP or no pay during this time, or just ignore symptoms and spread the virus.

I have to giggle a little at the amount of people complaining that they can't get availability at nearby test centres, and I having to travel along way to get to an appointment – my nearest test centre (not nearest with availability, nearest full stop) is 50 miles away, and an hour and 20 minutes drive.

Perhaps some people should consider that they're lucky to have service is nearby in the first place,.

You can imagine the sort of area that are local test centre is happy to cover! Yet I did manage to get a test yesterday afternoon, booked yesterday morning, and am just pleased to get an appointment at all.

My closest with 1 slot in the next five days is 63.8 miles away.

My closest test centre itself however is 0.9m followed by 17.3m. Ridiculous.

MH: it’s a matter of a couple of weeks until we can get all that sorted
So this shambles continues for a couple many more weeks?
Just when pupils take their first in-school lessons since March?
Speechless with rage and incredulity...

@ErinBrockovich oh wow, that is such a change in a few weeks! Something big has changed with testing recently then, either demand or the system is breaking down.

We are in surrey, this morning we got offered Oldham, cambridge and (my favourite) Isle of wight....

Hilarious. We are closer to Cambridge than you but only got offered Oldham. On Friday.

4.5hours each way with the kids and we aren’t allowed to stop for a loo? Er no my names not Dom.

Fortunately a friend let us know about a test centre in a neighbouring town. Couldn’t book it but we drove up and they tested DC. Fingers crossed we get the results (and they are negative) before the family funeral on Thursday....

(No queue, staff sat around appearing to be twiddling their thumbs)

[quote ErinBrockovich]@SleepingStandingUp my DD has a raised temperature. No cough. No change to appetite or taste. A runny nose and a couple of sneezes.
The temperature forced the Covid test. I thought it was the ‘right’ thing to do. I never imagined the shit show that would follow.
Could I have given her calpol and sent her in? Absolutely. School would be none the wiser.

Instead I’m at home with 2 children missing yet more of their education for god knows how long while we all isolate because I can’t get a test.[/quote]
Exactly the same situation here. Makes me regret doing the "correct" thing and following the rules.

Same situation here too.