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.

I was lucky. We had not long filled the car up for fuel so didn’t have to stop on our mammoth trip.

Argh, this is ridiculous. DS has had a snotty nose this weekend and overnight / this morning coughed a bit. 99% certain it's a cold given no temperature, he's still eating like a horse and there's yellow mucus emerging from his nose. We've not sent him to nursery, because we don't want to be THOSE parents, plus if he starts coughing again there he'll get sent home anyway and it'll cause all sorts of issues for them with the other kids, but we can't get a test to confirm it's not Covid. The particular irony is there is a test centre on our road which we can see from the front door and there is noone there... DH has just gone down there with DS to see if they can fit him in, but I suspect they won't without an appointment. Sigh.

I shall try to regain my zen, but the prospect of two weeks cooped up trying to WFH with a two year old running around is not filling me with joy...

Good grief, this country is going backwards. Back in March and April we couldn't get a test easily, now we are back in that situation.
FFS how do we get a change of leadership (or any leadership)?

"Symptomatic people should be tested as close to home as possible, in everybody’s interests. It should not be the norm to expect people to travel significant distances from home while experiencing symptoms of a highly infectious disease."
Common sense!

Has anyone had their results back recently from a drive through test site? I had DD tested on Sunday and we still haven’t heard anything. Worried now that the test isn’t going to processed in time which will mean 10/14 day isolation for us.

Common sense has been sadly missing from the beginning.

Itwasthebestoftimes, DC tested yesterday at a drive through, got results this am, less than 24 hours later.

twitter.com/RhonddaBryant/status/1303351707225726978

Afraid it looks like you are correct OP.

Hi OP,
Similar situation here: managed to get a home test after half a day of refreshing the site. I work in a school and we’ve been given the grand total of 10 test kits to give to families that can’t access the online or drive through tests. We have over 300 pupils and lots of families with no internet/ car. Seems like the govt hasn’t really thought about how to manage testing with schools going back.

I understood that we didn’t have tests and lab capacity in March, it wasn’t great but we were taken by surprise. I defended the government.

That was six months ago. There is no excuse now. Investing in lab capacity should have been a priority. This is an absolute shambles. In two weeks time, we’ll be back in the same position as March. Even more so because people will just carry on with a mild cough or fever if they’re unlikely to be tested quickly and admitting it will result in 14 days off work/school.

GiantPinesAhem I don't get your post. If I have covid, knowing I have covid isn't really going to change anything for me. I will still have covid and will have to deal with whatever it throws at me, it won't affect me if I spread it around the office, actually it may even work in my favour. So getting a test isn't really in my interest I want a test so people I have been in contact can track and trace, these people can make decisions about visiting vulnerable people, these people can then isolate to protect more people. By isolating and getting a test I am being altruistic, it is significantly better for me to dose everyone up with paracetamol and go to work as normal, but I won't, I will follow the government guidelines but sure as hell they should be providing the tests that are required in these guidelines. It's a farce. Be cross that you can't access a postal test/have it in the GP surgery, not that others need to travel.

Wow, I didn't expect so many replies.

The school have no tests available and I don't drive. No walk ins available either.

What makes it worse is I was counting down the days until they were back at school so I could concentrate on my work. I'm in a crucial stage at the moment where I really need to focus. It was delayed until they're back.

Still no tests. They're still coughing like mad. If they're the same on Monday they'll still have to stay off.

I know I should count my blessing and be grateful but I'm so pissed off.

Oh no OP that sounds like a massive pain, it’s a really shit situation.

We live near a test centre and it’s really difficult to book a test there. However, several people I know and popped up on the off chance and have managed to get a test there and then. Is that an option?

@VerbenaGirl that's not an option unfortunately. I don't drive and DP works away. I am fully committed at work this week despite having an wonderful manager who has been more than understanding.

I've spoken to some other parents at my boys school. Quite a few have the same symptoms. Some have sent them to school anyway. Some are trying to get home tests unsuccessfully. One did turn up randomly at a test centre to be turned away.

This evening the message has changed on .gov.
It now says not to call the 3 digit number and something about 'difficulties'.

I am thoroughly pissed off. Not just selfishly. Some parents are taking their I'll children to school and risking our teachers health. The same teachers who I am sure were guaranteed that everything had been put in place for them to be at minimal risk.

It hasn't though, has it? These poor people are returning to their families knowing fuck all about what they're carrying home.

This is totally unacceptable. I've read so many threads about teachers not pulling their weight over the past few months. No bloody wonder so many want to get out.

I'm so embarrassed to be British right now.

It's a big FUCK YOU from our useless government.

I'm sick of hearing '' government guidance '' I really am.

Op, on the other hand, had schools across the board been told to provide on line lessons... Maybe a rota would have been able to slot in place to allow for proper social distancing?
Unfortunately, some schools are so behind the times they have needed since March, then April, May, June and July to learn and practice what other schools managed in 30 minuets.

Unfortunately, some schools are so behind the times they have needed since March, then April, May, June and July to learn and practice what other schools managed in 30 minuets.
You're just being goady here.

But enlighten us, how exactly do you propose that all schools set up and facilitate remote learning, ensure that every child had the right equipment at home, the right internet speed, and so on without any additional funds?
We're all ears as to how you have solutions that the whole sector hasn't thought of.

And do this without doing what Mumsnet posters over the last few months have done where they say 'but the private school...'

Still no bloody tests!

According to Matt Hancock it's all the fault of people taking a test who don't need one. If so many people don't need a test, why have the number of cases gone up so much?

What a shitstow.

Perhaps we should be testing people first, to see if they need a test. 🙄

One of my carers tried to get a test. We're in Lincolnshire. No home tests so she was told to go to Scotland! We test every week but wanted hers quicker because she had symptoms. This obviously prolonged the time we had to wait to get a result and meant we were short staffed. It's horrendous.

Oooh I've been offered tests! 290 miles away 🤣 no walk ins, no postal tests. I don't drive but put in the drive through option just to see where it offered. World class service indeed.

I'm just popping back on to say I thought at first people weren't using all the available routes to get a test but now I've seen how awful it is I really must apologise!
Good luck to all those looking for tests.

I’m wondering if we’ve misunderstood ‘world class’
What they mean is You could be sent anywhere in the world for the test