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.

@Potcallingkettle

Schools have just been sent a supply of 10 tests. Ours arrived late yesterday so worth going back to the school once you have tried the postal tests option again.

10 for approx 1000 pupils, best hope for a feeding the five thousand moment ten. I think they will keep them for teachers as they can only get ten a month I think

I think they will keep them for teachers

I know staff at lots of different schools and all of them have said this is their intention. As horrible as it is for parents not being able to get tests and to have to keep their children off and most likely take time off work, it makes way more sense to use them for staff as their absence whilst waiting for a test will impact the whole class.

Still no postal or walk in tests available this morning. I tried at just gone 8am. I've given up now as we wouldn't get it until tomorrow afternoon and it needs to be in the post by 4pm. With the rates rising locally so quickly we will just stay home where we are all safer. Dds are being sent school work. Ds isn't well enough for doing anything except watching tv and listening to me read stories. As soon as he's up to it I'll get him doing some work. It's such a shitshow and no doubt we will be in this situation a few times over the autumn and winter.

Even when you find a test site that has X amount of slots available, when you go to book it says on e every day 'none available'. Tewkesbury just came up for me with 45 slots but I can't find when the slots are, clicked every day up until the end of September!!

I managed to order a home delivery test, just after 8am, had been trying since 2pm yesterday. Hoping it comes quick so we can post it back before or on Saturday. Otherwise we pass the 5 days since symptoms showed and would need to go to a drive in- I don't drive.
Got two kids at home. One is perfectly fine. Other one has what I think is a heavy cold but has a cough and slight temperature with it. We'd only been back at school for 3 days 😫

Ordered a postal test for my DD as she has a new continuos cough. Will come tomorrow hopefully! Will I need to wait for a negative result if her symptoms have been for 7 days plus?

Also will all this go on a childs sickness récord at school? As I can see this happening alot through the winter!!

@TinySleepThief

I think they will keep them for teachers

I know staff at lots of different schools and all of them have said this is their intention. As horrible as it is for parents not being able to get tests and to have to keep their children off and most likely take time off work, it makes way more sense to use them for staff as their absence whilst waiting for a test will impact the whole class.

But at the moment if you test positive don't you and your entire bubble have to isolate?

Sorry I meant have symptoms. I thought even a negative test didn't mean you could come out of isolation

God it's ridiculous. We managed to do the drive through test last month when DS had a temperature but now DD has a cough there's just nothing at all. I ended up finding a test for £100 online which was quick and easy (if expensive!) because I just want to get them back to school and settled in, especially in these first few weeks.