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.

Hereinthesticks
Of course it was a lie. The government have been lying for years.

The government have been lying about schools, presenting school leaders, teachers and unions as the evil ones who want schools to close. The government have been having carefully staged media opportunities showing half capacity classrooms.
They don't care about the children. They want schools open in full to provide childcare so they can get everyone back to work as quickly as possible, preferably in city offices because their donors own lots of the land companies.

Once everyone is back in overcrowded classrooms they'll be passing the buck to schools and saying schools and teachers have caused the outbreaks.

I'm just south of Nottingham. The website is sending me to St Andrews..

I'm just south of Nottingham. The website is sending me to St Andrews..

That's six hours and 15 minutes by car

So I can’t get an appointment and there are no walk ins or postal tests available. Does that mean we all have to stay at home for 2 weeks even when only one person in the household has a slightly raised temp?!

Every family needs plans for a fortnight indoors on no notice.

As a previous poster said yes, this is the way I am organising things and have been doing since March.

Everything ready in this house and organised digitally so that if either of us is ill, things will come to our door and we don't need to step out of it. Two weeks supply of food etc.

Haven't delved into postal testing here, but guess it is the reality of things with school etc now.

@HasaDigaEebowai

I'm just south of Nottingham. The website is sending me to St Andrews..

That's six hours and 15 minutes by car

This needs to be tweeted to Matt Hancock. How ridiculous.

There's nothing available where I am in SE London

I think it really depends where you are dd went to book last night and there were lots of slots for today (she was at her bf and both she and bf mum started coughing) though in her case bfs dm works at the hospital and got them both tests yesterday within the hour, negative result through a few mins ago

In Germany they are giving out free tests to anyone who wants them

4th September;
"Bavaria's health minister has been criticized for the second testing blunder in less than a month, amid a high volume of requests.The southern German state is alone in offering free coronavirus tests for everyone."

"Some 10,000 travellers returning to the southern German state of Bavaria who had taken a coronavirus test did not get their results within the required 48 hours, the state's Health Ministry admitted on Friday."

"Some are said to have waited up to a week."

"This is the second time the state has run into problems with its testing operation. In mid-August, tens of thousands of people faced long waits for their results, including more than 900 people who had tested positive."

"Bavaria is the only federal state that offers free coronavirus tests for everyone.The policy, which has been questioned by many, including Germany's health minister Jens Spahn, was introduced by Bavarian state premier Markus Söder (CSU) at the end of June."

"This month's test debacle was the result of a technical glitch at Ecolog, the private service provider conducting the COVID-19 tests, Bavaria's Health Ministry said."

www.dw.com/en/germany-bavaria-beset-by-fresh-coronavirus-test-backlog/a-54821302

No home tests or drive thru within 70 miles of us. Ridiculous.

That article is not about normal testing for people whose children have been sent home from school. It is about the testing of travellers returning home from holidays and the 'blunder' is not getting results back within 48 hours. That is not a benchmark our own UK government has set itself. It is not comparable.

Also to a pp, it is not the fault of the individuals who may not have adequately planned for 2 weeks at home waiting out quarantine while there are tests available that could give a negative or positive result quickly and reliably. Whether or not you have enough food and loo roll for 2 weeks of quarantine is not relevant to whether the government can provide you with a test. That is the government's own poor planning and preparation and yet another example if its incompetence.

That article is not about normal testing for people whose children have been sent home from school. It is about the testing of travellers returning home from holidays and the 'blunder' is not getting results back within 48 hours.That is not a benchmark our own UK government has set itself. It is not comparable.

The post I was reply to;
"herethereandeverywhere"
"In Germany they are giving out free tests to anyone who wants them and mandatory tests for all holiday returners and those arriving at airports from 'red list' countries. Results available in 24-48 hours. It enables less time in quarantine, less incentive to cheat quarantine and less impact on the economy and schooling (in one region they are testing every school child before they start school)."

Yes, but simply because Bavaria did not meet its ambitious targets twice does not mean that their testing is not better than ours. It is still better.

Every family needs plans for a fortnight indoors on no notice. but without a test that isn't long enough. DS get symptoms, 10 days for him 14 for you. Day 13 DD gets symptoms, 10 days for her 14 for you (they could go to school but you shouldn't be driving them as you have to quarantine) DF gets symptoms, 10 days for him, well at least he can now go out do school run but 14 days for you. Tests need to be available, otherwise we will have half the working population at home with a cold, and then when they finally catch covid they won't be able to afford more time off.

Yep, same boat here. Got the tests but still waiting for the results.

As more people are back out at work and school the demand will definitely increase.

Early in the crisis, Randox won a £133million contract to carry Covid-19 tests. The Government had to recall up to 740,000 tests that it had procured from Randox in August so that won't have helped matters.

news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-randox-laboratories-test-kits-recalled-for-not-meeting-safety-standards-12045204

Some schools still closed for a short period immediately after reopening- a different German state;

"Days after schools in one German state re-opened their doors, hundreds of students have been sent home once again. Isolated COVID-19 cases are to blame."

www.dw.com/en/germany-closes-two-schools-due-to-fresh-coronavirus-outbreaks/a-54483737

I am in south west. Ds has a cold that has morphed into a cough. So I'm not overly worried but just in case did the online doodah which booked us in for a phone call fyi the caller doesn't get any of the info you put in like it says they do.
We were told that we didn't need a test which I figured anyway. He did say if we were to need one we would have to go to Birmingham which is 2-3 hours on public transport for us.

School aren't insisting on a negative test luckily they just won't have him back whilst he is coughing and coughs do drag on for a bit.So I am not sure he will be back this week. I foresee this happening quite a bit between now and march.

Glad I found this thread!

DS has developed a cough and sore throat after 3 days back at school. I’ve kept him off today assuming we would be able to just book a drive-through test today and get quick results so he’d hopefully only need a few days off. Had rang and discussed with school.

Can’t book a test. His siblings are having to stay at home too despite no symptoms.

So after 5 months off school do we now need to all stay at home for 2 weeks?

Am I expected to do this every time someone has a cough?

Tbh if it stays like this most will just send kids in with symptoms.

Tests need to be available, otherwise we will have half the working population at home with a cold, and then when they finally catch covid they won't be able to afford more time off.

Scottish Government
"Common cold and COVID-19 symptoms: advice for parents and carers."

"Cold-like symptoms"
"If, however, your child does not have symptoms of COVID-19 but has other cold-like symptoms, such as a runny nose, they do not need to be tested and they and you do not need to self-isolate. Your child can go to school if fit to do so."

www.gov.scot/publications/common-cold-and-covid-19-symptoms-advice-for-parents-and-carers/

Obviously it is wrong that people with symptoms cannot get a local test. Even if it were acceptable for people to drive over an hour to get a test, which it is not at this stage of the pandemic, surely it is not desirable for people with fevers and coughs to be on the road. The government either does not have enough tests or does not have them in the right places. It is playing catch up again and children's education is going to suffer. I also cannot see how this helps the economy, which is the government's number one priority.

"Cold-like symptoms"
"If, however, your child does not have symptoms of COVID-19 but has other cold-like symptoms, such as a runny nose, they do not need to be tested and they and you do not need to self-isolate. Your child can go to school if fit to do so."
Yes, I agree, but schools are sending pupils home it seems and not letting them back. And you can't force them to take your under-the-weather child into class. So tests are needed - fast, accurate tests that are available close to home. That will mean the government spending money.

Agree with herethere. Testing was the one key provision to managing this pandemic. To keeping schools open and businesses running. They have had MONTHS to sort this out for the reopening of schools.

Is this post code lottery of testing fragmentation due to testing contracts being given to various private firms?

And to think that the utter shambolic management of the UK's track, trace, and test is the very same person being appointed to run the replacement for PHE. That's sure to turn out to be world beating.

I’m in Guildford, there’s a testing site in my town and one nearby at Chessington. Tried to get a test last week and only place available was Newport - 106 miles away! So I ordered a home test.

Had no idea you could just turn up at a testing centre - according to google, the two near me say appointment only.