To be angry that there are no tests

[whyohwhydidieatthatpie]

I can't fathom it. Schools have just gone back. Something we've known will happen for months. Predictably kids catch colds, symptoms overlap with Covid-19. Parents are trying to do the right thing and get their kids tested before sending them into school. I have tried many, many times now. I cannot get a test, no home test kits available, no drive through appointments or walk through appointments. Am I the only one this is happening to?!

I just can't understand how, when testing was identified as a key failing the first time round, we seem to be so ill prepared for inevitable increased demand as schools start back. Sorry, I'm just venting.

@JustMeUnderATree

There has also been a mass mailing of a randomly selected paticipant research study between DHSC and ICL for participants to send out Covid tests the last few days - just posted on another thread as DD1 received a letter yesterday asking her to take part.

My DC received this as well.

@Cam2020

Not everyone can afford to “choose to self isolate” particularly as it’s the whole household for 14 days - fine if you can wfh but not everyone can. What about teachers, nhs workers, retail workers?

It's not even fine if you work from home and have children - it's impossible. And Children need school and activities. I'm dreading what's to come this autumn and winter if they don't get this testing thing sorted.

Well no, it’s not impossible to look after kids and wfh. It’s incredibly hard (I also did it for 5 months) but it’s not impossible in the same way as having to actually leave the house and go to a workplace for 10 hours a day.

Well no, it’s not impossible to look after kids and wfh. It’s incredibly hard (I also did it for 5 months) but it’s not impossible in the same way as having to actually leave the house and go to a workplace for 10 hours a day.
That depends on your child and their age. Mine doesn't leave me alone for long enough to get anything done!

God I am so fed up with all this! I thought it would be bad maybe in November but things are just awful already. I ended up paying £100 for a test for DD just because I want to get her into school and settled, I can't afford to keep doing that every time! The government should be sorting this out!

@Lockdown2TheLockening

God I am so fed up with all this! I thought it would be bad maybe in November but things are just awful already. I ended up paying £100 for a test for DD just because I want to get her into school and settled, I can't afford to keep doing that every time! The government should be sorting this out!

Can you genuinely think of anything this government have “sorted out” in the last 4 years? Anything?

@Feminist10101 no you are right they're a shower of shite. Just feeling so fed up and depressed by it all. This winter is going to feel interminable.

Tests available where I am had no problem getting one last week.

Try being responsible for workforce planning in the NHS! 😬

I have been trying for the last 38 hours can't get a home test at all even when they are available it will say they can't verify my identity on the phone if I can get through there are no tests left at that time it's crazy. I'm going to be left with no option than to stay at home for 2 weeks with all the kids not able to go to school or me work all because I have a cough and had a temp. I've now started with a snotty nose so very unlikely to be Covid 😥

Ceeveebee - that really depends on the job the age of children their ability to focus on something by themselves. Lots of variants. I am wfh for the most part but I spend a lot of time on the phone can be for quite long periods and my dc just get up to mischief 🤷‍♀️

Yes but if you can’t work from home at all then it’s completely impossible rather than just being being hard.

I'm glad it's not just us at least. Still no test here, we will keep trying. Good luck to everyone else!

@Dee1975 sorry I was a bit unclear. No, I don't mean testing healthy children before they go back to school, I mean testing children with symptoms before sending them back.

My neighbour’s been trying to get a test since Friday morning, they’ve just messaged me saying they’ve still had no luck.

Their attitude now seems to be that well, they tried, but fuck it now. They’re planning on going to work tomorrow. Their reasoning being that everyone’s saying a sore throat isn’t a symptom of coronavirus - they started with a sore throat then developed a cough and a temperature. They’ve decided it’s just a cold as they’ve got a sore throat. They may well be right, but nobody can know if they’re not tested. But they’d struggle to afford for both them & their partner to be off work for the required self-isolation period, plus it’d mean the kids staying off school when they’ve just started back.

We’re in an area of concern I believe. I can’t help but think that with the apparent lack of testing we’ll soon be in some kind of local lockdown too.

Agreed - people are just going to think, why bother trying?

It’s absolutely ridiculous. I’ve tried all day yesterday and this morning and no luck. My dd has a cold, tonnes of mucus and a wheezy cough. It’s every year without fail and lasts ages. I cannot possibly to afford to lose two weeks wages and I have no idea what I’m going to do. Currently sat here crying and I’m dreading the future months.

Another family here with sore throat, sneezing, mucus and low-grade temperature. Also no NHS tests available.

The school won't accept the children back without a negative test. I'll keep on trying before lunchtime today and then will just book a private test for tomorrow morning. I am a single parent (with zero financial help from the government, I hasten to add), I simply cannot afford no income for 14 days.

Keep trying. I’ve managed to get one for this afternoon. I tried every 20 minutes from 2am and then all of a sudden some were there around 9:30am.

@emptydreamer

Another family here with sore throat, sneezing, mucus and low-grade temperature. Also no NHS tests available.

The school won't accept the children back without a negative test. I'll keep on trying before lunchtime today and then will just book a private test for tomorrow morning. I am a single parent (with zero financial help from the government, I hasten to add), I simply cannot afford no income for 14 days.

I don’t think school can insist as none of those are symptoms relevant for Covid testing!

DD’s headteacher sent this out on Thursday last week. Seems some heads have more sense than others.

I found it near impossible to book a rear. Finally got one - as soon as testing site became available online, slots were disappearing presumably because they were being booked. However, when I got to the testing site we were the only ones there and were the first they'd tested that day.

Rear = test

@Dinocan I work within paediatrics and any child admitted to hospital/and or covid is suspected (symptoms like a high temp) should absolutely get a test.

I don’t think school can insist as none of those are symptoms relevant for Covid testing!
I am not sure whether there has been any centralised guidance to schools on this topic? I will check tomorrow.

"DD’s headteacher sent this out on Thursday last week. Seems some heads have more sense than others."

Except out of those 3 only fever makes it to the top 5 symptoms in children and only 49% of children with covid have a fever.

The top five symptoms in school aged children who test positive for COVID are; fatigue (55%) headache (53%), fever (49%), sore throat (38%) and loss of appetite (35%).

That’s not the NHS gateway to testing though.