To be annoyed there are no tests available?

[Froginaboginasmock]

Primary aged DC has a heavy cold including occasional coughing (no temp). Realise I need to get a test due to cough, go online (several times) and absolutely nothing available.

I know I have to keep DC off school until we can locate a test, have it and get the results back. They are going to miss a lot of school at this rate!

AIBU to think the government are incompetent for not making sure more tests were available when kids went back to school ?

Just realised someone else has posted this exact thread!

I’d have a look at the definition of “continuous cough” he might not need a test. I agree it’s rubbish though that they’re running out already.
I was asked to have a test by the research app, even though I don’t have one of the 3 main symptoms. There were no home kits available and the test sites were nearly a 2hr drive away.

Thanks.. well it says 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours. DC is coughing about every 10 minutes so definitely fits this.

Keep checking and there is NOTHING available - no postal tests, no drive through (anywhere), no walk in

Maybe try ringing 119 which is the testing centre phone number. They deal with chasing results and tests for under 5’s. It also says ring them if you have trouble with the website.

Do you have a walk in testing site near you? We turned up at ours today and happily taking walk ins, infact only saw 1 person with an appointment. Shame they dont actually tell you this though on the site they just say no appointments available.

Froginaboginasmock We had the same problem yesterday, After spending ages online searching and ringing 119, was told to go online between 8-8.30pm or 8am that’s when the appointments get released. Hope it helps.

YANBU, it is ridiculous. Whoever set up the 'book a test' website is utterly incompetent.

It should put you in a virtual queue not just expect you to try again and randomly hope to get lucky.

And the questions about what job you do are fecking infuriating when you are trying to quickly book as there seems to be a slot.

Since Monday, test centres are not allowed to accept people turning up without an appointment, but some are bending the rules and others aren't. So I am sure there are ill people driving around the country trying their luck. Which I don't blame them for but its really lousy.

We had the same issue. I tried about 40 times at different times of the day and did eventually get a slot but it's very frustrating. My child clearly has a cold albeit with a temperature initially but the school policy is I need the negative test so my other child doesnt need to be off 2 weeks too. I read something about the issue being lab testing availability but that more centres are being opened in the next 2 weeks so hopefully will get better as term progresses.

Yanbu
We have dc with
Temp of 39 last night
Runny nose
And possibly loss/change of taste but she is trixy so not sure of that one
Sore throat

Bristol area offering mid wales but actually when you click there is nothing
But also we have no fuel certainly not enough for a 2h round trip

I have asthma and im not keen on dp or me sat in the car for 2h with dc
She is very awkward and ideally needs a home test as may refuse. Actually probably will so not the easiest in a car.
Almost tempted by the £150 private test i saw which you could choose saliva too.

Anyway they are either incompetent or this is intentionally so we dont pull kids out or close bubbles...

It's a contract they are not fulfilling their end. Why should we trust we would get nhs help either?
Anyway my dc will not be going back even after a neg test or 14d.
If gov try to force it i will take legal action.
I am so sad though as dc2 was really enjoying reception

I’m going for a test today , finally managed to get one after 3 hours of waiting .

I've got two boys who developed coughs and temps on Friday, I've been trying since then to get a test but absolutely nothing avaliable. I started a new job on Monday as a head of year in a school, tomorrow is the first day my year group are in full time and I can't be there because I cant get the boys tested anywhere. It's ridiculous!!!! I'm hoping my school will be understanding as they certainly talk the talk on corona related issues, but it's really not the start I wanted in this job!!!

If we can't get a test in the next 2 days, that's us in isolation for the full time period as they won't test after 5 days of symptoms.

What an absolute shambles.

I went private as the nhs website is a pile of shite!

119 also no help FYI. Was on hold for an hour and unfortunately the nice lady couldn't do anything more than the website could.

It has changed from occasional coughing to every ten minutes when it was pointed out that you probably don’t need a test. 🙂 We have run out because people are ordering them for just about anything, I read a thread last week where somebody had ordered one for his husband because he had what sounded like food poisoning.

It's shocking! Schools and universities go back and they're not ready. No excuses, the government knew this was coming. We're not even in winter yet! What are they playing at...

Slightly off topic but I just saw a link on another thread about those three symptoms not even being the most common ones now?! Very worrying.

From the Zoe app:

"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%).

This was different compared to the App’s data on adults; fatigue (87%), headache (72%), loss of smell (60%), persistent cough (54%) and sore throat (49%)."

Food for thought. I wonder if the government will update this list soon...

It's shit, and what happens when the gov hand over essential services to private contractors. Whilst you're sat pressing refresh, have a read about the millions that has been thrown at these firms.

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/NHS_Test_and_Trace

And this is before they've even started on Operation Moonshit.

@Florencex

It has changed from occasional coughing to every ten minutes when it was pointed out that you probably don’t need a test. 🙂 We have run out because people are ordering them for just about anything, I read a thread last week where somebody had ordered one for his husband because he had what sounded like food poisoning.

Well thanks for that pass agg smiley just what I needed..

I call coughing every 10 minutes occasional no? They are brief coughs, it’s not constant.

I’d love to not have to get a test but I don’t think the school will be very impressed (rightly so!) if I send a coughing child in tomorrow

^^A new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual)

By continuous, they don't mean constantly coughing all day. They just don't want people to get confused by having just one coughing fit or something.

My friend needs a test and he’s been offered Inverness.

He lives in Wales.

So it aint happening.

It's driving me mad! I have to enter all my details (and my DC's details) before being told (after 10-15 mins of typing) that there are no test sites available

@Froginaboginasmock try entering details and getting to the last page where it says no test sites available and then just keep hitting change postcode and re-entering the same postcode. I did this Friday from 5pm consistently overnight and Saturday morning and at around 10am (just after) some appts came available. Someone on another thread was advising 10am and 8pm seem to be magic appointment release times. But no need to keep re-entering details, just keep hitting change postcode and resubmit from there

Best of luck!

@JalapenoCheeseOnToast this is such a good tip thank you!!