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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to tell you how shambolic my experience has been trying to get a covid test...

200 replies

Shiningstar84 · 13/09/2020 21:43

I'm a teacher and have been back in work around 3 weeks. I've come down with a heavy cold and a cough. Been off since Wednesday
Timeline is as follows:
Tuesday night- Tried to get a test- none available
Wednesday - Got a test local to me- just 6 miles according to the booking. Went to the test site, the main and only road to it completely closed off with signs and cones not letting me past. Tried calling the 'help'line- hour on the phone and missed my appointment.
Thursday- Nearest test site 100 miles away but miraculously got a home test kit booked at 8am- horray
Friday- Home test kit showed at 5pm- after the last post of the day near me
Saturday- Got up early to register the test, take the test and get it to the post office. Registration kept coming up as an error online- lots of people reporting the same, the site is completely down and not working. I missed the last post of the day
Sunday- can't do home test as no post, and it would be null and void as over 4 days since symptoms started. Managed to get a test 40 miles away at 7.30pm

Now I wait for results which could be 48hours. I've already lost precious teaching time with my a-level students and although I've been teaching remotely it just isn't the same. I also have my toddler son at home with me as I obviously can't send him back to nursery- making teaching very difficult.
It's September FFS and these are the issues I and many others are having.

OP posts:
Original poster
Shiningstar84 · 14/09/2020 17:58

@TSSDNCOP this is my fear. My college have been good about it but a part of me worries that they don't actually believe me .let's face it , it's pretty shocking how awful it is.

OP posts:
TSSDNCOP · 14/09/2020 18:10

TBH OP if I wasn't living it, and reading the same experiences on here, I'm note sure I would believe it.

You think you're doing the right thing and then you wind up totally fucked.

For once, I'd love it if the dreaded DM or shouty Piers picked up on this story.

TSSDNCOP · 14/09/2020 18:12

OMG result back NEGATIVE

I'm crying

Original poster
Shiningstar84 · 14/09/2020 18:13

@TSSDNCOP haha so true! Come on daily mail I'm sorry for ever being mean about you.
I just want to go back to work for a few weeks without disruption. ..that's all!

OP posts:
UndertheCedartree · 14/09/2020 18:20

I feel you! My DD woke with a cough and cold. Spent the morning trying to organise a test. Nothing available atall. Spoke to school early afternoon and they let me know there was a walk in test place in town. We went there to find massive queues and they weren't accepting anyone else into the queue. Advised to get there at 7.30am tomorrow. So we will do this and the results will come in the next day. Whether in time for my 2 DC to go to school or not, I don't know! So 3 days off for a cold! Very frustrating when they've missed so much and only just gone back! 5 of them that I know where off today with the cold. How often will this happen?!

Grrretel · 14/09/2020 18:24

I find it bizarre that so many posters think they can diagnose a cold vs covid so easily. Makes you wonder why we bother with tests at all, people could just list their symptoms on AIBU and Mumsnet can vote on what virus they have.

If you have your child come home from school feeling tired, with a headache and sore throat, didn’t want their tea, bit if temperature - what do they have? Back to school cold or Covid-19?

And yet those are the most common coronavirus symptoms in children, and even then only half of children have them.

LynseyLou1982 · 14/09/2020 18:31

Yeah it's crap. My nephews a prison officer so classed as a key worker and he woke up with a temperature this morning. No tests available at all. His partner worms for the NHS and she's not allowed back to work until he's had a test done and can prove a negative result.

Lougle · 14/09/2020 18:41

@Grrretel I'm not sure it easy. I'm currently on hold to 119 because DD2 has a cold. She hasn't had a fever, but she has started coughing today. The coughing criteria is "coughing for more than an hour" or "3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours". DD2 is coughing sporadically (so more than 3 times) but each episode is literally "cough-cough" (two coughs). Does a double cough count as an "episode"? I wouldn't say she's "continuously coughing" at all, in normal times. But I don't want to be irresponsible and ignore the need to isolate if coughing twice every 20 minutes or so is classed as a 'coughing episode'.

Grrretel · 14/09/2020 18:47

@Lougle does she have a cough? In February, would you have described this as "having a cough"? If so, she has a cough.

Lougle · 14/09/2020 19:26

[quote Grrretel]@Lougle does she have a cough? In February, would you have described this as "having a cough"? If so, she has a cough.[/quote]
Yes, I would have said she has a mild cough. But the criteria for testing is 'a continuous cough. It isn't. It's intermittent and very short-lived. But, it's still a cough.

111 have said they'll have a clinician call due to her age, but we do need to all self-isolate and book a nonexistent test. We just need to keep trying to book one. Which is fair enough.

Swizzel · 14/09/2020 19:50

I've spent the last two days trying to book a test for my six year old. He started vomiting, then developed a temperature and a horrible cough. Advised by 111 clinician that we all have to isolate until he's been tested, but of course we can't actually get a test booked, so it's looking very likely that we'll all be home for 2 weeks.

I am so frustrated at how poor the system for booking a test is. I feel as though I have done nothing today other than to keep typing our details in to the system, clicking on what felt like a billion photos of fire hydrants, bicycles, traffic lights and buses, only to be met with either the 'no test sites available' message, or the 'this service is currently very busy' message. My husband rang the 119 line at one point, but the poor guy he spoke to couldn't find anything for us, and sounded so defeated. Imagine having to tell people over and over again that you can't do anything to help them despite the fact that the main purpose of your job is to do just that.

Thank goodness for mumsnet - I've been reading posts on the forums in between my fruitless attempts to book a test.

Justaboy · 14/09/2020 21:00

Passed a bus stop outside a 6th form college earlier around 20 or so pupils all in a gaggle together.

No social distancing at all:(

Original poster
Shiningstar84 · 14/09/2020 22:00

@Swizzel oh I do feel for you. Hope you can get a test soon. Get well soon to your son .

@Justaboy I think that's very common. My students are in class bubbles of 24 plus and have around 3 or 4 bubbles depending on the subjects taken. I can see why they'd then socialise with a group outside of class as what in reality is the difference ?

OP posts:
Doliv63 · 14/09/2020 23:19

My daughter became very unwell on Thursday and it took 48 hours to finally get a test slot.that was yesterday and still waiting for her results. I work in a care home and cannot work until her results come back. I am in a position where I can manage with the loss of pay but can guarantee that a lot of my colleagues are not able to manage with the loss of pay ...the whole system needs to be looked at !!

Ewanthescreamsheep · 14/09/2020 23:43

It took 5 days!! to get my daughter's result, following a druve-thru test.

HollaHolla · 14/09/2020 23:49

Last Tuesday I woke with a temperature, headache, snotty nose, loss of taste & smell. Cancelled anything outside the house for a few days, and tried for a test via the website. I was offered drive through testing in Warrington & Northampton. I am in Edinburgh. Felt that would be irresponsible for me to try and drive that far for one... Y’now, when I was feeling unwell.
No home/postal testing available.
Finally, on Day 2 of trying (and a lot of website refreshing) I got a drive through test, 1 mile from home. How bizarre!

HollaHolla · 14/09/2020 23:50

Ps. Negative result received today! Just as I’m feeling better.... 🥳

CountessFrog · 15/09/2020 00:37

Medical household here. Several of husband’s consultant colleagues isolating at home due to having a child with a cough.

No system to get tested. Hospitals with actual virology labs leaving their staff isolating at home. Apparently higher management didn’t think of this.

Kinny14 · 15/09/2020 01:02

If you are well enough to try get tests done you’re not actually sick. If you think you have COVID which is in fact a type of flu you wouldn’t have the energy to do anything. Take paracetamol and drink plenty of fluid and stop being a drama queen.

CountessFrog · 15/09/2020 01:13

Can you explain your point a bit more, kinny?

Especially the bit where you say that covid is a type of flu.

And the other bit where you say that people who are well enough to get tested aren’t actually sick.

What I think you mean is, if you can go out and get tested, you mustn’t have covid.

I’m interested to know if you e ever heard the word ‘asymptomatic’ or whether you know what the government advice us?

ChavvySexPond · 15/09/2020 01:15

@Kinny14

If you are well enough to try get tests done you’re not actually sick. If you think you have COVID which is in fact a type of flu you wouldn’t have the energy to do anything. Take paracetamol and drink plenty of fluid and stop being a drama queen.
Should you be posting so soon after emerging from an eight month coma?
Kinny14 · 15/09/2020 01:20

Yes covid is a type of flu, from the same family. I haven’t been in a coma but know enough to know that it’s got less than 0.1% death rate which is very low. Get a grip. Will it make you feel better that you can say oh I had the virus? I had the flu once, real flu, the type where I managed to crawl downstairs in the morning and back up again at night time and that was it. Kids ate cereal a lot then as I couldn’t get off the sofa. Get a grip, suck it up and stop acting the thick

Original poster
Shiningstar84 · 15/09/2020 04:05

@Kinny14 oh do shut up 😂

OP posts:
EmmaGrundyForPM · 15/09/2020 05:09

My neighbour was ranting about this on Social media yesterday. He is a teacher. He and his wife had C19 early on.

Their children went back to school last week, and predictably they have picked up cold as small children do.

Neighbour and wife do as instructed, withdraw their DC from school and isolate at home until they have had a test.

However, there are no tests. He has tried and tried to get one but unsuccessfully. So hia children are missing school and he isn't able to work therefore lots of secondary school pupils aren't having their lessons with him. And because they can't get tested they will have to isolate for 14 days, whereas with a negative test they could go straight back to school.

its madness and will only get worse

walksen · 15/09/2020 05:31

"Yes covid is a type of flu, from the same family. I haven’t been in a coma but know enough to know that it’s got less than 0.1% death rate which is very low. Get a grip. Will it make you feel better that you can say oh I had the virus? I had the flu once, real flu, the type where I managed to crawl downstairs in the morning and back up again at night time and that was it. Kids ate cereal a lot then as I couldn’t get off the sofa. Get a grip, suck it up and stop acting the thick"

I had a parent send a kid to school today who had to get sent home first lesson as she was complaining of a headache and temperature and it turned out she'd had a fever the previous night and the parent had sent her in presumably because she could do more than crawl down the stairs.

I'm home myself after a cough. I had a similar one last year and taught throughout with plenty of pills etc to get me through the day. Loads of teachers do the same. If we did the same this year, the entire school could end up closed

Morons like you are getting 300 kids sent home for 2 weeks at a time. Get a grip indeed.

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