To think parents will begin to lie

[Settleandcalm]

DD has a slight temp for one day, as a result doing the right thing we eventually got the test, and a veeeery long time later the results. The test was awful making her vomit over herself, the wait for my older children who are already struggling being in and out of school also awful. But it was the right thing to do.

BUT. Would I put her through that test every 3 weeks which is the average she got a temp:cough last year? No. Can I afford to lose my job? No. I will do the right thing but I have an utter fear over it.

But I suppose I wonder how long it will take parents to start slipping back to the “watch and see” version of illness. If it’s just a bit of a temp on one day... just a bit of a cough... maybe give them a day and see if they are fine, rather than fight for a test or isolate The whole family for 14 days.

There are already kids in school coughing and I know only us and one other family has tested, so perhaps, because of the testing fiasco and inconsistent rules people are already starting to lie?

[Phoenix21]

I’m paying nursery fees while waiting for a test result. DC hasn’t been in since Monday, due to a temp last weekend that I’m fairly confident is teething.

I’m hoping testing is better if it happens again but what about those on reduced/no income who still have to pay nursery fees?

They’ve been forced into an impossible position.

[PurpleFlower1983]

I’m a teacher and this doesn’t bother me at all as I completely understand that children get regular coughs, colds etc. What does bother me and my colleagues though is the fact that we have not been provided with PPE. Without an easily accessible testing system and with a fairly lax system in place for children with symptoms I think this is really unfair.

[PuppyLuff]

Another mum in DS's class decided that her sons cough was due to asthma then his temp was nothing really. She kept him off school until the fever broke but has him at the mall, in a restaurant and at the play park all while he was off. She was planning on sending him back after 3 days off because the fever had broken. I went ballistic and told her she just couldn't do that. I honestly think I've lost the friendship but I don't care.

[solidaritea]

Doesn't really matter anyway.

Imperial college research through the Zoe app suggests that 50% of children with covid show none of the 3 major adult symptoms.

[BogRollBOGOF]

In the past day there's been an analysis of Covid positive/ negative results and the reported symptoms. If it is a mildly elevated temperature that is easily brought down with a dose of calpol, it is highly unlikely (but not impossible) to result in a positive Covid test result.
Snotty noses also strongly tended to be indicative of a negative Covid test result.

With half the country having a cold because they're finally in snug indoor spaces with other people, and immune systems playing catch-up (much like turning on an old phone or computer after months and it jamming up with software and anti-virus updates!) It's just not viable to click refresh on the browser for hours, traipse halfway across the country for a test and wait it out for a result, or wait for 14 days because you couldn't get anything.

If there is a mild, isolated symptom in a child that is otherwise bright and well, waiting it out and see if it passes briefly is statistically likely that it would be negative anyway, and results in far less disruption to the family and the testing system.

The system and society can not cope with current demand of trying to test every raised temperature and every multiple cough.

[Iamnotthe1]

@solidaritea

Doesn't really matter anyway.

Imperial college research through the Zoe app suggests that 50% of children with covid show none of the 3 major adult symptoms.

Not just children. A continuous cough was only present in 54% of positive cases in adults.

[BogRollBOGOF]

@Phoenix21

I’m paying nursery fees while waiting for a test result. DC hasn’t been in since Monday, due to a temp last weekend that I’m fairly confident is teething.

I’m hoping testing is better if it happens again but what about those on reduced/no income who still have to pay nursery fees?

They’ve been forced into an impossible position.

This is where guidelines for organisations need to be realistic. Baby showing usual signs of teething, red cheeks, dribbly, chomping away at stuff, mild temperature easily resolved with Calpol, bit snotty. Highly unlikely to be Covid 19 compared to very, very high chance that they are teething as usual.
Not worth the disruption to quarentine.

Plus this affecting essential workers including medical staff, teaching staff and people working analysing Covid tests.

There was an example on the radio yesterday of two doctors off work, child fine, nursery says no 🤦‍♀️

[Southernsoftie76]

Some parents will lie but in my experience teachers are experts at spotting sick kids, they will be on the lookout for symptoms and kids will be sent home if they appear unwell.

[Enoughnowstop]

And when your needing to work results in a school staff member getting sick and passing it around the adults, what then? The school will be potentially closed for longer than it takes to get a test result back. If a staff member dies? Or a vulnerable child?

I still say they should have criminalised sending children in dosed up on calpoL and made parents make an online declaration every morning that they had taken temperatures and no new cough had appeared over night. Large fines would put a stop to this nonsense. If you want schools to function so you can function, you need to be responsible and do what you can to protect the adults who work there.

[CountessFrog]

How do they check the test was negative once children return?

We had to isolate briefly, pending a test. The children returned when the test came back negative, but nobody asked to see evidence.

We realised the symptoms on which we had based the test were transient - in hindsight, we were hasty in testing. Whilst waiting for results I was very tempted to let them go back. It clearly wasn’t Covid (DH is a doctor) but we decided the right thing to do was to wait.

Others may not?

[Settleandcalm]

Enoughnow I haven’t said I will, I did the responsible thing. I just think people are and will, and I have a genuine fear not only will all three now reject the test without being pinned down but the impact on my own MH and theirs from the YoYoing. As I’m incredibly fortunate and can WFH they will expect that and it hugely damaged my kid over lockdown being 24/7 on an iPad as I worked until 3am often trying to cope. Employers need to recognise this issue.

Can’t remember who asked but a temp counts as anything over 37.5 apparently. She was 37.8/9 for one overnight then nothing. It turned out to be a cold as I got a cough (asthma trigger and I did test as well).

[Mrslafayette]

Completely different point but my children 12 and 9 had the test this week and we were told we only had to swab up their nose and didnt have to stick it down their throat. Didnt know this before we got to the test centre but was a relief.

[ConfusedPanda]

Yes of course. The situation is totally ridiculous.

[Ickabog]

How do they check the test was negative once children return?

They don't. The guidance says

Schools should not request evidence of negative test results or other medical evidence before admitting children or welcoming them back after a period of self-isolation.

[Iamnotthe1]

@CountessFrog

How do they check the test was negative once children return?

We had to isolate briefly, pending a test. The children returned when the test came back negative, but nobody asked to see evidence.

We realised the symptoms on which we had based the test were transient - in hindsight, we were hasty in testing. Whilst waiting for results I was very tempted to let them go back. It clearly wasn’t Covid (DH is a doctor) but we decided the right thing to do was to wait.

Others may not?

Schools have been told that they are absolutely not allowed to ask for any evidence of a negative test. They must take the parent's word as gospel even if the child is still showing symptoms.

[Emeraldshamrock]

I'm dreading getting my DC tested. They've both had a cold with no temperature.

[Reubenshat]

All our kids get temp checked on the way in to school. There is no slipping past

[ivfbeenbusy]

I just think parents need to be sensible - a "slight" temperature such as the one your DD had which had gone down the next day I would have said didn't warrant testing. Keep her home for a day/two days like you would a normal cold

Anything 38+ which stays high then yes get a test

If a fever is classed as over 37.5 and she was less than 1/2 a degree over this for one day it doesn't warrant Covid testing

[SafeInBed]

ours every child has their temp taken before entry in the morning

Ours doesn't.

[Castiel07]

We did the right thing last week, but having a 4 and 5 year old this is going to happen a lot
My husband does not get paid when he has to self isolate for the kids.
I don't know what parents are supposed to do, do the right thing and get tested knowing that it could take a few days.
And then not having money to pay food,mortgage/rent and bills.
Not as if the government have given people the choice and parents are staying home just for the fun of it!

[OverTheRainbow88]

This wouldn’t be an issue if testing was working. A month ago my son had a horrendous cough, 6am went online booked a test for 8am that day, following day negative result OH could go back to work ( was summer hol for me). So all in all 1 missed day of work is manageable. People are desperate and the lack of testing is the problem.

[zafferana]

I think right now everyone is panicking and thinking 'COVID!!!!' every time one of their DC clears their throat or has a cold. It's not surprising - everyone has been at home for months and DC haven't been mixing and having been back only two weeks both my DC have caught a cold already and some parents have been panicking and getting their DC tested (all negative so far). I haven't bothered. It's a cold. The symptoms are different. The ZOE app even offered me a test yesterday, but I CBA. What I have a is a cold and I'm not going to waste a test that someone else might need.

[Phoenix21]

@Enoughnowstop rather than draconian measures to punish people with limited/no choices, a functioning T&T should be able to get results in a few hours.

We have isolated just in case because we have the privilege to do so.

What if we were already behind on rent due to furlough/Covid job loss/UC delays etc. With a boss saying another day off and I’ll have to let you go? How will the rent get paid? How will the kids get fed.

Being pushed into those situations will make people send sick children in and further spread the disease.

[CountessFrog]

There’s another issue - if one child gets a cough and you all have to isolate, then once that test result comes back, all kids back to school, yes?

But then the other child has caught the same cold and is now showing symptoms including a cough. It’s obviously a cold that’s been passed round family members. Do they have to get tested?

My daughter was tested as negative but then my husband developed her cold and he was coughing in work, doesn’t look good!

[ItsAlwaysSunnyOnMN]

They already are

Parents are quite sure it was just a cold can’t get a test and children is ill for two days

Many are not in a position to take unpaid time off work. I don’t blame them