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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Not getting symptomatic school child tested...

82 replies

Stuckhereagain · 07/10/2020 12:40

Is unreasonable?

I appreciate there will be children with SEN who won't tolerate the testing and I mean won't tolerate not just find it unpleasant but assuming this isn't the case, in a mainstream primary class with no students with diagnosed SEN , I find it baffling to refuse testing.

So now the whole class is off for two weeks, parents forced to take unpaid leave, go back to not taking the kids to see vulnerable grandparents etc.
Issues getting siblings in too as kids are meant to be isolating not going on the school run.

Just annoyed it's causing chaos when it might be a negative test but we don't know because the parents are refusing to test!!

OP posts:
AlexaShutUp · 07/10/2020 12:43

Why is the whole class off if there hasn't been a confirmed case?

Yes, the symptomatic kid should isolate and get a test, but it wouldn't usually affect the rest of the bubble unless there was a positive result.

Or have I misunderstood?

LavenderQuartz · 07/10/2020 12:47

why are they refusing to test?

ShinyGreenElephant · 07/10/2020 12:47

Why on earth are whole classes isolating without a positive test result? Never heard of that. For us, I dont drive and the nearest walk through test centre is almost a 2 hr walk away. No home tests have been available in our area for a long time. So if one of my kids developed symptoms I wouldn't expect them to do a 3-4 hr round trip without so much as a toilet stop, thats ridiculous. I did do it just me with the toddler in a pram, timing it over baptise and brought a potty for her, but I wouldn't be repeating the experience with an 11yo, 10yo and a 5yo - not a chance.

AvoidingRealHumans · 07/10/2020 12:47

As Alexa says, I'm confused as to why the whole bubble is now off.
Symptoms don't require a bubble to shut, only a positive result does that.

If that parent isn't getting a Symptomatic child tested then they should isolate for 14 days, the rest of the class should carry on as normal.

ShinyGreenElephant · 07/10/2020 12:47

*timing it over naptime

FelicityBob · 07/10/2020 12:54

Agree with everyone else. Nobody outside the household has to isolate unless there is a positive test result

44PumpLane · 07/10/2020 12:55

Perhaps the OPs school has different rules to govt guidance and the fact the parent of the symptomatic child isn't getting them tested means the school are being more cautious.

The child hasn't been actively confirmed as negative, they aren't awaiting a test result so maybe have to be cautious and isolate the class since the symptomatic child could be positive.

As it goes I understand why some kids won't be getting tested, the example a prior poster just gave of a 4 hour round trip having to walk being a prime reason. Also it took a friend of mine 2.5 hours to get their 3 year old to take a test, wrestling with them in a car so I get why they wouldn't want to do that again if they got another cough.

Original poster
Stuckhereagain · 07/10/2020 12:57

@AlexaShutUp

Why is the whole class off if there hasn't been a confirmed case?

Yes, the symptomatic kid should isolate and get a test, but it wouldn't usually affect the rest of the bubble unless there was a positive result.

Or have I misunderstood?

Parents refusing to get kid tested means it has to be assumed to be positive, as per school health official people.

One out with "positive" all out cos they're 5 and secretly touch each other

OP posts:
Original poster
Stuckhereagain · 07/10/2020 12:58

@LavenderQuartz

why are they refusing to test?
I dunno, was hoping someone on here would give me a rational reason for not doing it which would make me less annoyed 😂
OP posts:
Original poster
Stuckhereagain · 07/10/2020 12:59

@ShinyGreenElephant

Why on earth are whole classes isolating without a positive test result? Never heard of that. For us, I dont drive and the nearest walk through test centre is almost a 2 hr walk away. No home tests have been available in our area for a long time. So if one of my kids developed symptoms I wouldn't expect them to do a 3-4 hr round trip without so much as a toilet stop, thats ridiculous. I did do it just me with the toddler in a pram, timing it over baptise and brought a potty for her, but I wouldn't be repeating the experience with an 11yo, 10yo and a 5yo - not a chance.
Fair point I guess. Just frustrating that the shit system of testing means 30 kids missing school potentially for a bit of a cough / temp / normal viral thing.
OP posts:
AlexaShutUp · 07/10/2020 13:00

Parents refusing to get kid tested means it has to be assumed to be positive, as per school health official people.

This is not how other schools are managing the situation, so I would query the policy with the school.

CarrotInATree · 07/10/2020 13:01

Those parents should lose their school place.

Original poster
Stuckhereagain · 07/10/2020 13:01

The child hasn't been actively confirmed as negative, they aren't awaiting a test result so maybe have to be cautious and isolate the class since the symptomatic child could be positive.
If a child calls in with suspected Corona virus but won't get a test, officially it's treated as a positive. Not our schools decisions, whoever above them deal with all this. Schools choice to burst whole bubbles, that's been their call from the start so we have 3 classes in put of 8. Other 4 have been die to teachers being positive

OP posts:
keziahthecat · 07/10/2020 13:03

Does that mean that the school asks all students in bubbles to stay home every time someone is waiting for a test result? Just because I know in my son's class at least 3 who have had (negative) tests because of cold symptoms but we all went into school as normal even though they were off themselves for almost a week going through the testing process.

Original poster
Stuckhereagain · 07/10/2020 13:04

@AlexaShutUp

Parents refusing to get kid tested means it has to be assumed to be positive, as per school health official people.

This is not how other schools are managing the situation, so I would query the policy with the school.

If it's reported to Public Heath England they're advising to treat as positive because you don't know. Perhaps because we have positives on site?
OP posts:
Original poster
Stuckhereagain · 07/10/2020 13:05

@keziahthecat

Does that mean that the school asks all students in bubbles to stay home every time someone is waiting for a test result? Just because I know in my son's class at least 3 who have had (negative) tests because of cold symptoms but we all went into school as normal even though they were off themselves for almost a week going through the testing process.
No, just when parents refuse to test so they don't know if it's negative
OP posts:
KarlKennedysDurianFruit · 07/10/2020 13:05

DS isn't two yet and had had to be tested twice so far for coughs , honestly it really upset him and it was bloody grim having to pin a toddler and shove a swab down his throat and up his nose for ten seconds per nostril! However DH and I are both keyworkers so need to keep working and can't go in without the negative test, and DS goes to nursery and there's no way I'd be shutting the place down because I don't want DS to be upset for five minutes (due to location is mainly used by hospital and police parents). It's a very selfish response.

Original poster
Stuckhereagain · 07/10/2020 13:06

@CarrotInATree

Those parents should lose their school place.
There's been a few parents suggesting that
OP posts:
Looneytune253 · 07/10/2020 13:07

Surely it's the other way round? Not getting a test would actually save the rest of the class from isolating and save their parents from taking time off etc. No need to isolate close contacts unless there's a positive test. Practically for a family with symptoms tho if you get a test it may be neg and whole family won't have to isolate

keziahthecat · 07/10/2020 13:07

How is that different though? If you test you don't know if it's negative until you get your result. So you are supposed to isolate but not your entire bubble. I haven't come across that way of doing it before but I haven't come across anyone refusing to have a test either (although some have been unable to access one so have had to stay home for two weeks)

Looneytune253 · 07/10/2020 13:09

There's been a mix up somewhere! That's defo not the normal procedure in the UK. I think the head needs to speak to PHE again

Camomila · 07/10/2020 13:11

We had to test DS1 (4) this morning, he squirmed so much I'm sure it'll be inconclusive. Am dreading having to test him again (but will if I have to).

Original poster
Stuckhereagain · 07/10/2020 13:12

One of the child minders has also called to see if she's allowed to take one of the kids who are off with a "won't be confirmed" case in the bubble and she's been told no so Def not the school getting it wrong.

If there's a suspected case and they can't prove its negative, it's treated like a positive. Like the ops upthread who can't return to work without a negative test. It's assumed to be positive and positive cases pop the bubble

OP posts:
Bupkis · 07/10/2020 13:14

Parents refusing to get kid tested means it has to be assumed to be positive, as per school health official people

Those aren't the guidelines!

Bupkis · 07/10/2020 13:15

When we had ds tested, we were told children could just be swabbed up the nose.
It would be impossible to test ds down the throat.

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