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Original poster

Child's class bubble close but should it have been?

283 replies

TellerTuesday4EVA · 09/11/2020 06:11

This also happened to a friend with DC at a different school.

Message to parents last night, DD's class bubble will now be closed and children to isolate for 14 days as a child in the bubble has tested positive over the weekend.

Class group chat starts, one mum comes on & says it's X but we're ok. Then says X doesn't have any symptoms, was me on Friday afternoon and husband Saturday but we got her tested anyway and it's positive.

Now every single thing I have read says only to have a test if you develop symptoms. X would have to self isolate anyway due to the parents having positive tests but by getting her tested they now closed the bubble and all 30 kids are at home for 14 days. This what would happen if following the rules but then it shows the system if flawed as this child obviously did have it and was asymptotic.

So I don't know if I'm right to be annoyed by this or not. I'm certainly not looking forward to 2 weeks home schooling again.

OP posts:
Aragog · 09/11/2020 15:48

@ImMoana

When I tested positive, all of my T&T contacts were asked by email and on the online if they would like to be tested, even if symptom free. They would b]not need to lie to be tested. They were given it as an option

This must be a recent change or dependent on where you live as we asked for tests having a positive person in our household. We had chest pains and breathlessness. We were told No. You cannot have a test because you don’t have the 3 symptoms that trigger the test.

I assumed it was because of a shortage or the need to prioritise those with the top 3 symptoms. We categorically couldn’t get a test without lying and we were living in a household with a positive test result.

Was about 5 weeks ago, South Yorkshire. Know of people who were told the same, same region, since September.

My test was done due to hospital admission for breathlessness, chest tightness, high blood pressure and fast heart rate. The test was automatically done along with MRSA swabs. Doctors had me on an open ward. It was positive - never been moved to a side rooms so quick!

pearljamming · 09/11/2020 16:22

The problem is the lack of tests available. Countries which have this thing under control have mostly done massive amounts of testing to ensure everyone who needs to isolate does, to stop the spread.
In Melbourne which has just managed to get of the virus again, close contacts of close contacts had to self isolate as well, so OPs DDs class would have had to do so even without the positive test.

pipnchops · 09/11/2020 16:28

Just think if we had a proper, proper lockdown for a month and only key workers were allowed out to do essential jobs and they were tested everyday, we could have a chance of getting rid of this.

Ignoringequally · 09/11/2020 16:29

@pipnchops

Just think if we had a proper, proper lockdown for a month and only key workers were allowed out to do essential jobs and they were tested everyday, we could have a chance of getting rid of this.
No, we couldn’t. Do you realise how many key workers are required to keep the country running safely? As soon as things reopened, it would spread again. Cases would be far lower, but absolutely no chance of getting rid of it now.
0gfhty · 09/11/2020 16:37

So did this person have to lie about the child's symptoms in order to have the test? Or can people get a test now without symptoms if living with a positive case?

anothergloriousmorning · 09/11/2020 16:38

Perhaps I have understood it wrong but I thought the reason you're meant to isolate after contact with a positive case, rather than just get a test (without symptoms) was because it can take X amount of days for symptoms to show and for a test to be positive. But in that time you would still be contagious.

So if my OH tested positive, the rest of us could go and get a test, all come back negative so we go back to school and work- but a week or so later we all develop symptoms and go on to test positive. So we've potentially passed it on to goodness knows how many people.

Buddytheelf85 · 09/11/2020 16:42

Just think if we had a proper, proper lockdown for a month and only key workers were allowed out to do essential jobs and they were tested everyday, we could have a chance of getting rid of this.

Did you know there are 1.4 million people working for the NHS alone?

I have no idea how many people work in essential retail, logistics, policing, transport, refuse collection, etc but I’m guessing it’s not a small number.

LolaSmiles · 09/11/2020 16:46

Just because the whole class has been exposed doesn't mean they've all been infected. But if they were all to stay at school it raises the risk of someone who has been infected being asymptomatic and then infecting a kid who hadn't been infected by the first one
Well said.

I don't say this lightly but parts of this thread show a new level of dim.
Who seriously thinks people who've been in contact with a positive case should continue as normal because they've already been in contact?

lyralalala · 09/11/2020 16:54

@0gfhty

So did this person have to lie about the child's symptoms in order to have the test? Or can people get a test now without symptoms if living with a positive case?
If only it had been explained numerous times in the thread that people have sometimes been offered tests for everyone through t&t or some have been offered a test when in contact or some get them through being part of a regular research pool...
HaudYerWheeshtBawbag · 09/11/2020 17:00

Children rarely get cough/temp/loss of smell etc...

Children are expediting headaches/sore throats etc...

Good for the mum being extra cautionary.

0gfhty · 09/11/2020 17:02

Ah thanks lyralaalala, I knew a helpful sort like you would pop up and save me the trouble of having to go through the entire thread

GlowingOrb · 09/11/2020 17:02

Thank goodness the parents did the right thing and got the kid a test.

pipnchops · 09/11/2020 18:42

If you live with your OH and they test positive you all have to isolate for 14 days even if you get a negative test. If you don't live with your OH then only the people who have had close contact with them have to isolate for 14 days.

pipnchops · 09/11/2020 18:43

The above was to @anothergloriousmorning

anothergloriousmorning · 09/11/2020 19:51

If you live with your OH and they test positive you all have to isolate for 14 days even if you get a negative test. If you don't live with your OH then only the people who have had close contact with them have to isolate for 14 days.

Yes sorry I didn't explain myself very well. I know we would have to isolate still. What I meant was people are getting a test because they think a negative test means they can stop isolating, but that's not the case. (I know of employers who are asking staff to get a test then return to work, rather than isolate after being in contact with a positive case.)

I should've worded that in a better way!

MitziK · 09/11/2020 20:03

@TellerTuesday4EVA

So at least some of you understand the point I am trying to get across. There's now 14 days of all 30 children being at home even though they have all had contact as of last week when the contagiousness was higher so they've all been exposed already anyway.
Which means that they won't be in school spreading it to everybody else in the meantime.

Result.

Aragog · 09/11/2020 21:46

@HaudYerWheeshtBawbag

Children rarely get cough/temp/loss of smell etc...

Children are expediting headaches/sore throats etc...

Good for the mum being extra cautionary.

Reception age child I know of who just tested positive was tested through the T&T system after her dad tested positive.

She had a day complaining of a headache, next day was sick and then was fine from the day after.

caringcarer · 10/11/2020 00:43

If X had not been tested but had been in contact with test of bubble before child wAs kept home the chances are that some other kids/teacher in bubble would have developed symptoms and still home for 14 days.

DaddysGirlForLife · 10/11/2020 00:46

@JanetPudding

Have you guys lost the plot? Your children have been playing with a child who has coronavirus and so must self isolate. Suggesting the child shouldn't have been tested means they'd still have been at risk of catching it from that child.
This...

Just be thankful the parents did test the child. Yikes.

minimonkey11 · 10/11/2020 17:35

I am positive now and my kids are at home but i have had several emails and calls from track and trace (and the school guidance also) saying that the children should not be tested unless they show symptoms. I haven’t read the whole thread but I dont think YABU as if the guidance (flawed as it is) had been followed then no the child should not have been tested. Whether that is morally correct is a different matter. I haven’t had mine tested as they are not showing symptoms and are isolated for 14 days.

MummyOfZog · 10/11/2020 17:41

Yep. Bubble closes if a pupil tests positive, which they did. Doesn't matter if that pupil was symptomatic or not.

Aragog · 10/11/2020 17:43

minimonkey11

When T&T they often ask others in the household if they would like to be tested, including children, even if not having symptoms.
Maybe this isn't universally being offered, but it is in some areas. We are in tier 3 so maybe thats why (think we were tier 2 when i tested positive, but tier 3 a couple of days later.)

So the child may have been tested perfectly legitimately or they may have paid privately to do so.

jenkel · 10/11/2020 17:48

The child tested positive, so regardless of symptons or no symptons the the parents are doing the right thing and in my understanding the bubble should be sent home. If the child tested positive they could be passing it on and that is what we must at all costs try to avoid.

LovelyIssues · 10/11/2020 17:50

It makes sense she had her tested to see. And the child did so now she knows. Struggling to see what your cross with

TheGoogleMum · 10/11/2020 17:50

I tested positive recently and was told only people in my house with symptoms can be tested. DD tested negative and DH didnt have symptoms until a few days later so had a test after. I think they should have let the whole house get tested as soon as there was 1 positive though to be honest. So technically the child shouldn't have been tested but knowing they are positive and sending bubble home is better for reducing the spread

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