Lateral flow tests in schools

[Breakthesilence12]

We are key workers and DS is going into secondary school at the moment. He’s had 2 tests this week both negative but now I am really anxious about the reliability of the tests and of DS catching covid/bringing it home.

Aibu to be worried? Anyone know much about them- the media reports make it sound like they are really not reliable at all but at the start, it reassured me school wise.

I believe you're more likely to get a false positive with these tests. This would then be followed up with a regular test to confirm COVID.

I don’t think the plan is that he will have any more tests - only staff will be tested weekly.

@AngelSings ah ok- that’s interesting- I read some info about the testing in Liverpool but it didn’t mention false positives

From what I read they are terrible at detecting asymptomatic cases and are better used if someone has symptoms

@Crumpetycrump the school haven’t said as much yet. Their current plan was to test kids twice a week

I’m super anxious too because I am 99% sure I had covid in April but now worried about getting it again - DP about to get vaccinated so he’s not so worried

The tests were only ever intended to bring the children back into school after Christmas. They shouldn't change anything about behaviour, everyone still needs to comply with SD, isolation with symptoms etc and they're only for asymptomatic people. So, even if they are only 50% accurate, they're still identifying cases that would otherwise have been unknown, so risk is reduced for everyone.

However, I don't think they will continue for mass testing of students.

In the school I work in staff and students (those in school) are tested once a week. Tests are apparently 50-60% accurate.

So maybe 2 negative tests in a week is a bit more reassuring than nothing then?

The local Uni was using them before Xmas to get students home & they had to have 2 negative tests in 4 days before they could travel.

School are still SD, kids have to use hand sanitizer before class, wear masks in corridors & there are currently only an average of about 4 kids in each class anyway

I didn’t realise schools were still going ahead with this since the regulatory body wouldn’t agree it.

DS’s school has a test centre set up on site

How old is DS does he need to be in school?

I think that at the moment if you are only sending him in because you have to then lateral flow tests them all is better than nothing. Even if only 50% are detected then at least outbreaks are likely to be spotted sooner. Obviously not going at all is safer but presumably that isn't an option.

coconutmeg that's not quite right. The regulator has said that the lateral flow tests should be used where a trained operative is present, and so the testing centres in schools are fine because of the training the test team are undertaking. The mhra had an issue with them being taken home and used without someone there to supervise.

He’s 13 but yes, does need to be in school as we are working out of the house at the moment - I’m super anxious tho

No, they have an issue with them being used to do daily testing to keep kids in school instead of contacts of a positive case staying home to isolate instead which is what the UK government was proposing to do

I think my main worry is accuracy but something is better than nothing

www.bmj.com/content/372/bmj.n148

These tests are not likely to give false positives; if it indicates a positive, it's almost certain, but still followed up.

They will potentially pick up asymptomatic cases that we'd otherwise know nothing about.

But they are very likely to miss positives, even when there is a high viral load. They are unreliable.

And the government want to do serial testing after these initial mass tests.

They want to trust a 'negative', which in reality just means it didn't pick up Covid (which they're not great at doing), not that the person definitely does not have it, as a good enough reason to scrap self isolation of close contacts to know cases! The MHRA had not approved this, but it looks like the government are pressing on regardless!

At 13, if you're worried about him catching covid, I'd just let him stay home alone.

If he is sensible and not anxious child I would let him stay at home. I assume he would be given school work to keep him busy for most of the day

He’s a really anxious kid so unfortunately couldn’t be home alone- definitely needs school. It’s so tricky- I am actually exploring unpaid parental leave at the moment to stay home with him but that’s not ideal - but even a few more days a week at home would help

I work in a school who started testing staff. My HT did a lateral flow test on Weds. By the afternoon she started coughing so she went and got a PCR test which came back positive. Because of this all staff had to do daily tests for 7 days. I did one the following morning which was negative. On hearing my HT was positive I decided to also book a PCR test "just in case" - it came back positive.

I think the tests are totally unreliable and now the virus has ripped through all our staff and we had to close our tiny SEN school on Friday.

@Mcvitoes

These tests are not likely to give false positives; if it indicates a positive, it's almost certain, but still followed up.

They will potentially pick up asymptomatic cases that we'd otherwise know nothing about.

But they are very likely to miss positives, even when there is a high viral load. They are unreliable.

And the government want to do serial testing after these initial mass tests.

They want to trust a 'negative', which in reality just means it didn't pick up Covid (which they're not great at doing), not that the person definitely does not have it, as a good enough reason to scrap self isolation of close contacts to know cases! The MHRA had not approved this, but it looks like the government are pressing on regardless!

Exactly this.