To think the school are BU by wanting me to get DS tested?

[Quality0]

A member of the household had covid symptoms but the test came back negative. DS(5) now has caught the cold and has a cough and the school are asking for a test. I don't want to get him tested as I know it's a cold but aibu or are the school?

@Pinkblueberry

Why is this such a big deal - it’s not like it was a few months ago where trying to get a testing slot was a huge faff. It’s so easy now to get a test, many people do them twice weekly for work and you can pick one up at a pharmacy. There’s no excuse to not get a test, stop being needlessly difficult.

@Pinkblueberry anyone with symptoms needs a PCR test either a home one or at a testing centre. Lateral flow tests which you get from pharmacy are not suitable for people with symptoms.

‘It is a cold.the covid result was negative and DS has now caught a cold. He's fine in himself and no fever.’

Just because a household member has had a negative test it doesn’t mean it hasn’t been picked up in between.
Never assume, especially when the majority of people with covid have no symptoms at all.

@Fitforforty it’s amazing how many people don’t understand what a lateral test is for, I mean... it tells you in BOLD when you order them and it says it on the information you get with it. That it’s just for asymptotic testing.

YABU either get a test for your child or isolate them for 10 days as you do not know for certain that it is a cold. All the vulnerable children are back in primary school with no vaccine. There is no distancing within individual primary classes and no masks for children (and in many schools for staff as well.) Testing and isolating is the only half decent measure that primary schools have.

Just get the bloody test done. Why on earth wouldn't you?

For your own health and safety get properly and frequently tested. For the Covid fatigued or conspiracy theorists - there is much imported Indian variants and so potentially another exponential wave in as yet to be detected cases. Testing is a no brainier, it’s free and can save lives. My child’s infant school like most has a light touch arguably relaxed health and safety regime (just superficial hands hygiene no face no space and no trace) quasi reluctant to test and even with this care free attitude managed to previously report positive cases in very young children and one linked adult fatality. Presumably much of the mild or asymptomatic Covid is incubated and super spread until someone is visibly ill. It’s not unreasonable to take care and to take the pandemic seriously. Prevention is better than cure. As the WHO famously said test test test! And that’s even in the light of the admittedly marginal accuracy of the standard NHS anti gen rapid self test. We need to save ourselves, our neighbours and towns and cities from further disruption to life if schools and businesses are forced to closed again with localised or even regional lockdowns. Spread the message not potentially more untested asymptomatic super spreading. It only takes one and there is a proven scientific reason why the virus is not contained yet alone eradicated. If you hate lockdowns you will hate Covid more! Just get tested and treated if necessary so that the ill are not forever inadvertently spreading the illness. We need to know and treat ill people so that the majority healthy can keep the economy afloat and fund education and healthcare etc. Stay safe and prepared for potentially more bad news. If only people test and follow the science so that we will not lockdown again but follow a sustainable long term healthier path.

FFS. No, the school are not being unreasonable. He has a cough, so he needs a test or to self isolate for 10 days. If he goes into school with his ‘just a cold’ and passes that onto the staff, they will all have to be off work while they wait to get a test too, and there won’t be anyone left to teach your child with his ‘cold’.

If he has a cough you should self all isolate

It’s not any cough. It specifically is “a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot, for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours”

Unless the OP’s son fits this criteria, the school shouldn’t be insisting on a test. We’re over a year in to it, people should know this by now.

No one gets colds, allergies or hayfever anymore. Just test yourself and send that in

Or you don’t be a selfish git and get tested.

The rules are to take a test if you have a new continuous cough, not if you just have a cough!

My 'covid' cough wasn't a continuous cough, it wasn't really a cough as such. It was more 'clearing your throat' type of thing.
It was still covid, still enough to make me pretty poorly needing hospital treatment, several weeks off work and several months of recovery.

And to the Pp who says to test yourself and send it in?!!/!

Seriously?
And we wonder why covid spreads through schools so quickly!

I caught covid most likely at school, most likely from a child. During the next 4-6 weeks 75% of our staff caught covid. Every class had to close at least once.

I was in hospital with covid in the autumn term - I'm CV but still expected to be working with no SD, no masks, etc.

We still have parents sending in children with coughs and temperatures saying 'it's just a cold.'

After 14 months people still just don't get it and are happy to risk potentially infecting others, rather than getting a quick test and missing a day to,do,so.

YABVU

You’re not special, the rules apply to you just as much as everyone else. Get him the bloody test.

It is a cold.the covid result was negative and DS has now caught a cold. He's fine in himself and no fever.

Your child's test was negative? Or someone else's test who he may, or may not, have caught the cold from?

If the latter than it's irrelevant.

Your child is at school and mixing with no SDing and no masks every day. He will be in contact with many people who may have covid.

Yes, it's most likely a cold but you don't know that unless you test him.

@Brokensharted

No child of mine has had or will be having any test.

That's fine, your choice.

If your child has a covid symptom then they don't have to test.

Instead the child and your household stay home and self isolate for 10 days instead.

If you are happy to do the latter then don't test.

My 'covid' cough wasn't a continuous cough, it wasn't really a cough as such.

And people have no symptoms whatsoever. I had a coughing fit yesterday, I haven’t been anywhere for three weeks, there is zero chance I have Covid, should I get tested, or assume that because there was a high pollen count and they were out grass cutting in our area, it’s the hay fever that I always get?

The NHS advice is clear on when you should get tested and that is what the school should be following.

Staggering that people are still so thick they think that the rules do not apply to them!

I take no chances in my classroom... if a parent tells me their child has a temp or a cough (lots have all of a sudden developed "asthma" yet have no inhalers) then I simply tell them they must get a test or isolate for ten days.. COVID ripped through my school before Christmas and it was honestly horrendous!

I had to get ds (15 months tested) had been to see a doctor over a rash (viral) temperature was climbing in nursery so they requested pick up and a test, we knew it was viral after the trip to the docs, no contact with anyone with COVID but what can you do.

@Quality0 obv isn’t coming back

Unless she’s taken her kid for a test ......

Seriously over a year later and people still argue /doubt /refuse to test

Have you discovered some way of diagnosing just on intuition, you'll save the NHS loads
I know its a pain but you need to get your kid tested it probably is a cold but you can't know.

@MintyMabel

If he has a cough you should self all isolate

It’s not any cough. It specifically is “a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot, for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours”

Unless the OP’s son fits this criteria, the school shouldn’t be insisting on a test. We’re over a year in to it, people should know this by now.

The school isn't making up these rules, they are from Public Health and their guidance is that if a child has ANY cough, they must either test or isolate before returning to school.

Look, I had a suspected chest infection, I get t hem two or three times a year. Phone GP, advised me to start standby antibiotics and steriods. better that that then get a chest infection that landed me in hospital.

Steroids always give me a headache, antibs always make me feel sick.

Reported both to Zoe covid symptoms. Advised to go for a test. No probs, better safe than sorry.

Had the test at a walk through centre on Friday ( I was the only person there), simple, did it my self. Results less than 24 hours later.

No hassle, no fuss.

Although I was pretty confident my symptoms were not connected to C19, why take the chance?

It's a bit of fuss booking your test, but rea ly, not much of a hassle

I've sent mine to school with coughs loads and they haven't being sent home or have I being questioned over it.

@tv86

I've sent mine to school with coughs loads and they haven't being sent home or have I being questioned over it.

Well aren't you great? 👏👏👏👏

Oh another one of these. Just do the damn test. We have a young child who gets constant respiratory infections each time we are pretty much certain that it is the usual for them however we always test because there is always a chance that it could be covid because symptoms are the same!
Don't put other children at risk by not testing!

So you’d rather risk his whole class having to self isolate? Selfish. Yabu. We currently have 2 full classes at home. It’s not good after months of home schooling already this year.

@tv86

I've sent mine to school with coughs loads and they haven't being sent home or have I being questioned over it.

Words fail me.