Corona dillema

[Coronanamechangie]

Hi all. Name changed as don't want real life hatred.

We've been isolating for 8 days as DH tested positive. We count the 10 days from when he first showed symptoms. Were sending DC1 and DC2 back to school tomorrow.

However just lateral flowed them and DC2 is stongingly positive. We're tempted to send DC1 to school as it's their last couple of days of year 6.

Is this horribly irresponsible? Should we sit out another 10 days as a family? Sposed to be going to Devon on Sunday.

If we should send DC1 to school what should we tell them?

IBU - should do more isolation NBU should carefully proceed with life.

Well the OP disappeared after saying she'd cancelled her holiday and booked a PCR test. I don't think she's done either of those things

Cantkeepawayforever - if teachers are going back into school in the circumstances you anticipate then no wonder there are 1 million children isolating at the moment. I think its awful but I cant see what the difference is between picking up covid from someone in the same household and picking it up from elsewhere. It presumably still has the same transmissibility!

@MGMidget

Cantkeepawayforever - if teachers are going back into school in the circumstances you anticipate then no wonder there are 1 million children isolating at the moment. I think its awful but I cant see what the difference is between picking up covid from someone in the same household and picking it up from elsewhere. It presumably still has the same transmissibility!

It isn't just teachers, is it? ANYBODY, in any workplace, who has been released from their isolation is expected back in work. NHS ICU staff, teachers, supermarket workers, tradespeople...everyone.

And from August 16th, nobody has to isolate at all except the actual cases - and yes, cases in schools will be utterly ridiculous, but that's the aim - to gain herd immunity in children as fast as possible.

You really can't think that at the moment, lots of people are calling their employers and saying 'Oh, I'm really sorry, T&T and everyone says that my isolation has ended, but I think i need to stay at home for another week because X tested positive 5 days ago'??

People HAVE to go back to work when not isolating. And many, many, many of us do close contact work, and have done throughout.

Ps Cantkeepawayforever, yes the ‘tests positive’ reference appears on a different section of the guidance so does cover it. However as some have pointed out on the thread, there is guidance on the 10 day isolation which appears on a different page/section and it doesnt anticipate testing positive following a lateral flow test whilst isolating because a household member had previously tested positive! It only mentions ‘symptoms’ so there’s a hole on the guidance they ought to fill on that section.

Agreed in an ideal case! However, I am used to reading schools' guidance (written on the back of an envelope by someone with no knowledge of schools a couple of days after it has already been announced, and released at 10 pm on a Friday) and so saw this as - by that standard of comparison - pretty clear!

Yes from August the 16th it is a ‘free for all’ when they are satisfied that enough of the over 40s and vulnerable groups are double vaccinated. Before then we are supposed to ‘be patient’ and accept the chaos.

@cantkeepawayforever. Thanks very much for the clarification. I was thinking we could potentially be in isolation for weeks if we caught it from each other sequentially.

@MGMidget

Yes from August the 16th it is a ‘free for all’ when they are satisfied that enough of the over 40s and vulnerable groups are double vaccinated. Before then we are supposed to ‘be patient’ and accept the chaos.

As far as I can see, August16th is the earliest date children start returning to schools (in Scotland), and they want all isolations to end then so that they can maximise the in-school infection rate as early as possible - but that is just me being cynical!

As far as I can see, August16th is the earliest date children start returning to schools (in Scotland), and they want all isolations to end then so that they can maximise the in-school infection rate as early as possible - but that is just me being cynical!

We have been following slightly different guidelines in Scotland. Mine go back on the 12th August anyway.

Why do you think your child is more important than all the other kids who didn't get to finish Y6 last year and this year and are you ok with him going in and giving it to any other child who might then hospitalise a sick, pregnant or elderly relative?

@kitkatsky

Why do you think your child is more important than all the other kids who didn't get to finish Y6 last year and this year and are you ok with him going in and giving it to any other child who might then hospitalise a sick, pregnant or elderly relative?

Why do YOU think that the OP should go over and above what the government says they must do, just because you think it would be a good idea?

@kitkatsky

Why do you think your child is more important than all the other kids who didn't get to finish Y6 last year and this year and are you ok with him going in and giving it to any other child who might then hospitalise a sick, pregnant or elderly relative?

I don't even understand why you think OP is suggesting her child is more important?

The OP is considering sending in a child who is released from isolation and testing negative.

If we consider everyone in the UK in this position to be some kind of pariah grandmother-killer, then a lot more industries are going to be grinding to a halt than already are.....

@cantkeepawayforever

The OP is considering sending in a child who is released from isolation and testing negative.

If we consider everyone in the UK in this position to be some kind of pariah grandmother-killer, then a lot more industries are going to be grinding to a halt than already are.....

A child who has been in prolonged very close contact with two confirmed cases (assuming a positive PCR will follow the positive LF)

I’d get everyone PCRed first of all. Then go from there.

The actual rules do say that’s DC1 can go to school, but I think it’s a horrible risk to take with everyone else’s lives and plans.

Yes, but that's the law. I was in prolonged contact with DD, who had Covid. As I was still testing Covid negative at the end of 10 days, I went back to work as a teacher. That's what the law on self isolation says. It doesn't make me a grandmother killer. it makes me someone who follows the law BUT has a job that needs me.

And as i say, my employer would NOT have been impressed by me saying 'Well, I know my isolation has ended ...but I've been in close contact with DD so I don't think I should come in'.

What the heck is the actual point of isolating once and then not isolating when someone else tests positive?!
That's the whole point of doing it in the first place!! To pick up anyone else who may have caught it.
YABridiculouslyU.
Not to mention knowingly putting others at risk.

@Mockolate

What the heck is the actual point of isolating once and then not isolating when someone else tests positive?! That's the whole point of doing it in the first place!! To pick up anyone else who may have caught it. YABridiculouslyU. Not to mention knowingly putting others at risk.

It's not up to OP to answer this. OP didn't make the rules. Perhaps if you are unhappy you could take it up with Boris or something?

The last person in the household to test positive might have had their 10 days reset again and again, potentially isolating for months in a large household. You can’t ask people to do that if you’re not paying them. How could people pay their bills and food without a salary for potentially months?

It’s the rules that seem wrong though isn’t it, not the op.

The rules imply that everyone in the household will catch it straight away, so 10 days isolation is enough.

It’s quite possible that a family member could catch it on day 9, and another could catch it from them later, by which time they’d legally be back at work.

If 1/3 are asymptomatic and there is no need to test the rest of the family before they return to work/school then this is probably a big cause of spread?

So if op hadn’t done the lft test on dc2 and dc2 was asymptomatic, then they would have rightly gone back to school oblivious.

Dc2 needs to isolate fully.

Technically dc1 can finish isolation if he doesn't test positive before the first lot ends. However, morally, I think it's very unfair to send him to school and tusk putting everyone else at risk of having their holidays curtailed if he then tests positive in a few days.

Sadly your holiday will be off the cards regardless due to your dc2 testing positive. You won't be able to go until his ten days are up.

@MordredsOrrery

There is no dilemma here. A new positive (get it confirmed by PCR) in the household resets the self-isolation clock for everyone.

I'm sorry your trip to Devon is off though, that sucks ☹

This isn't true. Not according to government advice.

However I think for the benefit of the other 29 pupils and staff it would be fairer to keep the DC1 off school for the sake of one day.

You don't get many Let's that are negative

Eh?
All of mine have been negative.
I use them twice a week.