Covid lateral flow test my 3yr old without consent

[ConfusedinCotswolds]

I've just been informed by my 3yr old that my preschool/nursery provider have been lateral flow testing her. This was done without my consent, and without symptoms. Why do I feel so violated? What happened to individuals rights and bodily autonomy?
Can they do this without my consent?

This would be awful if it happened, it's so outrageous though I would be so shocked if it really has, you definitely need to get the full story from them. Three year olds aren't the most reliable narrators!

I did not know under 11s weren’t meant to have LFTs. This is literally the first I’ve heard that. Everyone I know is doing LFTs on their kids because the rates in the school are so high. My five year old’s covid was picked up by LFT last week when she developed a temperature (followed up by a PCR the following morning)

The nursery will not have done a LFT. Do you know how busy nursery workers are? There will be another explanation.

Quite a lot of people have asserted that children under 11 shouldn't have lfts. That's not strictly true. They're not recommended as the accuracy is not high in young children whose viral loads tend to be lower but it's not dangerous or anything and phe have advised lfts as additional measures in some schools with outbreaks. The mechanism is the same as a pcr. That doesn't affect the question re consent, but might inform whether you choose to give it.

Ps under 11s also have to have lfts for travel, or at least did, before the rules changed back to pcr

@julieca

The nursery will not have done a LFT. Do you know how busy nursery workers are? There will be another explanation.

This. Might have been an idea to clarify with nursery before OP started the frothathon.

I honestly don’t know if nurseries have the flu vaccines administered in their settings but I work in a primary school and all our children are offered (subject to parental consent) the nasal flu vaccine. The line from the immunisation team to our littlies (aged 4 and up) is “it’s a little tickle up your nose”.

It does sound to me like OPs child has either SEEN someone taking a test or had the flu vaccine. IF the child has been given an LFT without consent then that is a very serious matter but OP needs to be sure what actually happened first.

Incidentally I HAVE done an LFT at work when I was showing one of our parents how to do it. (Being unable to read she wasn’t sure what to do). It’s highly possible that one of our children would have seen me.

Why can't under 11's have LFTs? I didn't know that.

@lurkingattheback

Why can't under 11's have LFTs? I didn't know that.

They can. The booklet even has instructions for under 11s.

Why can't under 11's have LFTs? I didn't know that

They were never validated for safety and efficacy, not obviously there's not likely to be any safety aspect, but the efficacy is a real concern, and people using them and assuming negative is potentially harmful.

The reality is they are probably not actually as bad as feared (the efficacy in the general population is higher than they found possibly because alpha and delta have higher viral loads) so it may not be that bad, but the tests are not cheap and people wasting them where they may be wrong, or used more effectively is worthwhile.

It's not that they can't have LFTs, it's just 'not recommended' and definitely not as part of routine testing. Obviously some parents are choosing to anyway, which is fine, the child isn't going to combust or anything.

You definitely need to clarify with nursery what has been happening though OP.

It's 3.30pm on a Friday. Just call them because if they don't reply to the email you'll be wondering all weekend.

Come on people!!

I’m going to assume this is real.

I’m generally not one for complaining to nursery over every little thing. BUT i would be pissed off if someone was doing LFTs on my child without discussion, or consent from parents.

HOWEVER, the wording isn’t really clear. Was your child subjected to a LFT, or did they see a teacher going one themselves?

I’d phone them immediately for an answer and have a proper conversation with those involved before telling everyone online something that might not be true and BLOWING UP THE WORLD WITH COLLECTIVE FURY.

Old fashioned, perhaps.

@nothingcanhurtmewithmyeyesshut

I couldn't get worked up about it personally. Presumably the child was willing, they didn't hold her down screaming?

I've LFTested my 6 year old niece. Was a total non event. Swabbed her throat then her nose and she sneezed then went off to play.

There's quite a big difference between a 6 year old and a 3 year old. One of which is the 6 year old probably understands what is going on.

Phone don't email.

Hmm, perhaps your 3yo got the wrong end of the stick? I'd ring and chat to the nursery manager. 3yos are not infallible sources of information...

Will be interested to hear an update!

My 3yo has has more PCR tests than I can remember but I'd be very very unhappy about this. For one thing, she's getting slowly better with the PCRs now and does them with minimal fuss - I don't want anything to disrupt that!

This is a complain to ofsted senario if it turns out they really have been secretly LFTs on toddlers/preschoolers. Utterly utterly unacceptable. I can only hope it’s a misunderstanding so would wait to see what they say.

My 3 year old has been in the ONS PCR study for the past year so is a dab hand at getting a swab and just laughs when I pick his nose.

However I would still be fucked off at this if it's actually happened because it is something that needs parental consent.

I would have a healthy dose of scepticism over whether it has happened though- give the nursery a bell!

I would be absolutely furious.

If she needed testing they should have contacted you.

I may be incorrect but has the guidance not been updated that children under ten should not do lateral flows?

Considering that they need permission to administer fucking calpol and apply sun cream then there has been a SERIOUS breach of policy.

Hopefully the email will shed more light.

Lateral flows when administered incorrectly can be extremely painful and uncomfortable. No one would be testing my child that wasn't me. Huge, huge breach of trust.

I would remove her for this and report the nursery to authorities, I imagine this is illegal.

Straight from GOV UK this is the guidance -

'There is no need for primary age pupils (those in Year 6 and below) to test.

If the number of positive cases substantially increases in your nursery, school, college, or area, you might be advised to increase the use of lateral flow device (LFD) testing. This could also include advice on the reintroduction of onsite LFD testing;

'If you insist on your child attending nursery, school, or college when they have symptoms, they can take the decision to refuse your child if, in their reasonable judgement, it is necessary to protect other pupils and staff from possible infection with COVID-19. Their decision would need to be carefully considered in light of all the circumstances and current public health advice.'

Increase in testing refers to staff, under no circumstances should an un-symptomatic child be tested and no staff should ever administer a test.

If this has actually happened someone is very deeply entrenched in the shit.

I'm sorry but no...i really don't think this has happened.
What the child has alleged verbatim can mean any number of scenarios.
Nursery are not allowed to give LFT's never mind asking the parents to consent to them.
Flu vaccines are also not administered in nursery (England anyway) they are given at the GP surgery.

I can't imagine nursery have done this. They wouldn't have the time. It takes ages just to get the kids to wash their hands.