School and possible covid case

[Danceswithgeckos]

A child from ds’s class was sent home on Friday with a cough and we’ve heard nothing more. The school say they have to have a test and even if negative they cant come back for 14 days. There has been covid in the school in other years already.
I don’t know what to do. I don’t know if the child just hasn’t had a test, if it was negative, if they are waiting on results... consequently I don’t feel we can see anyone else or go anywhere until we know. The school have allowed ds’s year in as normal - but we are nearly a week in and if the dc does turn out to be positive that’s a week where everyone should have been self isolating.
I know it is medical information but without giving the name (although we all know who it is obviously) I feel as though if the test is negative we should be told because it’s a constant worry. I was on the shielding list and it’s making me very anxious.

If it was positive surely they would have done something if required eg inform contacts

Unless they are unable to get a test.
We are coming into contact with it left right and centre at the moment - I feel like going back into shielding. I didn’t think this early on we’d have had so many potential contacts with it.

I feel as though if the test is negative we should be told because it’s a constant worry.

The school can't even ask for proof of a negative test. The teachers won't even be told that there has been a negative test: only the office staff / head will know and they will be bound by data protection laws. There is no way that they could ever inform an unlinked person about the medical state of a child. The only exception is if a positive result has been found and then it should be shared with parents and a health team will decide who in which classes must isolate.

This is one of those cases where no news is good news.

In the school I work in we've got 47 students at home either waiting for results or just isolating for 14 days.

We can ask them the results of any tests they've taken, but they don't have to tell us 🤷‍♀️ as basically if they don't produce a negative test, then they have to stay off (one would hope they will tell us but who knows)

But we're not telling other parents unless we get a positive, and then the risk assessment kicks in (something about bubbles being sent home)
There are going to be hundreds of kids being tested or isolating.

We've also got 10 staff waiting for results. We won't tell parents even if a staff member is positive as the risk assessment clearly tells us that all staff are socially distancing from all students at all times so there should have been no close contact.

That is bullshit. But it is risk assessment compliant

It’s a nightmare.
I suppose it was always going to be.
I’m torn between the damage done to my dc if not in school... and the potential (and clearly it’s not a given) damage if they bring it home and I am really ill or worse.