Parents choosing not to test symptomatic children

[TheWildRumpyPumpus]

DS (Year 6) told me that the child he sits next to at school had been off since Monday as he was sent home with a cough and temperature. Since the child wasn’t back in, everyone in the class presumes he is positive (other kids have been tested and had negative results in the meantime).

I had presumed that since DS sits next to him all day we would be told if he had returned a positive result - there’s no social distancing going on in their classroom. I spoke to their teacher this morning who said the parents have chosen not to test and are just sitting out the isolation period. Not sure what DS and all the kids who sit around this child are supposed to do in this instance - test or not test? No advice given by school, so if he is positive it’s just going to sweep through the whole class.

My kids are currently off with what Im as certain as I possibly can be are typical back to school colds (youngest never EVER has a runny nose without a cough following shortly after) but it's taken me a age to book a test and now we are waiting for results. So my kids have been out of school since Tuesday but I still don't know if they are positive or not

HPA are only advising schools to send home the bubbles if there are 2 or more confirmed cases, so not sure if it would make any practical difference.

There were other viruses before covid you know! Its entirely plausible the child has tested negative for covid but still suffering the effects of an otherwise common virus

DGD was sent home from nursery with a cold last Friday. DS said this Thursday, he had not been able to get a test, due to lack of processing capacity at the labs.

there may not be enough tests? I have been trying to get a test for DC since Thursday afternoon and no test slots and no home test kits are available.... I doubt we will find a slot with the rising numbers. Your OP sounds as if you can just go and get testest. Wrong.

I can’t read these threads anymore , the comments just wind me up. After 6 months what is it that people still don’t understand.

Who knows but you can’t assume he’s positive.

Surely that is exactly what we should assume?

Since the child wasn’t back in, everyone in the class presumes he is positive (other kids have been tested and had negative results in the meantime).

Or maybe he is negative and he hasn't returned to school because he is still unwell

spoke to their teacher this morning who said the parents have chosen not to test and are just sitting out the isolation period.

The teacher is not allowed to tell you this

Ignore my first post. I hadn't realise the teacher gave out information about someone else child.

If parents refuse to test then schools should treat as a positive case and inform other parents. Many will have vulnerable children or family members. Not fair it could be having an impact on them due to the actions of others.