Should be two symptoms to require a test?

[Magentastorm101]

We are large family and are having a nightmare.

One son had a cough last week, he gets coughs most winter due to asthma. School required a negative covid test before he could go back to school.

This also meant his 5 brothers also had to be off until he received a negative test.

Eventually after days of trying we got a test. Negative so all was well.

Then today school sends another of our sons home because he had coughed 4 times within an hour.

Now they are all off again (bar our son who tested negative) until we can get another negative test!?

Been online all day and no tests unless we can travel over 100miles to one.

We have 6 children, this is just going to go round and round.

We can't afford to be off work anymore than we already have been.

At the time of year when colds and coughs are common place, wouldn't it make more sense to test only if you have two or more symptoms rather than anyone one of the symptoms?

My friend is in the same boat, she also has a larger family and has one at home with an ear infection but because she has a temperature as well all of her children are off and yet again she is unable to get a test.

This winter is going to be a nightmare 🤦🏼‍♀️

No, it should remain as one. You might find it inconvenient but if people don’t test then it’s goes into school and workplaces where there are many vulnerable people and children.

No it’s not the answer I’m afraid, the testing capacity needs to be sorted out.

Although hopefully for your situation, the NHS might issue an updated symptom list for children, as a study recently seemed to suggest that a cough is not a primary symptom in kids.

My friend is in the same boat, she also has a larger family and has one at home with an ear infection but because she has a temperature as well all of her children are off and yet again she is unable to get a test.

I don’t agree it should be two symptoms, but I do think that where there is another more obvious, and diagnosed, cause for a symptom (like a diagnosed ear infection), it shouldn’t be necessary for everyone in the household to self isolate.

There needs to be more testing capacity, but actually we should be testing a wider range of symptoms - I’d include sore throats and diarrhoea.

wouldn't it make more sense to test only if you have two or more symptoms

No, it would make more sense if the government had actually produced a working testing system like they said they would before reopening schools.

We shouldn’t water down safety to make up for their incompetence. They need to sort it out and fast.

@Frazzled13

My friend is in the same boat, she also has a larger family and has one at home with an ear infection but because she has a temperature as well all of her children are off and yet again she is unable to get a test.

I don’t agree it should be two symptoms, but I do think that where there is another more obvious, and diagnosed, cause for a symptom (like a diagnosed ear infection), it shouldn’t be necessary for everyone in the household to self isolate.

Problem is once you get "THE SYMPTOMS" doctors won't look at you ds1 has tonsillitis but he has had a covid test due to a high temperature and has been given a course of antibiotics which worked well because he has tonsillitis (yes his test was negative)

No, they shouldn't. I'm sorry that you are going round the cycle second week in a row BUT that's just life at the moment. Yes it sucks but every parents will be going through the same. Yours may seem worse because you have more children but that was your choice. Also, I think your other son should be isolating too. He had his test last week and they are only as reliable as the day they are taken. If your child with a cough now did end up testing postive, your child that had the negative test last week could still be exposed through your other son.
It probably isn't covid but you never know and it is very important to take this seriously.
The government need to sort the testing mess out.

No, a lot of research has been done to show presenting symptoms and requiring the presence of only one would miss a lot of cases being caught earlier/not at all. Indeed, we have quite a minimal symptom list compared to many other counties.
The answer is a testing service that had adequate capacity at all stages and delivers fast results

Yours may seem worse because you have more children but that was your choice.

Oh, come on. She couldn’t possibly have foreseen the pandemic, could she?!

I think the answer is teatime capacity needs to sky rocket. I don’t understand why schools weren’t all given say 100 home test kits each before term started, so any kid that needed to send home could be tested quickly and get back to school.

No, it needs to remain any one of the 3 major symptoms. The only time it may make sense to introduce criteria that requires multiple symptoms would be in order to include further symptoms in the testing process if there is a combination of symptoms that makes covid more likely amongst symptoms that are less likely to be covid in isolation.

no i disagree it should be any one of the 3 main symptoms.
What needs to happen is the government absolutely do need to sort this testing debacle out. In August I made an appointment, went along an hour later and had my result 22 h after that. I was impressed back then, but clearly a bit of extra demand and the whole system has fallen over .

@TheFlyingStork I think you've taken what I've said the wrong way. No one could have forseen a pandemic. But someone who chooses to have a large family should know that you will probably have to take more days off work for sick children than someone with only 1 child. The pandemic is unprecedented for everyone so that is separate.

School asked me to collect dd from school today after a coughing fit in class, I was working so it took an hour to get to the school. Head says since dd been in the isolation room she's not coughed once, if ok by tomorrow and no temperature, no more coughing she can go back tomorrow!

Can't get a test, so called GP and explained symptoms, turns out dd has suspected tonsillitis, prescribed a course of antibiotics and will return to school tomorrow if no further cough.

Half her class has colds, snotty noses.

The testing is an absolute farce!

That comment about ‘you had lots of children, it was your choice’

Was that for real? What a fucking stupid comment.

‘I was in a car crash’

‘Well, you chose to drive, it’s your own fault’

Hi @CountessFrog if you'd read on I actually explained what I meant. This pandemic is new and unexpected to us all, but by having more children, it is inevitable that as a parent, more time off will be needed through sickness. It wasn't a mean comment but I guess you've taken it as such.
I apologise if it has been taken the wrong way. I know that tone can get lost on these boards sometimes and it isn't my intention to offend

No I don’t think it should change to more than one symptom but the guidelines for children should be updated in line with latest research. This hasn’t been done I believe because it would require even more tests

6 boys!
OP probably did realise that she'd be off with illnesses more, she probably didn't envisage them all having to be off every time one of them was ill.
I think schools need to have a bit more common sense. Ear infections always come with a temperature! And coughing four times in an hour ffs, isn't it supposed to be a continuous cough?

I'm sure the symptoms used to be a dry cough? A cough accompanying a snotty cold is anything but!

I agree with a PP that all schools should have been given at least 100 tests at the beginning of term. And they should be given more when needed. They way it is now is utterly ridiculous.

@Minesril

6 boys! OP probably did realise that she'd be off with illnesses more, she probably didn't envisage them all having to be off every time one of them was ill. I think schools need to have a bit more common sense. Ear infections always come with a temperature! And coughing four times in an hour ffs, isn't it supposed to be a continuous cough?

I'm sure the symptoms used to be a dry cough? A cough accompanying a snotty cold is anything but!

I agree with a PP that all schools should have been given at least 100 tests at the beginning of term. And they should be given more when needed. They way it is now is utterly ridiculous.

Absolutely schools need more common sense! When I collected dd yesterday the head said my dd could return today.

GP said schools need to re read the guidance as parents are being directed to the surgery at an alarming rate just for a snotty nose.

And coughing four times in an hour ffs, isn't it supposed to be a continuous cough?

Have you read the nhs definition of a continuous cough?

It states 3 episodes in an hour. Therefore 4 episodes in an hour, as in the above scenario fits this definition.

Schools need to protect everyone in their school, staff and children. There are several people of different ages who are more vulnerable and more susceptible to become quite ill with this after all.

We can't change the rules on symptoms just to fit in with parents work life I'm afraid.

We're not sending children home with colds - hence why I've spent the last week and half with a sore throat and cold (I use the Zoe research app so did have a test which is negative) and now off work for 48 hours due to a sickness bug - all picked up at school from children I've taught.

We are only sending home for the three main symptoms, as required by all the guidelines. The close contacts/class/bubble only goes home if a person tests positive, not before. Even then usually the teacher doesn't go home.

We can't change the testing and isolation rules just for schools.

Nhs definition of a continuous cough:

a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual)

Please note it also doesn't distinguish between the type of cough - dry or not.

And actually the symptoms children who have tested positive often get appear to be quite similar to a cold, and often different to those in adults.

My daughter has a "snotty cold" , sneezing, runny nose, and an occasional cough (few times an hour) - this is covid.

No, no. If anything we must be missing cases because we only focus on the three symptoms. Other countries ask to people to test when they have sore throats etc as they can be symptoms. They need to get testing sorted out.

I totally get where you are all coming from.

I was just frustrated at not being able to get a test and thinking of how this was going to go on and on.

We have managed to get a test today but have to drive on a four hour round trip to get it.

Yes it was our choice to have a large family and of course we knew what that would entail. But it works for us, my hubby works through the day and I work some evenings and weekends so there is always someone available at home but that's under normal circumstances, not when we all have to be home and not go out for two weeks each time.

I definitely think tests need to be widely available and should have been before school went back, to avoid this chaos.

My friend still hasn't been able to get a test as she doesn't drive and the local one is just a mobile centre that won't be here until the weekend.

I know it's what needs to be done to keep everyone safe. It is just so frustrating trying over and over to get a test and not being able to get anything at all.

I am glad you managed to get a test now op. I completely agree with you that testing really needs to be sorted. I hope you weren't offended with my comments about the large family because for what its worth, I want a large family too. I know some posters took my comments the wrong way but I honestly didn't mean any offence.