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 🤦🏼‍♀️

I spoke to (the helpline?) 119 this morning because the online booking system as been showing as no tests available to me AT ALL since Friday but school are telling me I cannot send DS back until he's had a negative test!

The gentleman on the helpline was fab and asked me lots more questions about DS symptoms. He clarified that by "continuous cough" it means constant and an "episode" is a coughing fit that lasts more than a few seconds.

DS cough is only present first thing in the morning and last thing at night, it's obvious that it's a phlegmy cough presenting itself when he lays down, the gentleman on the helpline concurred and said I was absolutely correct and that DS did not need a Covid year.

He also told me that a cough alone (unless literally constant!) is not enough to warrant a test anyway, he could only book one for me if DS had also had either a temperature or loss of taste/smell.

So while it's not completely black and white, it would appear that the helpline are effectively being told to only book tests where there is one symptom which is severe or for more than one symptom where the symptoms are mild.

I was advised to keep DS off school until the coughs and sneezes are gone to limit him spreading the "common cold" and this confusing more people 😂

Your school, like many others don't know what a continuous cough is. Schools are using tests that should be used on ppl with actual symptoms.

Schools need to train themselves.

A continuous cough is 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)

@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.

I agree that in situations like this it should be treated differently. Maybe after a consultation with a GP to confirm a test isn't required, then a child should be allowed to return to school.

@Yetiyoga no offence taken at all.