Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Covid

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Flip

1 2 3 4 5

Original poster

Are parents going to lie about symptoms to avoid having to test/isolate?

123 replies

Concerned7777 · 15/09/2020 10:05

Theres so many posts on here about the lack of testing available, and children not being allowed to return without a negative result, not to mention the added disruption to the rest of the family having to isolate.
Are parents going to be tempted to hang on to see if symptoms persist before informing schools? So many threads have said their dc symptoms are now non existent and its unlikely to have been covid but they still need to stay home for 14 days if they cant get a test in time.
If dc start showing symptoms at home like a mild cough or spike in temperature, would you be tempted to tell school that they are being kept off for other reasons like a sickness bug for instance to bide some time ? And possibly send them back in a few days later if they recover.
Of course its morally wrong to do it but I can totally see why some might given how hard it is to get tests at the moment.

OP posts:

Original poster

Concerned7777 · 15/09/2020 10:49

@wendz86

A cough is harder to hide but i think with things like temperature people will just ignore it or not even check.

I know of children who have literally been coughing for 1 day and then nothing yet cant go back into school without a negative test that they cant getThere's many things that make us cough sometimes like allergies or a bit of dust that agitates the chest, 1 day of coughing does not equal a persistent or continuous cough. Its easy to see why a parent might tell school its a stomach bug at first to see if the coughing is actually persistent or continuous. And how often has our dc had a slight temperature we've given them calpol once and its not risen again yet now theyd have to start the isolation /test scenario. Testing and isolating needs to be for continuous symptoms not just one offs.

OP posts:

NanBollen · 15/09/2020 10:53

I will put my hand up and say I have done this today.

DS (9) saw his BF about ten days ago. Two days later, his BF came down with a cold, and had a temperature for a day. His parents managed to get tested and it took five days for them to get their negative results back.

Yesterday at school DS felt rough, cold symptoms developed over the evening. In the night he woke up and he had a temperature. I didn’t take it as I didn’t want to know officially. Calpol and this morning he was warm but I am not sure if he has an official temp. Lots of cold symptoms. He clearly just has a cold, he is child who spikes temps very regularly when ill.

I’ve kept him off today and will tomorrow, but I am back at work Thursday. DD has gone in to reception as normal and DH gone to work.

I do feel guilty but I also feel I don’t really have a choice. I’ve had to isolate twice since April and neither time have we had Covid. Can’t work from home. DD has just started school yesterday. DS clearly just has a cold. I can’t get a test and if I could the results are taking days and days to come back. The last test I had was so awful I still do cry occasionally over it and I am just not like that.

So I’m sorry but I have done it.

tornadoalley · 15/09/2020 10:53

If only people would stop being so stupid and having tests when they are asymptomatic or lying to get a test because they've been in contact (however minimal) with Covid, then there would be adequate space to test those with a genuine need.

Having a granddaughter who lives with you and who has been sent home from school because a classmate tested positive and you have COPD, is not a reason to test her. And getting irate because you can't have the test is just irritating. The criteria are clear.

BreathlessCommotion · 15/09/2020 10:53

Mant parents will be on zero hours contracts, or unstable work situations like delivery drivers, and will have no choice. They have to choose between sending the child to school or losing their salary/job and not being able to feed their family.

Its all very well for people with savings, support networks, good sick pay, secure jobs to make judgments. Try living hand to mouth and seeing how easily it is to make such moral decisions

tornadoalley · 15/09/2020 10:54

@Myfanwyprice Sore throat isn't on the list of criteria for testing, but it's very common with covid, especially at the beginning.

BreathlessCommotion · 15/09/2020 10:54

@tornadoalley the governments own data shows that this isn't the case. The system is not able to cope with the number of genuine test requirements. It is a shit show and definitely not world beating.

Howslifenow · 15/09/2020 10:57

Poor kids. They must be knackered with cough, fever and being sent to school.

LemonTT · 15/09/2020 10:59

I am glad to say I wouldn’t do this and don’t know anyone who would.
I don’t know whether to be worried about people posting and boasting on social media that they would. These posters tend to have agendas or are just goading others.

Is there a proportion of the population who don’t understand and will just go to work with a symptom. Of course there is. Some people won’t accept the possibility until they get a positive test. Then they don’t understand transmission risks.

I hope the T&T service finally accept today that they have a problem with access to testing. Right at the critical point. That’s a resignation matter for Didiums and App Hancock. The service needs people with operational expertise and experience.

BKCRMP · 15/09/2020 11:01

My DD had a very snotty nose and a temp for about 6 hours Sunday. I WISH I had kept my mouth shut. This is a nightmare.

unmarkedbythat · 15/09/2020 11:02

I am glad to say I wouldn’t do this and don’t know anyone who would.

I won't have to do this as my DH was made redundant and we will always have someone at home to look after the dc. Everyone I know who would do this will be motivated by the need to have an income and pay for housing, utilities and food, not because they are some sort of nasty, stupid scumbag out to ruin everything.

loulouljh · 15/09/2020 11:02

of course. if you cannot get a test and you have to work what are you going to do? Most people won't have any choice in the matter.

Beautiful3 · 15/09/2020 11:03

Yes of course they will lie. Parents need to work and cannot be off for long periods of time, waiting for a test!

HarveySchlumpfenburger · 15/09/2020 11:04

@BreathlessCommotion

Its all very well for people with savings, support networks, good sick pay, secure jobs to make judgments. Try living hand to mouth and seeing how easily it is to make such moral decisions

But how are those same patents going to cope when they have to be off for 2 weeks isolating because the school has closed the year group. Repeatedly if parents keep sending children in with symptoms.

I do get that it’s an issue, but choosing to send them in anyway is rather short sighted if lots of people are in the same boat. It would be much better to put decent support in place for what was an entirely predictable situation.

Original poster

Concerned7777 · 15/09/2020 11:07

@Howslifenow

Poor kids. They must be knackered with cough, fever and being sent to school.

I don't mean send your children into school with a cough or temperature because it would be very apparent to school they were suffering with either and be sent home, but telling school they are off for different reasons initially to see if the symptoms are going to be persistent and warrant actually getting a test.

OP posts:

Hiddennameforever · 15/09/2020 11:12

This is already happening in my child’s school. Kids are on and off for a day or two and came back.

beckypv · 15/09/2020 11:17

I think the chances are, less and less school bubbles will burst because if people can’t test, then it is quite possible that Covid could be present in a school bubble, but because symptoms are mild it is just felt it is a cold running through the year group, and everyone just carries on as normal. It may well not be until it seriously effects a linked parent/grandparent that a school ever know it existed!

WearyandBleary · 15/09/2020 11:18

My college dd has done this. Had a terrible cold for days and then a cough. I tried to get a test for three days but then she passed the five days symptomatic so couldn’t be tested anyway. The cough had gone by then. She went back to college.

Hardbackwriter · 15/09/2020 11:20

I also think that if a lot of people end up having to do the full 14 days - which they will if they can't get a test within the first 5 days - their will to stick to it is inevitably going to wane in many cases. People will start off determined to do the right thing but not popping to the shop for some milk because your child had a cough 12 days ago is going to feel a bit ridiculous if that child, and everyone else, has now been perfectly well for 10 days, which is going to feel like a bloody long time to you given that you've all not been able to leave your property.

Marisishidinginmyattic · 15/09/2020 11:21

I think lots of people will do this. Parents won’t risk being unable to pay the rent or for food etc for the sake of a few of the symptoms. It’s the same as when children show signs of sickness and diarrhoea but people still send them in so they can go to work.

OverTheRubicon · 15/09/2020 11:25

Already are here! Ds 2 came home with a frequent cough and temperature, we had to wait for testing, isolate etc (and as a single full time working parent of 3 this meant me using my leave)... I knew his desk mate 'Sam' was sneezing a lot as DS mentioned it, but thought fair enough, he didn't meet the criteria... But at drop off today the mum cheerfully said "Oh yes, Sam had that cold, but luckily the fever went back down and he never coughed so we didn't have to get a test".

Ffs even if she didn't want to follow the rules she could have at least kept him off while he was spraying the room though! It was 3 days of my annual leave, I can't keep doing this

NoSquirrels · 15/09/2020 11:35

I wouldn't lie about why they were off - I would say cold and sore throat - but I might omit to mention they spiked a temp if they're a child who ALWAYS spikes a temp with a cold.

It's IMPOSSIBLE to get a test. Literally impossible at the moment. So no one should be surprised if parents do this.

On the one hand there's people saying people should "stop bloody getting tested for every sniffle" and then there's the absolute immoveable fact that if your kid gets a temperature with a bit of a sore throat and a related cough, it might be CV-19 and it might just be a common cold, so you have to test.

I'd almost rather the whole education system agreed - your child has a cold or virus, stay at home for 2 weeks and we'll set you some work. At least then we'd know where we were and we wouldn't have this fear of doing the wrong thing. And the government can mandate and pay for paid leave for those in the position of needing to isolate.

I am so mad about the lack of testing.

Treesofwood · 15/09/2020 11:37

@NanBollen what on earth happened at your test that you still cry occasionally over it? Almost sounds a bit like a post trauma response?

NewNameNoName · 15/09/2020 11:41

Can you please think about the knock on effects of this though, if you are sending your child into school. We have already sent 4 home today who have turned up coughing and visibly sweating. We have to use staff to isolate them and valuable space and then try to get parents to come and pick them up. Parents don't want to collect them as they are teenager and usually come to school on their own, but they've been on buses or in friend's cars to get here.

We now need to clean everywhere they have been. We've used limited PPE when dealing with the kids.

I am in Bolton. Look at what we are dealing with now.

Kaktus · 15/09/2020 11:44

The last test I had was so awful I still do cry occasionally over it and I am just not like that

Gosh, what happened? I have had regular tests for a study and would just call them mildly uncomfortable.

Namechangeme87 · 15/09/2020 11:48

I wouldn’t no but that’s because I’m in the fortunate position of getting sick pay / have lots of holiday days I can take / an extremely understanding and decent employer .

Not everyone can say that and I can absolutely see why people may not do it when they can’t afford to not get paid or may lose their jobs etc

Flip

1 2 3 4 5