Lying to get a test?

[BatShite]

I cannot believe I am asking this tbh, but here we are.

DSD has been sent home from school because she has a runny nose and a sore throat. No cough, no temp.

Shes not allowed back until she has a negative test. But obviously its near impossible to get one right now (possibly because of cases like ours..). DH called the GP as had been told they are doing the tests. GP has basically diagnosed DSD over the phone with a cold and said the school is wrong for sending her home and expecting a test when she doesn't have covid symptoms.. Shes in her last year so its obviously very important that shes actually there, especially after missing so much!

GP seems fairly sure its not covid. We are fairly sure its not given symptoms too. We could keep her off for 2 weeks but given shes missed loads, it seems not a good plan really. And even after the 2 weeks, school might insist on negative test. BUT to get the test the school insists they need, we have to lie about the symptoms she has!

I know how hard it is for people who need tests to get one, so I don;t want to add to that, but at the same time, the school is insistent. What would you do?

Even if we decide to lie it will no doubt take a week to get one seemingly going off others experiences..I feel shit for even considering lying but..school is so important especially in y11.

This^ is why the tests are running out. People without any symptoms being told they have to test. The government is kicking off about people without symptoms getting tests, but when they are not allowed back to school/work without a test..what on earth are they meant to do?!

Her brother has been sent home too as he has had contact with her (stays with us on weekends) though he has no symptoms of anything at all, fit as a fiddle, not even a slight snotty nose. He also needs a negative test to go back apparently..

Could you try calling the school again saying she has no Covid symptoms and GP agrees it’s just a cold? If not I think there might be an option of advised to have a test (we needed to try and sort one for ds prior to hospital admission and this was the option we were going to use)

Best thing to do is ring 111 and ask. If they say no need for a test, send her back in with a note. I am all for people being careful and testing as necessary but the system is not test on demand, its test under certain criteria - and its struggling as it is.

Unfortunately, COVID doesn't always present with one of the three main symptoms so school is right to be cautious. I would say she does have COVID symptoms but not one of the main three. If you go to order a test online, you can click 'yes' when it asks about having symptoms but 'no' when it specifically asks about the main 3. See what happens.

School should not exclude unless child has one of the "big three" symptoms- continuous cough, temp >37.8, sudden loss of taste and/or smell.

No indication for a test for either child. send them back, and if they refuse, ask the school nurse to intervene. They can't just refuse a child education for having a cold, if they're well.

I would take it up with school. These are not Covid/quarantine symptoms and school should not refuse to have your child. Your beef is with the school, not the issue that test are hard to get.

Tried telling school GP says cold, but they still insist on negative test. Asked if we cannot get test can she go back in 14 days, not without a test apparently. So this could be long term given how impossible it is to get tests at the min.

Ringing 111 in a sec, but even if they say she doesn;t need one, school is insisting shes not back without one!
What a bloody mess.

Their mother is having the same issues, given her brothers not allowed back without a test, yet he doesn't even have the cold symptoms, let alone the covid ones! He has nothing at all even slightly wrong.

Don't ring 111, they're snowed under, and she isn't ill. She has a cold.

Ring the school nurse service.

Ring school, and explain she doesn't meet covid criteria, and you want to know why your child is under an illegal exclusion?

not the issue that test are hard to get.

I know. Its still a shambles about the testing, however, if this experience today is common, it explains why those who actually should test are unable to..

Have her back on the bbc bitesize thing now so shes unimpressed. Seemed to think getting sent home, she could stay in bed for 2 weeks. If kids click onto this, this could cause issues too..whinging about a sore throat gets them 2 weeks off, I would have done it!

WIll keep on at the school, instead of trying to get a test that GP reckons she doesn't need, 111 will be overran anyway I expect. Fuck knows whats going to happen here though really..

Thing is, if you go with the wider list then just about every symptom of illness is a COVID symptom. I'd personally be quite happy to have a testing system that can accommodate that but we have a system where people are struggling to get tested, so testing "on the off chance" seems wrong to me.

@Bravefarts

Don't ring 111, they're snowed under, and she isn't ill. She has a cold.

Ring the school nurse service.

Ring school, and explain she doesn't meet covid criteria, and you want to know why your child is under an illegal exclusion?

Yeah will keep on at school. Thanks, though from what they have said already, seems pointless.

It did seem wrong to be trying to get one when GP says she isn't eligible/doesn't need. She said IF a cough/fever develops then things are diffenet, but currently, no.

Speak to the school nurse.

I would get back to school. can you speak to the head? is it an academiy or a local authority school. Is there someone at the LA? school are being ridiculous!

Academy. School are insisting they are following the advice they have been given and that she will under no circumstances be able to go back without a negative test..receptionist has apparently told her mother to say DSS has a fever to get a test, so seemingly actively encouraging lying. She is in a worse situation really, as he doesn't even have cold symptoms, not a slight headache, no runny nose, nothing at all wrong yet is being told to test else not allowed back!

School nurses still cover academies.

Schools can't exclude children on a whim. Tell them you're dropping her off of she's well, and doesn't have covid symptoms, tomorrow.

It's illegal for schools to just exclude children for no reason, or they'd do it all the time!

they are excluding her. By law, they must provide exclusion paperwork. Did they provide it for your DC? Have you requested it? It is a legal requirement.

childlawadvice.org.uk/information-pages/school-exclusion/

I would send her in tomorrow and only pick her up with the correct exclusion paperwork. I bet they will make a U-turn.

Schools can't exclude children on a whim. Tell them you're dropping her off of she's well, and doesn't have covid symptoms, tomorrow.

We could do that, but..today they told them to get the bus, and rang us WHILE they were already on their way home to tell us DSD 'has suspected covid' which was a shock as this morning she was temperature checked, has not coughed once, has been eating fine..etc (rang their mother and said DSS was on way home because DSD had suspected covid, which made her panis until she rang us and found out whats actually going on..). She did tell us sore throat this morning, she got some soothers on way to school. School also told us off for giving her soothers instead of keeping her off when we 'knew she had a sore throat, we could have put people at risk'? Which made me feel awful for a little bit tbh..

So sending her tomorrow, will only result in same thing, her sent back home straight away, and it will go on and on no doubt..while we are labelled problem parents for sending in a child who has a slight sore throat If she did have even a bit of a fever, we would have her off obviously at present, same with the cough. But a sore throat seems a bit OTT to be panicking over, especially when GP says they are almost positive its a bit of cold, and that loads of kids are picking up colds due to being around people again for first time in months.

I find it slightly interesting that the school stuck them both onto public transport also, if they genuinely thought she had covid symptoms. Rather than telling us to come pick her up, or make arrangements to do so?!

you need to request exclusion paperwork. school should have sent her home with it. If not ring school and request letter now! they are taking you for a ride.

The public transport situation is actually concerning, as DSD had cash for the bus as she does get bus back from school, but DSS is usually picked up..and he reckons (he is 13, so I take his stories with a pinch of salt mind) that the teacher gave him 2 quid for the bus as he had no bus fare (due to not using bus to go home usually). So he was put on the bus, when he does't usually use bus to come home, and actually given money to use this public transport while the school is claiming he is dangerous to be around people despite not being ill?!

Have you asked the school for a copy of the guidance they say they're following? I'd rather push it with govenors/head than request a test.

Try to follow any phone coversations up with an email so you have a paper trail.

@BlueTitsRock

you need to request exclusion paperwork. school should have sent her home with it. If not ring school and request letter now! they are taking you for a ride.

OK will do this, thanks.

I think I am calming down a bit now, but I have gone through a cycle of first feeling guilty, then angry, then concerned, then raging, then guilty again, and I seem to be getting back to normal now.

I think their mother is going to have a hell of a fight with the school though. Nt over the exclusion, but about the bus fare situation. Shes taking DSS as gospel when I cannot see teachers doing that, BUT he did not have any cash this morning so he has got bus fare from somewhere.

She was at work when they rang her too. Telling her he was already on way home. Hes had to wait outside for half an hour and shes had to cut her shift short at no notice at all, to get home for a child who is not even slightly ill.

I would try your local MP tbh. It’s bad enough trying to stick to the actual rules never mind ones people are making up and as for putting her with ‘suspected COVID’ on a sodding bus .

No, someone there needs reigning in.

Hmm. Quick reply on their email address, usually takes ages. They have sent me a fact sheet..whch has on it that if kids have covid symptoms they cannot go back until negative test.

Have the link now to a 'powerpoint presentation' on the topic..but dont feel comfortable posting link as it identifies her school. Could PM I guess if anyone is interested..

What to do if
My child has covid symptoms*

Symptoms include at least one of a high temperature; a new continuous cough; a loss of or change to your sense of smell or taste
----
Action needed
Child shouldn’t attend school
•Child should get a test
•Whole household self-isolates while waiting for test result
•Inform school immediately about test results

Back to school
...when child’s test comes back negative.

@Cornettoninja

I would try your local MP tbh. It’s bad enough trying to stick to the actual rules never mind ones people are making up and as for putting her with ‘suspected COVID’ on a sodding bus .

No, someone there needs reigning in.

I know, beyond belief really. If they genuinely thought she might have it, surely they wouldn't make her go home on public transport. They would contact us and we would either have to get her picked up, or at a push use a taxi.

Will try MP, but our MP is in a different area t her school, so not sure he could acually do much. He does always reply though, but it tends to take a few months, hopefully, she will be back by the time he replies..mind maybe not if shes not allowd back until she has a negative test..could rumble on for months unless one day she gets a fever so I can order one!

Ah, same factsheet says

'Only people with symptoms* need to get a test
•People without symptoms are not advised to get a test, even if they are a ‘close contact’ of someone who tests positive'

So how they square this with sending DSS home when perfectly healthy and telling his mother he also cannot go back without a negative test, I dont know?!