If there is a case in my dd's school year, does she have to isolate at home?

[anniemouse]

Apologies - I am confused.

There's been an confirmed case in my dd's year and they have been sent home. I know she can't go back to school for 14 days but does this also mean she has to stay at home and cannot go out at all? She has no symptoms and does not share any classes with the girl who has been tested positive.

Yes, completely oscillate at home I'm afraid, but rest of family can go out as long as no symptoms

As far as I’m aware she has to stay at home and can’t go out anywhere in case she is infected.

Thank you.

I wouldn’t advise oscillating

Yep. I'm currently at home with my 5 year old because there was a case in his class/year. We've been instructed to keep him at home for 14 days. No one else is allowed into our home until that time has past. His brother can continue to go to school and DH and myself can return to work.

My dc's school has a positive case in her year group. Kids are still going in. I've been told they would have contacted me if dd had been in close contact

Totally different to the advice they gave saying year group bubbles would isolate in the event of a positive test.

My friend in this situation was told the 14 days starts from when the person that got the positive result started getting symptoms, which may be several days before the positive result.

In their case the isolation is 10 days because symptoms started 4 days before the positive result came through.

does not share any classes with the girl who has been tested positive.

This bit I find confusing (I'm not saying the rules are wrong just that I don't understand this particular bit). I thought test and trace (if it was working properly) only looked for those in close contact for 15 minutes or more, but your daughter has had no contact/ not been in the same room as the positive child. 🤷🏼‍♀️

www.bbc.co.uk/news/explainers-54239922

I don’t agree. Your dd is required to self isolate if she has been in “close contact” with a confirmed positive case and you’ve been contacted by Test & Trace. I assume in respect of schools that Test & Trace will happen via schools but don’t know?

Schools could decide to take precautionary measures separate from the legal requirement to self isolate.

I think you need to contact the school and has them if she is a confirmed “close contact” according to PHE rules.

Self isolation is grim, the kids can’t even leave the house to exercise. I wouldn’t do that until it is an actual requirement.

I take your point I theory bear, but it's going to be really hard for schools to accurately k ow what social contact has taken place at break/lunch and entering and leaving school so caution is preferred.

I get it's not perfect, school transport etc will be mixed year groups, but I expect it's the best they can do.

@PositiveLife

My dc's school has a positive case in her year group. Kids are still going in. I've been told they would have contacted me if dd had been in close contact

Totally different to the advice they gave saying year group bubbles would isolate in the event of a positive test.

Our school are taking records of who is with who (primary) at for example lunch so that in the event of a case they can identify close contacts without having to send the whole year home. They are also only working in class with a small group to avoid any cross bubbles etc.

I'm impressed with the way they have arranged everything then at home time you see all the bloody parents stood around in groups close together and you think we don't have a chance if it gets into the community. It's complete choas but there is nothing the school can do as it isn't on their grounds they just keep sending reminders to distance

Yes, if the school/PHE has determined that there has been “close contact” under the school’s arrangements then fair enough.

But if it’s a precautionary measure by the school then that’s different. All you can do is ask for clarification. For example, I know one school is interpreting “close contact” if a child has sat within 2 metres of the child testing positive.

Either way you’d want to be strict about social distancing now but I wouldn’t keep a child stuck inside for 14 days unless it’s actually required.

Another secondary school in the area had a confirmed case. They received many complaints during the 14 day isolation period as several of the children told to isolate were seen socialising in parks etc.

Hasn't the school given directions?
Most schools are asking the entire year group to isolate for 14 days.

But don’t all schools have to go through the Public Health Agency if they have a confirmed case? It’s them that decides who’s a close contact and should isolate, not the school. So no different than if you’d been identified by track and trace after being out somewhere. If you’ve been advised to isolate then you’re supposed to stay at home for 14 days.

the school should advise individual parents
for us, DC2 is in a freely mixing primary class where the teacher has tested positive. Whole class therefore self isolating ie not leaving the home and garden.

DC1 had a pupil test positive in her secondary year group. the whole year was asked to stay home on Day 1 while they worked out this pupil's close contacts. Close contacts were then told to self isolate, and most of the year group were told to come back in on day 2.

Her whole year group have been asked to self isolate.

I agree it makes more sense to work out the close contacts and the advise accordingly. However - a lot of the rules the government and how organisations interpret them don't make sense!

The school should make it clear whether self isolation is required. Ds is currently at home because part of the school is shut but doesn't have to self isolate because he is not a close contact.

Oscillate
😀

Can students not go back within the 14 days if they take a test and it's negative? Or is the year bubble just closed for 14 days, regardless of proven CV-free students? Presumably though they'd all be coming in in drinks and drabs and it would disrupt the learning?

@AlwaysLatte

Can students not go back within the 14 days if they take a test and it's negative? Or is the year bubble just closed for 14 days, regardless of proven CV-free students? Presumably though they'd all be coming in in drinks and drabs and it would disrupt the learning?

The rest of the year group won't be able to access a test if they don't have symptoms so they'll just have to complete the isolation.

No @AlwaysLatte because the virus can incubate in the body for up to 14 days before replicating enough to generate a positive test.

I agree it makes more sense to work out the close contacts

Yes, but that can be quite difficult depending on the school’s set up: Do they know:

• who the child who has tested positive was with at break time and at lunch time?
• who they sat next to in assembly?
• who they might have spoken to in the corridor?
• who they sat next to in the cover lesson where there was no seating plan?

Etc.

Unfortunately, the school has not been able to work out close contacts of the positive case as they have staff shortages. I agree anyway, it may be quite difficult to work out it exactly. Therefore, they are telling the whole year to self isolate.

From recent interactions with the call centre - who read from a script - 1st case is close contact only (if you can identify them). 2nd case closes the bubble. No nuanced approaches based on other mitigation measures such as masks.