Getting a covid test every time a child has a cough or fever?

[hippospot]

Is this the new normal?

My friend's son had a temperature so she booked a test the next day. By the morning he was fine with no fever or other symptoms, but they went for the test anyway and now have to self-isolate (the whole family) for at least 48 hours until they hopefully get a negative result.

It just strikes me this could happen multiple times for most families with young children over the course of the winter. Can the testing centres even cope with such a volume?

Apparently the school didn't insist on them getting a test but then again could they (would they) even check?

Yep, we've had to have 3 rounds of isolation / testing since the beginning of September.. some families have been very fortunate to have none, but for us, it's definitely the new normal it seems

Forgot to add, our DC school asked for proof of test results.

It needs to be done. We are in a pandemic.

Temp is a symptom.
It's not our fault testing is rubbish. APPARENTLY other countries test for far more symptoms.

A one off temperature that's normal the next day does not need testing. The govt really need to expand on the temperature and cough regulations.

Far too many unnecessary tests being done.

Well my son had a temp on the Sunday.. Kept him off Monday.. He was fine back Tuesday.. In school all week..bit lethargic and headachey. Friday back to a temp and really not feeling well... Tested positive.

Looks like he was at school Tuesday to Friday while positive
Damned if you do damned if you don't

Yes, it needs to be done. Of course that mean many ‘unnecessary’ will happen as kids get plenty of coughs and temperatures. There’s no way of knowing which are unnecessary until you’ve had the test though. An effective testing system would make this far less disruptive though.

We rang 111 and they said if it was only a short lived temp not to bother with testing (this was at the height of not being able to get a test though).

@frasersmummy

Well my son had a temp on the Sunday.. Kept him off Monday.. He was fine back Tuesday.. In school all week..bit lethargic and headachey. Friday back to a temp and really not feeling well... Tested positive.

Looks like he was at school Tuesday to Friday while positive
Damned if you do damned if you don't

If you kept him off on the Monday you presumably didn’t get him tested at that point or tell the school about the temp? What a stupid and irresponsible thing to do to then send him back in to potentially infect all those other children he came into contact with for the rest of the week.

This isn’t damned if you do or damned if you don’t FGS. You shouldn’t have sent him in and it’s people like you who do send their children in after they’ve displayed symptoms who are contributing to the problem!!

111 told us even if his temp is gone we still needed to test

In an ideal world yes. My DD developed a bit of a cough two weeks ago. She was tested and her brother had to miss school until she had the all clear.

fraser he should of had a test on the Monday and not gone back.