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Original poster

DS's friend has tested positive...

48 replies

whattodo2019 · 18/10/2020 22:26

school phoned today to DS's friend has tested positive. this child has been off school since monday. there fore my son has not seen him since then.
my DS has been told to self isolate until 28th Oct.

tonight i managed to get my son tested,
despite not having any symptoms. I know he should show symptoms but is it so wrong to test him?

OP posts:
TW2013 · 18/10/2020 22:30

It will only tell you if he isn't currently positive, not whether he is going to develop an infection as a result of his contact which is why he still needs to isolate for 14 days.

Northernsoullover · 18/10/2020 22:31

Yes it is. Its a waste of a test. You still have to finish the isolation so it was completely unnecessary. I see posts on here where posters are really unwell but because they don't have the top 3 symptoms are told not to test because its a waste. Yet your son has zero symptoms and it doesn't mean he won't develop it.

negomi90 · 18/10/2020 22:31

Yes. There's no point testing him if he has no symptoms because he could still be incubating it.
A negative test during the incubation period means nothing.
He has to isolate for 14 days from the time he last saw his friend unless he gets symptoms and a positive test (related to the symptoms) in which case he isolates until 10days post symptoms starting.
Testing him when he's asymptomatic means nothing and changes nothing for you or him but may mean someone with symptoms struggles to get a test.

dementedpixie · 18/10/2020 22:32

Yes it was wrong and a negative test now doesn't mean he doesn't have it
He still needs to isolate for 14 days from last contact

Bramblespoint · 18/10/2020 22:32

Please don't waste a test. If he hasn't got symptoms he doesn't need one!!

MarjorytheTrashHeap · 18/10/2020 22:32

In an ideal world all close contacts would be tested but we simply don't have the capacity so symptomless cases should not be tested. I am a teacher with symptoms. I managed to access a critical worker test straight away but have now been waiting 60 hours already with no result as labs are unable to keep up with demand. Your DS needs to isolate anyway so it wasn't really helpful to get him tested.

bethany39 · 18/10/2020 22:33

What a waste of a test.

What did you hope to achieve by getting him tested?

DrMadelineMaxwell · 18/10/2020 22:34

We he with his friend in the 2-3 days before the friend got symptoms? If not then it's highly unlikely the friend was contagious at that point.

Yetiyoga · 18/10/2020 22:35

Don't waste a test.
And also the school shouldn't have told you who the child was.

PurpleDaisies · 18/10/2020 22:37

You know this is wrong.

nimbuscloud · 18/10/2020 22:38

Am shocked that the school would ring you and disclose personal medical information about another child.

Original poster
whattodo2019 · 18/10/2020 22:42

@nimbuscloud

Am shocked that the school would ring you and disclose personal medical information about another child.
the school has not disclosed who the child is. but it's obvious as he is the only child who has ben off since last monday.

we live in an area of very few cases.
it's very easy to get tested 247.

OP posts:
somanysockssolittletime · 18/10/2020 22:50

I hope your DS and his friend are ok xx

MJMG2015 · 18/10/2020 22:50

Why would you get him tested? He has to isolate anyway! 14 days from his last contact with his friend.

It's a waste of a test and the facilities to check the test etc.

Slightlybrwnbanana · 18/10/2020 22:54

If tests are not limited, I can see a point in getting one now - not that you can do anything differently if it's negative (as you can't) but because if it's positive then the close contacts of the boy can start isolating straight away, rather than going into work/school/transport that could infect others.

freezedriedromance · 18/10/2020 22:56

Testing was a waste of resources and a waste of your own time. If your son is currently incubating the virus a test will show negative.

mocktail · 18/10/2020 22:57

It's a waste of a test and your son still has to isolate. What was the point exactly? Confused

MajesticWhine · 18/10/2020 22:57

I don't blame you for getting a test, but it won't actually help you. Whether its positive or negative you still have to isolate.

ItsBeyondMe · 18/10/2020 22:58

Absolutely pointless getting him a test.

Racoonworld · 18/10/2020 22:58

Regardless of the test result he stil needs to isolate for the full 14 days as he may develop it later in the incubation period. This is why you shouldn’t test when symptomless.

ekidmxcl · 18/10/2020 23:05

It isn’t a waste of a test. The government has drummed that shit into us because their testing system is so shit. The OP was right to test her son, if you think about it logically, rather than under the UK’s embarrassing 3rd world rules/strategy. That said, it’s also possible that he could still be incubating it and therefore the test wouldn’t pick it up.

Original poster
whattodo2019 · 18/10/2020 23:05

@Bramblespoint

Please don't waste a test. If he hasn't got symptoms he doesn't need one!!
the test was done privately. I paid for it. my son hasnt had contact with this other child for 6 days!
OP posts:
ekidmxcl · 18/10/2020 23:05

Countries like China test far more. That’s why they’re doing better than us.

ekidmxcl · 18/10/2020 23:06

Where can you pay for a private test OP?

vanillandhoney · 18/10/2020 23:07

How do you know it was this friend? Hmm

Someone else could have tested positive over the weekend!

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