School now saying you need to keep isolating if a test comes back negative?

[cansomebodyputthetreeupplease]

I've contacted them to clarify and ask why they have stated this. Has anyone else's school had the same rule?

It goes against NHS advice (assuming the child isn't SI because of a household member testing positive in which case a negative test result is meaningless). I am not happy about the prospect of my DC's losing more time in school because of a random temp or a typical winter cough. My employer won't be happy either!

It the school insists is it worth challenging?

The trouble with saying that everyone must isolate for 14 days after contact and that a negative test cannot override that is that it doesn't apply to everyone. I've religiously stuck to two isolation periods truly believing the line that a test can't detect an incubating level of the virus etc.

I was open mouthed when the Transport Secretary said this is no longer the case for air passengers who can pay for a test on day five and circumvent quarantine.

Obviously I'll continue to isolate etc but it's very hard when they are introducing separate rules for air passengers.

At the first sign of the continuous cough, you would self isolate for 14 days. After that you would go back to school, even if cough still there, because you have done full isolation period.

Thankfully that isn't the rules!

My daughter gets croup in the winter. She got
It Sunday. Spoke to 111 and they told us to speak to her GP to make the decision on weather to test. Had my daughter off for the morning and the GP said no need for test as she gets it all the time. Daughter went back to school following day she will have a slight cough for 3 weeks now. I've done everything that has been asked.

My dd has gone back today after testing negative yesterday morning, she has minor cold symptoms and school said she can go back. Seems crazy making someone isolate when they have a negative test. Obviously if they do have a temperature they need to stay home as they will be feeling unwell but not for the 14 days.

I would point out to the school that if they are insisting on the full isolation period even if a test is negative there is no point getting a test at all. You might as well just go straight into isolation and save yourself the hassle. (Although you'd want to know for everything else in life obviously).

They have misread their guidance. If a test is negative then hooray back they come no burst bubble.

They can come back with a cough as well after a positive test as long as isolation has been completed. The cough can go on for weeks. If the temperature persists they stay off.

The official guidelines say you can go back after a negative test as long as it's been 48 hours since you had a fever. There is no guidance wrt other symptoms such as a cough or cold symptoms.

I mean obviously you keep an ill child off but most of our negative tests have been for a cough.

We just do a collective sigh of relief and carry on.

I was open mouthed when the Transport Secretary said this is no longer the case for air passengers who can pay for a test on day five and circumvent quarantine

I guess the difference is that air passengers do not have symptoms and/or haven't knowingly been in contact with someone who has tested positive.

However, I've said for months that 14 days is too long and too difficult to stick to. Most people will be ill within a week of exposure so reduce the period to 7 days and police it more rigorously.

At one point I'm sure this was gov guidance if you had symptoms. However I may be wrong as I can't find it now.

At one point I'm sure this was gov guidance if you had symptoms. However I may be wrong as I can't find it now.

It probably was at the start, before they had a testing system in place. Early in the year you only got a test of very unwell and needed treatment/hospital admission.

[quote IrishMamaMia]@BefuddledPerson yes absolutely, why don't we have medical staff doing this like in other countries?[/quote]
Because the UK health system is broken. In the absence of proper medical care we should be cautious which is why I think schools are right to stick with two weeks.

Sadly we are not Germany, or other countries with decent healthcare. We have shit tests in car parks and zero medical advice.

Plus no protection for parents (other countries have outlawed sacking staff off for covid reasons) and shit financial support.

So parents are sending kids in with basically no clue if it is covid or not. Plus no follow up testing for contacts.

The whole system is a joke.

@midnightstar66
Thank you. It IS confusing. Dd is still self isolating, no symptoms of anything. I’m just thankful the whole family doesn’t have to isolate tbh.

Shit tests in car parks and zero medical advice sums it up.
It's an awful time to be a working parent, especially if you are a key worker who can't wfh.

@cologne4711, I entirely take your point and please don't think I'm being goady but my child has had to isolate when a child in another class tested positive so I think that's similar... there is no known contact and PHE are being cautious.

Anyway, it's irrelevant because it's not the rules for schools. I just think it devalues the incubation argument.

Totally agree with you over a one week isolation being more sensible and likely to get higher compliance.

If you got a test because your child had symptoms then they can go back. If they were told to isolate because they were a close contact then its 14 days regardless of a test result.

I think it’s now 12

1. If been in contact with a positive case - isolate for 14 days due to incubation period.

1. If have covid symptoms - test asap OR isolate for 14 days. If test is negative, no temperature and well enough, can stop isolating.

I would contact your local authority if school is saying isolate for 14 days in 2nd instance regardless of negative test result.

*2. If have covid symptoms - test asap OR isolate for 14 days. If test is negative, no temperature and well enough, can stop isolating.
*
It's actually 10 days in this case. It's 14 in the case of contact to allow for incubation periods.

@Ipchill
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32980228/

Croup isnt a virus though it's a reaction to a virus. So can be caused by many, which looks like can include covid.

It's similar to those saying 'its not covid, it's asthma (or others saying it's the cough i get every year)

[quote Keepdistance]@Ipchill
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32980228/

Croup isnt a virus though it's a reaction to a virus. So can be caused by many, which looks like can include covid.

It's similar to those saying 'its not covid, it's asthma (or others saying it's the cough i get every year)[/quote]
I read the same so I called 111 who then referred me to the GP who said not to test or isolate. She doesn't have any symptom apart from a small cough (not continuous just a couple an hour no coughing bouts) when she had a case in September they said not to even call them or test and send her back to school!

@BefuddledPerson

And yes, if the cough remains the child should be off still.

Even the nhs says the cough can last for weeks and isnt a reason for them to stay off

@midnightstar66

At one point I'm sure this was gov guidance if you had symptoms. However I may be wrong as I can't find it now.

It probably was at the start, before they had a testing system in place. Early in the year you only got a test of very unwell and needed treatment/hospital admission.

No, even with testing. I'm sure this was the case early on (after widespread testing). Fairly sure the guidance at one point was to isolate regardless.

That’s crazy we did a test due to high temp. Evening time got the results back next day after end of school the following day and she was fine so Only missed one day.

@midnightstar66

*2. If have covid symptoms - test asap OR isolate for 14 days. If test is negative, no temperature and well enough, can stop isolating. * It's actually 10 days in this case. It's 14 in the case of contact to allow for incubation periods.

Yes of course - don’t know why I put 14.

I think a lot of the confusion is because we are using the same term - 'self-isolation' for two different things. Some countries (and WHO) only use 'self-isolation' for suspected or confirmed cases and use the term 'quarantine' for contacts.

Self-isolation: If you have symptoms, isolate straight away and get a test asap. If it's negative you can go back to work/school, if it's positive you must isolate for 10 days.

Quarantine: If you have been in contact with someone who has covid you must quarantine for 14 days. You should not get a test unless you develop symptoms yourself. If you do get a test and it's negative you must still quarantine for the full 14 days.