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Covid

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Original poster

How is the mass testing in schools going?

40 replies

Hellomoonstar · 14/12/2020 20:02

Is it to early to find out how the school mass testing is going? I’m expecting dsis (her school was chosen) to either be positive or told to self isolate after being in contact with a positive case.

OP posts:

Ginogineli · 16/12/2020 07:26

So what 235,000 tested for 1219 positive half of which false?!

Ginogineli · 16/12/2020 07:28

The pcr test was offered to those with symptoms

It wasn’t offered directly to those positive on lft

So the pcr results are not for the positive lft test in most cases

MilkItTilITurnItIntoCheese · 16/12/2020 07:37

Our secondary has been massed tested in a tier 2 area which has low numbers of cases. It’s a pilot school for the scheme and we have to consent to testing as parents and so do the children. They are tested and have results within the hour. So far no-one has tested positive however we were told that a positive test would of course be sent home immediately. Close contacts would be allowed to stay if no symptoms/negative but would be retested 2 days later and so on. The children are tested weekly.
I think it’s a great way to limit the amount of children being sent home to isolate and fully support it. I hope they roll it out and would be happy for my yr6 child to be tested regularly too. As an early years teacher I wish I could be tested weekly too.

poshme · 16/12/2020 08:07

@MilkItTilITurnItIntoCheese there are lots of people on MN who are horrified by the mass testing plan as has been trialled. (My DC also in a trial school)

See the threads about the mass testing in schools.

I was very happy with the system and thought it worked well.

Original poster

Hellomoonstar · 16/12/2020 08:14

@Lifeispassingby where did you get that information? Did you email the school or have parents and students told you? Or are you working in one off those schools?

OP posts:

BigWoollyJumpers · 16/12/2020 08:57

[quote poshme]@MilkItTilITurnItIntoCheese there are lots of people on MN who are horrified by the mass testing plan as has been trialled. (My DC also in a trial school)

See the threads about the mass testing in schools.

I was very happy with the system and thought it worked well.
[/quote]
Just seen that other thread and I asked about how the trials went, so interested to see your and pp posting positive experiences. The issue seems to be who does the testing though. How were the tests conducted in your trial? And were there really lots of badly behaved reluctant teens resisting and crying all over the place?

MilkItTilITurnItIntoCheese · 16/12/2020 09:21

I believe it was military in our school. Desks set up in the gym and a quick in and out. It’s not compulsory so I don’t understand the problem. If parents don’t consent the children don’t go. If the child doesn’t consent it doesn’t get done.

poshme · 16/12/2020 09:38

I think ours was military- organised by PHE.
Then the most recent was teachers.
DC said no stress or bother. Didn't seem to be any distressed kids from what they said.

Like previous poster- we had to give permission. Not everyone did but a high percentage did I think.

Lifeispassingby · 16/12/2020 09:48

@Hellomoonstar the school sent an email out to say they had these confirmed cases and would be contacting all close contacts asking them to isolate

Thatwentbadly · 16/12/2020 09:50

I don’t know. It’s only been available in tier 2 area and we are in tier 3. Apparently it’s appropriate for London but not for areas who have more cases of covid.

Lifeispassingby · 16/12/2020 12:16

@Thatwentbadly I am in tier 3 and testing is happening where I am

psychomath · 16/12/2020 13:56

@Ginogineli do you know if there's data available specifically for school age children in Liverpool? Anecdotally the number of asymptomatic cases in teenagers seemed significantly lower than I'd have expected, but I haven't seen any proper data to confirm or refute that.

psychomath · 16/12/2020 13:57

I think the rapid tests also have a high false negative rate, though I appreciate that's less significant than a high false positive rate with low case numbers.

Original poster

Hellomoonstar · 17/12/2020 09:34

Dsis tested negative and dm has not been contacted yet telling her to isolate dsis. School have only said they have had several students testing positive back on Monday and after talking to the council they decide to do remote learning.
Dsis knows only for certain two people that have tested positive.

OP posts:

middleager · 17/12/2020 09:56

There's a post upthread of testing in a low case tier 2 school. No positive cases came back.

I don't get this. My sons' tier 3 West Mids secondary schools have been crawling in cases since Sept. Six self isolations and a dose of Covid for one child, three SIs for the other at his secondary. It's carnage. 10%.of both form. have Covid currently, one son back in SI and one school closed.

If we had been given these much needed testing then I expect many more cases would be uncovered. Surely these are the schools most in need where it could make a massive difference compared with schools barely touched by the virus?

What's the rationale behind this?

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