Plan for testing in schools in New Year

[Orangeblossom77777]

Just wondered what you thought about the new plans for using the lateral flow tests in schools in England after the New Year?

www.gov.uk/government/news/secondary-schools-and-colleges-to-get-weekly-coronavirus-testing

I'm a parent of two in secondary...first thoughts are

Are they accurate enough to test and release?
Are they easy to do at home?

It's a bit light in the detail of where tests will be carried out.

If it's not first thing, outdoors before going in to classrooms, will it really protect?

Also, what about those (especially secondary age) who are vulnerable or who have a CEV member of the household. Will they still get the call to SI (the article suggests 'yes' - this being an alternative to SI, not a replacement) but it would be helpful if that was clearly laid out, as would the continuation of the obligation on schools to continue the education of thuse required tomSI

I thought the tests would be given out to take at home

I won't let my child have this unless it's done by qualified people. There were cases of nasal trauma in Italy

First thoughts -

• bit light on detail as nether says

• what about other mitigation measures ie mandatory masks in secondary, letting schools make their own risk based decisions on online learning etc

• Kevin Courtney is right about there needing to be some lead in time, also to reduce opportunities for transmission after the Xmas bubbling.

The plan here is for school staff to do it. I'm very qualified to teach Shakespeare. Not so much to swab your child.

@SomelikeitHoth

I won't let my child have this unless it's done by qualified people. There were cases of nasal trauma in Italy

These lateral flow tests don’t require a peri nasal swab like the lab ones do. I’m tested twice a week (NHS) and we swab just inside each nostril for 10 seconds. I can’t see how that would cause nasal trauma?

I’m happy for them to be used in school. Accuracy of them isn’t great but at least it’s better than the head in the sand approach at the moment.

I thought teenagers swab themselves at test centres anyway. Wouldn't it be the same at school?

No. We've been told staff have to do it. I'm not going to volunteering for that.

School nurse perhaps

If it keeps my kids in school I'm all for it.

First thoughts

1. yes, good idea
2. are they going to expect teachers to add "swabbing nostrils" to the list of all the other stuff they are expected to do?
3. the same people who don't want their children wearing masks probably won't want them tested either.

Ha! To the idea that the majority of schools still have any kind of school nurse...

I saw that parents can choose to use the tests or to isolate if not. Which is now ten days.

They might appoint someone to do it I mean, like a school nurse type person.

Secondary pupils could do it themselves surely if supervised, and older primary ones

My thoughts:

1. They will make schools pay for the tests (that’ll keep the numbers down)

2. Tests will have to be administered/supervised by teachers, for example in registration/tutor time, whether they or the students like it or not

3. If there are lots of positives, it will be the fault of teachers (for not enforcing the rules)

4. They will accidentally lose all the data if it shows that schools are hotbeds of transmission

Oops made data singular. Sorry.

I'm not going to be swabbing children. If I'd wanted to carry out medical procedures on other people I'd have chosen to train as a health care professional not a teacher. Anyway we aren't supposed to be within 2 m of the students, don't think you can nose swab from that distance. If the students can test themselves then I can supervise that, if not they'll need to find someone who is trained to do it.

It says: Consent will be given in all cases by the staff member, student, or parent as appropriate

So that means that staff could force children to have it done. Surely it should be up to the parents?!?

Great idea

I wouldn’t want or expect teachers to swab the kids though!? It’s not their job.

If it’s as easy as putting a cotton bud in your nose twice they should be able to do that from age 8+
Or we as parents can do it that day in advance of school?

My son, 14, administered his own test at the drive through centre, but it sounds like these are better.

I'm in favour of anything that helps my children's schools - currently 10 per cent of the secondary form have it, my son caught it at scho and had had six isolations now since Sept. It's chaos at his school and he's had 10 weeks of not even being able to leave his house.

However, I want masks in lessons, ventilation and priority vaccinations for teachers too.

Oh and I wouldn't expect teachers to do this on top of everything else they're being put through.

Hell will freeze over before I allow this to happen with my children. If they (my DCs particular school) actually followed some vague infection control procedures - which are within their remit - and isolated children using common sense instead of relying on shocking PHE guidance and absolving themselves of personal responsibility, perhaps the transmission rate wouldn't be so awful.

Even if the accuracy is not high

Say it was 50 % catching positive cases then that would be catching cases that were being missed before .

Surely anything is an improvement . Especially when so many children are asymptomatic.