I don't understand the opposition to mass testing in school

[Blanketyblankblankety]

I thought that's what teachers on here wanted. Won't it mean school will be much safer as you'll be able to identify asymptomatic DC plus not have to rely on parents not to send DC in even with symptoms. Why is there so much negativity?

Oh yes - the plan as outlined by Government will potentially keep more infected people in school than the current system, thereby enabling the virus to spread more widely and rapidly. You couldn’t make it up.

@Blanketyblankblankety

Can't a secondary school age DC do their own test with supervision?

A secondary school pupil might but all secondary school pupils?

Even you must be able to think about all the potential issues that might arise because children are not a one size fits all and some have very profound needs, whilst others may just revel in the enjoyment of sabotaging a test...

@ChloeDeckTheHalls

What, not blaming Headteachers for his one, OP?

I’d read the very informative threads already on the Coronavirus forum, OP and comment on those, rather than starting this new one to rub salt in already fragile wounds.

Get a grip

I don't think anyone objects to the actual idea. But announcing it on pretty much the last day of term that schools are expected to get organised to deliver it on day one of next term...wildly unrealistic.

The tests are only 50% accurate, so all those asymptomatic children that have a false negative will be sitting in the classroom, next to your child, instead of isolating at home.

Surely if you've read enough to 'not understand the opposition' you'd have heard about and therefore understand the very valid reasons parents and school staff are stating for their concerns about the whole situation.

It's a very goady and wide eyed in mock confusion post.

get a grip

Get some empathy BethlehemIsInTier1

I honestly dont know why people reply. I really dont.

Seriously, stop feeding trolls. It is OBVIOUS what the issue is. Op would have to be absolutely thick as a brick not to know what the many issues are. So why even answer?

I think thit pretty much covers it:

Issues around DBS checks (though on another thread, I saw that this is being solved by just not DBS testing regular in school vulunteers...).

It keeps all close contacts in school, until they test positive, despite the chosen tests being well known to be very inaccurate.

It was anounced as teaching staff go in yo a period of unpaid leave, yet they will still have to arrange it all.

Cost to school budgets which are already fucked.

I'm sure there's some other things. It's a good idea, but the gvt execution of it (or lack of) is ludicrous.

What W00t said. The rest is important too, but this is NOT going to make schools safer, sadly.

You’re absolutely right Jenifirtree and the OP has been like that a lot recently hence my first post. I’ll back off and hide the thread.

Ok. A few problems...

ANY vaccination programme in school needs signed written consent from parents. Who will administer this? In a usual size secondary school there will be about 1000 children: forms to go out (a small percentage will be ‘lost’, some will be late back, some will need resending, some will be refused permission , some split families will give approval from one parent, but not the other. Every form will need checking. ) when will these be sent out and returned?

WHERE in the school will the tests take place? Schools are in ‘bubbles’ so Year 7s can’t cross paths with Year 8s etc. Schools are so tight for space that if the hall needs to be used, where does the PE or drama lesson take place during the testing? Privacy is needed and washing down between patients. This will mean each test takes some time. Where will the children each lunch?

WHO will administer the tests? Teachers will be too busy teaching, welfare staff will be too busy dealing the fall out of Christmas (DV and family break ups happen at Christmas, and bereavements) Personnel need training to administer the tests. Do you want the PE staff shoving a swab up little Jonny’s nose? Imagine the accusations of assault that could ruin a career.

If personnel are brought on site, who will check they are DBS checked?

WHO will provide the PPE? The detergent for washing down? The cost of the marquee hire (for the rooming -some schools are doing this).

I could go on. Want to hear more?

It's the unreliability of the tests that bothers me. It's only about 50% accurate for positive cases. I have personal experience with me and many of my colleagues who tested negative on lateral flow then positive on PCR.

If they had been looking at a screening test testing all pupils twice a week like they do for care home staff then that's Ok. It might pick up some asymptomatic cases

The problem is they are using these instead of self isolation for contacts of positive cases. The test just is not good enough for that. If you test negative you still have a 50:50 chance you are actually positive and instead of being sent home to isolate you'll be happily spreading it in school believing you are negative.

And in amongst the mass testing there is also a huge change in the way close contacts of a positive person are dealt with.

From January if the child your child sits next in class to tests positive, instead of your child being sent home to isolate they will be given the option of being tested daily in school for 7 consecutive days. As long as they test negative each day they remain in school. What could possibly go wrong?

@Blanketyblankblankety

Can't a secondary school age DC do their own test with supervision?

Hahahahahahahahahaha having spent the last 4 months trying to get a thousand of them anywhere close to washing their hands properly twice a day, I have zero hope that any of them will get a covid test self-administered properly.

Lick a classmate, sure. Stick a swab so far down your throat it makes you gag, then up your nose until it feels like it's touching your brain, not a fucking chance.

I certainly won't be volunteering to administer the test on anyone in my school. Supervising jabs is bad enough.

Yet another last-minute shambolic plan by the DoE who have apparently never set foot inside a school ever.

What nasty responses.

I was at work today when I heard about this and felt relieved that this was being rolled out in schools as we've had such as disrupted term. I know this was something Nobel was wanting so I genuinely was confused as to what the problem was.
I can't write anything on here without being insulted.

Where was I nasty?

Absolute rubbish op. You stayed in your op that you didn't understand the opposition so clearly you've heard about it.

Stated

Forget it. It's impossible to have a discussion on here without it becoming abusive.

How does everyone feel about the volunteers not being DBS checked? They say as they’re being supervised that they won’t be DBS checked at all and I’m not sure how I feel about it.

@Blanketyblankblankety

What nasty responses. I was at work today when I heard about this and felt relieved that this was being rolled out in schools as we've had such as disrupted term. I know this was something Nobel was wanting so I genuinely was confused as to what the problem was. I can't write anything on here without being insulted.

Hope my post on this thread cleared it up for you.

This is not what I’ve been asking for.

The test of close contacts is instead of the 10 days isolation.

So student A sits next to student B, maskless within 1m. Student B tests positive. Student A will no longer have to isolate for 10 days; they will be tested instead. But this is only being rolled out in schools, not in offices or anywhere else ( correct me if I am wrong, please).

So now teacher and student C and D are near student A all week, hoping the test isn’t a false negative.

I'm not sure people understand what these tests are like compared to the PCR ones either. It is a bit more involved.

The sticking a swab up your nose bit is the same but then you have to extract and test your own sample. I think this is probably why it is so inaccurate because there is a lot that can vary with those stages and mess the results up.

You have to put the correct amount of reagent in the extraction tube and then wiggle your sample about in there. How long and how forcibly you do that for will affect results. Then you have to put the correct amount on the test well and wait 20-30mins.

If NHS and care staff are not getting much accuracy I don't fancy the chances of a bunch of school kids being supervised by a teacher who has watched a video.

If it was an additional measure then maybe it's helpful but to substitute it for isolation just isn't reasonable at all.

Er, where was I nasty?