To Covid test at secondary school or not

[HandlebarLadyTash]

Secondary school has just emailed confirming weekly testing I'm not sure if it should be done or if we should just go with it. Child doesn't seem to mind either way

A. Yes, helps the school stay in control of covid cases and is the responsible thing to do when part of a close knit community

B. No, one less child for the overworked staff to test, the school test is not deemed a positive COVID diagnosis (a positive test at school means child has to undertake an 'official test' )

I'm sure there are loads of reasons that cover Yes/No so am seeking other peoples reasoning to help

A

School staff will want as many children tested as possible in case they’re asymptomatic and positive. They won’t be pleased about one opting out in the way you’ve suggested.

Definitely A. Important, though, to understand that these tests miss a significant number of cases, so even with a negative result, pupils must continue with social distancing etc.

@PurpleDaisies that's worth knowing. The email is very factual and dosent offer any sort of guidance

Is it with the lateral flow tests with a possible 3% accuracy rate?

How much time out of the classroom will be spent administering these tests?

Will it be used to replace isolation of close contacts?

I want to know more about it before I will give permission for my child to have the test.

If A was in anyway the truth is be pushing mine to the front of the queue, as it is the current plan is more likely to increase the risk of spread.

@noblegiraffe theres no information regarding how long they will take (I dont think they know, staff are to be trained the day before the phased return to school starts)

I’m school staff. The lateral flow tests are so inaccurate that there is very little point in having it done-you are as likely to get a negative response when you are positive. That’s the LF testing at the beginning of school/weekly or whatever they decide to do. It’s a fairly pointless and time consuming exercise which may well lead to a real false sense of security, but that’s one strand of the testing.

To give consent for the other strand, which is LF testing at school daily, if your child has been identified as a close contact of a positive test. This is completely reckless. They should be at home self-isolating-like they would be asked to in every other sector in the country.

I will not be giving my consent for this. My DC will be self-isolating at home if they found to be close contacts of positive cases.

Letter says Fast Flow CV19 test

That's the shitty lateral flow tests that they had to cancel rolling out to testing centres over Christmas because they're too inaccurate.

Basically the government had a shedload of shonky tests on their hands and decided to offload them onto schools. They don't work for asymptomatic testing.

As a teacher, I have refused consent. I do not consider it the job of school staff to be testing and putting themselves in harm’s way. I do not agree that children should be in school as identified close contacts of known cases when the testing is, at best, 50% effective. It inevitably means symptomatic children will be in school which means more and more spread.

I also have concerns about the use of volunteers without DBS checks who will need to be supervised by school staff. And we have been explicitly told to reduce the number of outsiders in schools as well. In the event testing goes wrong and a child is harmed, who is insured? This has not been clarified.

So my children will do their isolation at home when required.

A.
Testing asymptomatic children who are not confirmed contacts can only be a thing. Even if the tests are not 100% accurate they will find infections that would otherwise go undetected. I know the LF tests are not 100% accurate but to suggest they are only 3% accurate is a bit disingenuous.

This BMJ report suggests that the tests were 70% effective when there was a high viral load (so most infectious) and 50% effective with a low viral load.

They are definitely NOT a reasonable substitute for isolating known contacts.

So in short if the tests were good then do it
But the tests are not accurate so it's a time wasting exercise for all involved
I'm googling the test now
I just want the child in school learning (as safe as possible)

I’m a teacher and I will not be consenting to my son having daily or weekly Covid testing at school...unless I know exactly how it will be carried out; who will be carrying out the tests and what their background is.

I am absolutely ready to seek legal advice if someone were to injure my child during testing and I will not be having anything to do with testing other people’s children myself.

Gahh - this is not helping lol

Can only be a good thing.
They will miss some but equally they will find some infectious DC who would otherwise be spreading it around.

My DC is a teacher and will certainly be taking the tests.

@HandlebarLadyTash look at the link I posted above from the British Medical Journal.

Can only be a good thing

Do you think it’s a ‘good thing’ to replace self isolation of close contacts of positive cases?

I am happy with one off testing at the start of term. Yes, it sounds like there are big accuracy problems but it might help a bit.

I am not happy with daily testing to replace isolation.

Lateral flow tests are a useful way of identifying infections. Even if they only pick up 50% of cases, then that is significantly and helpfully reducing transmission risk in schools. They identify about 50% of asymptomatic cases and around 70% where there is a high viral load.

I will consent for mine. We took part in mass testing trials in November and it certainly helped fish quite a few asymptomatic people out.

I would rather close contacts isolate though.

Older students will be quite capable of administering the tests themselves. It’s not a particularly invasive procedure and will just make them sneeze a bit.

@Annebronte

My 15 year old son was unable to carry out the test on himself, despite a few tries.

Tests absolutely should not replace isolation though.