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

I’ve been setting this all up at my school. Secondary age children will be doing these themselves at our school under instruction, takes a few seconds to do and 15-20 mins for result. Not as accurate, but a bit like a pregnancy tests, two lines is pretty much guaranteed to be a positive - should be confirmed with official test. Parent and child should both consent (and this can be withdrawn at any time). I’m going to let my child decide for himself if he wants to.

Absent any useful guidance from the government, DD's school is making plans to do the two tests Monday-Sunday next week (assuming enough people volunteer to help), with most kids returning the following Monday.

If it helps to identify a few asymptomatic kids/staff, I'd like to hope that it prevents an even greater number from getting sick. I am sure it will miss a few cases but surely it is better than nothing.

I was surprised to see how few tests were done at our local Unis - barely 10% of students.

What are the accuracy figures when self administered by a child? My understanding is that it won't be the adults doing the tests.

A - but only if it is used as mass surveillance that will find at least some of the asymptomatic cases which would otherwise be detected.

It's a recipe for disaster to use instead of SI for close contacts of confirmed cases. Because the unreliability is just too high:

www.bmj.com/content/371/bmj.m4469

it's less than 60% accurate when in hands of trained (non-HCP) people. And I've just been in another thread where sineine's linjed a survey which puts it even lower

They’ll probably swish them around the edge of the nostril and pretend they did it.

Anne you can't claim 70% for the tests if students are carrying them out themselves, sadly.

"A new kind of coronavirus test that is being widely used to screen people without symptoms had very low levels of accuracy at the University of Birmingham, UK, one of the few places where it was directly compared with a more accurate kind of test in a real-world setting.

Among Birmingham students, only 3.2 per cent of those infected with the virus were correctly given a positive result from the lateral flow tests being used there, according to preliminary data from the university."

www.newscientist.com/article/2263746-test-caught-just-3-per-cent-of-students-with-covid-19-at-uk-university

"The government has shelved plans to open rapid-turnaround coronavirus test centres across England over Christmas amid concerns from public health experts about the accuracy of their results, the Guardian has learned.

Ministers had planned to convert a number of existing testing sites into centres for lateral flow tests, which provide results in 30 minutes, to help cope with an anticipated surge in demand.

However, the scheme was halted last week after concerns were raised by directors of public health about the accuracy of the tests and the potential false reassurance given to people who test negative. A government source said the planned rollout “proved unnecessary”."

www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/22/plans-for-30-minute-covid-lateral-flow-tests-in-england-halted-over-accuracy-fears

Interesting question!
Iam a secondary teacher and just had an email from the Head outlining plans for next week (with the caveat that the gvt might make changes st any moment!
As only Y11and Y13 allowed in we will be testing those and school staff will be doing it -he is contacting those teachers -presumable HOY/middle managers etc as not me😀 and thereafter when the other years come back they will be using temp agency staff to do it. So at least in the first week there can be a test run on a smaller population.

It won't be next week. www.tes.com/news/exclusive-new-school-opening-delay-agreed-ministers

The lateral flow tests my doctor friend has to do every three days for work are just a short cotton bud style swab up the nostrils; much easier than the down your throat gag inducing sort. They’re pretty easy to do.

much easier than the down your throat gag inducing sort

All the info to schools from the govt says it's nose and throat swabs.

[quote noblegiraffe]"A new kind of coronavirus test that is being widely used to screen people without symptoms had very low levels of accuracy at the University of Birmingham, UK, one of the few places where it was directly compared with a more accurate kind of test in a real-world setting.

Among Birmingham students, only 3.2 per cent of those infected with the virus were correctly given a positive result from the lateral flow tests being used there, according to preliminary data from the university."

www.newscientist.com/article/2263746-test-caught-just-3-per-cent-of-students-with-covid-19-at-uk-university

"The government has shelved plans to open rapid-turnaround coronavirus test centres across England over Christmas amid concerns from public health experts about the accuracy of their results, the Guardian has learned.

Ministers had planned to convert a number of existing testing sites into centres for lateral flow tests, which provide results in 30 minutes, to help cope with an anticipated surge in demand.

However, the scheme was halted last week after concerns were raised by directors of public health about the accuracy of the tests and the potential false reassurance given to people who test negative. A government source said the planned rollout “proved unnecessary”."

www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/22/plans-for-30-minute-covid-lateral-flow-tests-in-england-halted-over-accuracy-fears[/quote]
That seems like a bit of an anomaly. I take them twice weekly and only swab my nose, not my throat, which makes it a lot easier and to tolerate.
@HandlebarLadyTash I agree with those who have said they would consent if it is being used as a screening tool, not as a replacement for isolating close contacts. Basically nothing is lost and possibly something is gained; it a child is asymptomatic, and they are not tested, you have no clue. If they are asymptomatic and have a lateral flow test, you have (probably) at least a 50% chance of finding out that they have covid, so be able to isolate etc.

That seems like a bit of an anomaly.

3% is a pretty fucking big anomaly in a real world testing scenario.

70% in a government lab tells us nothing.

'Good at finding those with a high viral load' is useless when they will be testing asymptomatic cases.

And getting kids to administer it - have you met Y9?

Why are we letting children down with substandard resources again? Why are parents saying 'well it's better than nothing'? Is the expectation that low?

Schools open at LITERALLY all costs.

@DBML

Schools open at LITERALLY all costs.

Except actual money.

Yep. Exactly.

@Annebronte

The lateral flow tests my doctor friend has to do every three days for work are just a short cotton bud style swab up the nostrils; much easier than the down your throat gag inducing sort. They’re pretty easy to do.

Super.

That’s not the tests that the government say will be used in schools though.

I am not anti testing, DS is taking part in the Imperial College random sample testing, and I am happy for him to have a test to go back to school (if administered properly and not putting a huge workload on school staff) but I am not happy for him to have an unreliable test instead of self isolating if he is a contact.

Thank you all for your input - the discussion continues. If it was me and I had to take it for work I would do it & just get on with the rest day

@HandlebarLadyTash

Thank you all for your input - the discussion continues. If it was me and I had to take it for work I would do it & just get on with the rest day

If you were at work and were identified as the close contact of a positive covid case, what would you do?

I would rather my kids study online than have them tested at school. If I can’t be present when they are tested, it will not happen. The teachers should not be made responsible for testing students.

If its optional, I wont consent for my DDs. The tests are so inaccurate they are useless and used to needlessly impose isolation.

Besides, there is no evidence that asymptomatic people can transmit covid.

If as reported it is just daily testing for close contact- I will/do not consent. It is reckless and so deeply disrespectful to school staff. My 13 year old will self isolate. I also think self isolating will be 100% better for my child's mental health than the worry & stress of daily testing.

@Letseatgrandma I can work from home so in that situation. I would have to get the second test (no car so that would involve walking to the test centre or sorting out a postal test) I assume whole family has to isolate until either I test clear or the isolation time is up. Kids off school, DH cant work at home - anarchy would rule in the Tash household. Total PITA

@Letseatgrandma

Can only be a good thing

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

If you read my post 1349 I said they are definitely NOT a reasonable substitute for isolating known contacts.

However compared with NO testing of asymptomatic children it seems like a good thing if cases are discovered that otherwise would not be?