Children who don’t consent to a lateral flow test should be treated as positive and sent home

[user1471505494]

Schools now have much higher numbers attending than in the first lockdown. The lateral flow test was brought into schools to try and keep Staff and pupils as safe as possible.

If a parent or child refuses consent is absolutely their RIGHT to do so and I appreciate that there are many varied reasons for this. It should therefore be the RESPONSIBILITY of the schools to safeguard others and send the child home to self isolate.

@Comefromaway

No, lateral testing is still throat and nose.

I have now done 7 lateral tests. All have been nose.

@Comefromaway yes your right I just watched a video on the lateral testing.

The information we have been given by school is throat and nose.

Same at the school I work at - throat and nose. We will be using the Innova LFT.

One of my DC had Covid in November. I'm concerned that if he tests, it will still register as positive and he'll be penalised again (he's already missed 7 weeks of school last term due to SI there, and he's year 10) so I feel torn over consent.

Does anybody know if there are any guidines re those who've had the virus? I've heard some still test positive 180 days later.

@Schmoozer that’s what a nurse told me at work... this is the problem with medical things it needs to be done by medical staff. I must confess I didn’t know about the lateral testing and what it entailed till a colleague said.

publichealthmatters.blog.gov.uk/2020/12/08/lateral-flow-testing-new-rapid-tests-to-detect-covid-19/

There’s a short video clip so it states basically either or for nose and throat swob.

@SionnachRua

Yanbu. I feel the same way about anti-vaxxers tbh. Fine if you want to refuse it but you shouldn't be allowed into mainstream school.

On the vaccine point, it’s not the kids refusing, it’s the parents and I think it’s more important that those kids are in school getting a proper education rather than being home schooled by scientifically illiterate people who think the MMR causes autism (or whatever nonsense they might trot out).

(Obviously I am not talking about people medically unable to have vaccines)

Ds’s college piloted them before Christmas. They were nose and throat. Workplace ones may be nose only but the school ones are both. I don’t know why.

[quote MotherForker]@EveryDayIsADuvetDay oh fuck off. My ASD dd would twist herself in pieces over the test. She wouldn't be able to do it, but would also beat herself up about the fact that would want to be able to do it.

This isn't a choice that SEND children make. They physically cannot do it due to sensory stress.

But I'm used to this kids of disabilism on here now.[/quote]
Agree with you!

Incidentally out of the 2,500 staff and students they tested they found 6 positive cases.

That is such a hard one, I can totally understand some children will inevitably find having a test a non starter, but how can we protect all the children. An entire year group was sent home at DD’s school after a child had had the test and his parents still sent him in and he was positive. So is it any more fair for a whole class or year group to be denied their education? It’s a rock and a hard place situation and I don’t think there’s any real solution to make everyone happy.

@Meredithgrey1

I can’t believe people are advocating children with disabilities that make them unable to take a test being banned from education. What sort of country do you think this is.

This is the ignorance of many people. And they wonder why parents of children with disabilities/additional needs become 'arsey' You become very very 'oh do fuck off ' when you've had years of ignorant attitudes because it's the only way to stay sane

Isn't that the plan anyway op? I thought the lateral flow tests were for when there is a positive test in school so the bubble will test rather than isolate? If you refuse to test then isolation for 10 days instead.

Th lateral flow tests are completely useless. We had two come back negative when the person was actually positive.

@eeyore228 it is those parents that should face the full wrath of consequences. As well as any others deliberately putting their children in school whilst completely disregarding the rules. NOT children who can't tolerate the tests. My DD is substantially less risk to her school community than the kids of parents like you've described. They are the ones predominantly bringing ot into schools but the kids get to still access their education as they can test. Its not fair.

@lockdownconfused the issue with it is then that it will spread through the class and not immediately. Theoretically you could end up with a child doing back to back 10 day isolations. All it will take is for their first day back and someone else tests positive.

middleager the DfE said in their webinar that they would get to schools re testing someone who had already tested positive previously. And in the meantime "if in doubt, test".

I work in a school. I don't agree. I think testing should be voluntary. I am happy to get tested. Others are not.

While I can see the pros, I can also see the cons.

I would prefer students to take this pandemic more seriously than think a test absolves them of their responsibility to practise hands - face - space properly.

Thanks Fallen I worry he'll get sent back again while they decide. It's well known positive cases can test positive again. Our schools have had loads of cases (20% in his form) , so surprised this hasn't been addressed sooner.

Are they still doing this? I was due to lead on testing but it was cancelled when schools “shut”. Is it back on?

I was helping administer lateral flow tests yesterday in a secondary school. The kids were brilliant, including several autistic children- when we explained what was happening, gave them a mirror and counted down reassuringly they managed better than the adults. Of course that won’t be the case every time, but I was really impressed with them. The half an hour off lessons is a good incentive!

Given the supposed risk from kids being in school, I think it should be mandatory if they attend...despite the reliability being less than desired. But I am not getting to the point with this virus that we have to start riding over people's objections and do what we can to minimise infection and save lives. That means making it mandatory like in some other countries that all kids are vaccinated with all the normal childhood vaccines before they are allowed to attend school

marshmallowfluffy - the assumption is if you test positive at school it should then be followed up with a booked appointment to be tested again via the NHS. So at worst it would be a few days and if the results are the same at least you know it hasn’t been spread further.

But the lateral flow tests are not very accurate the published results from the Liverpool testing show sensitivity of 48 percent so that means of 100 people actually with covid 48 correctly test positive but 52 test negative that is worse than chance has just randomly guessing would result in getting it correct 50 percent of the time

@Copperblack

I was helping administer lateral flow tests yesterday in a secondary school. The kids were brilliant, including several autistic children- when we explained what was happening, gave them a mirror and counted down reassuringly they managed better than the adults. Of course that won’t be the case every time, but I was really impressed with them. The half an hour off lessons is a good incentive!

Do the high school kids do the swob themselves?