MHRA refuse to approve school testing plan

[HarveySchlumpfenburger]

www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/14/regulator-refuses-to-approve-mass-covid-testing-schools-in-england

I don’t think many people will be surprised about this. Turns out using inaccurate tests for a purpose they weren’t intended for and to replace self-isolation might not be a good idea.

I’m sure the government will find a way to carry on with this idiotic plan anyway.

Well, blow me down with a feather.

it's interesting but i'm intrigued by the timing given that secondary school testing was due to start last week I believe.
No surprise at all.
I do think there may be a use for these tests in some situations as they will "catch" some people with the virus that otherwise might not have known that they had it. But dodgy for school use IMO.

Yep. Using them to catch asymptomatic people who are not close contacts of known cases would be reasonable, even if it isn’t what the tests were designed for. It means you can identify more active cases and prevent spread better.

Using the way the government wanted to in schools was just mad.

@RafaIsTheKingOfClay

Yep. Using them to catch asymptomatic people who are not close contacts of known cases would be reasonable, even if it isn’t what the tests were designed for. It means you can identify more active cases and prevent spread better.

Using the way the government wanted to in schools was just mad.

Agree.

Especially as some won't give permission and you can't be sure how accurate the tests are for non symptomatic people anyway let alone a known contact who is more likely to have it.

Well done MHRA. Glad there are some grown ups in charge.

Heads are going to be pissed off at the time wasted setting up those labs. Maybe the original plans to screen kids before return will still go ahead.

About time someone said what a crazy and dangerous idea this is.

@noblegiraffe

Well done MHRA. Glad there are some grown ups in charge.

Heads are going to be pissed off at the time wasted setting up those labs. Maybe the original plans to screen kids before return will still go ahead.

Absolutely this @noblegiraffe.

My school hasn’t been able to set up the testing site but there is a school in our LEA who has - made the local paper and everything! I bet that Head is screaming now.

Oh and am also relieved it hasn’t been approved!

I’m so pleased that they have made it crystal clear why this was such a reckless idea. Why they didn’t say anything before secondary schools wasted time doing training and prep for it though, I have no idea?!

Fine to use them as an added check, but to replace them with self isolation of positive cases was just crackers.

I wonder what Boris will do with the massive box of tests they bought (off Dominic) now?!

This is an excellent outcome. I emailed my MP as i was so worried about the change in policy and contacts not isolating, so I’m pleased this isn’t going to happen.

Thanks for sharing this. I felt really uncomfortable about doing this. I also felt uncomfortable about refusing to do it, in case this was frowned upon by management.

Does this mean schools must stop?

I only received my invitation letter this morning!

I’m not sure HipTight. You’d think so, but as a PP said, testing has already started in schools so they’d obviously already been using them before the MHRA decision.

@HipTightOnions

Does this mean schools must stop?

I only received my invitation letter this morning!

I think the non-approval applies to the daily use of the tests on pupils to avoid isolation, not normal screening of employees (which is allowed), so you may be supposed to carry on I suspect...

Nice to know that all those people who said criticising the tests was being overly negative or who were prepared to ignore the faults in order to tell themselves (and others) that re-opening the schools was safe will now have to think again.

The real scandal is how much the government has spent on these tests and the time and money wasted by the schools. Yet again the only winners are the companies supplying the tests and PPE.

No shit Sherlock.

Very glad someone (other than Mumsnet) has noticed this was a stupid idea.

It's a good job secondary schools didn't go back on 4th / 11th Jan as planned with this in place, really.

I think they would be useful for known contacts who are isolating
Provided they know to still isolate
As then the whole family isolate. Then they all test and you test their contacts
Testing people attending events of thousands would be useful. Say football etc.

I do think testng for schools but you cant stop isolation when it picks up so few.
Saliva tests of groups of whole school or classes etc.

Screening wouldn't be the worst idea.
But replacing isolation really was.

I thought it was a good idea to test periodically to help drive down cases

To replace self isolation was crazy thought

This is a big relief.

Another fine mess the pm nearly got us into.

My sons school (its a sen school and has most pupils in still) has been testing teachers once a week which I think is a good idea.
Might not catch all infections but Is better then nothing.
But I agree with it being stupidly to use instead of isolating way to risky if there is a known positive in close contact, maybe ok to use before students came back after Christmas though (which obviously not happing now).

What a good job that was stopped before schools wasted hours of staff time setting up a testing regime instead of focussing on education.

Oh hang on....

Will they just come up with some bullshit and make schools do it anyway though? I wouldn't put it past them! This was always a terrible idea which would lead to more spread not less

Very glad to see this.

Abolishing SI and replacing with testing was a disaster waiting to happen

We had an email a week or two ago from our school saying the local authority had chosen not to participate, because of the inaccuracy and isolating being safer. I was quite relieved.