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.

This was always a fucking stupid idea anyway.

Inaccurate tests and only to those children who should be SI as close contacts.

Why am l not suprised?

Can this government do one teeny tiny thing right? Just one?

@Cantaloupeisland

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

On kids?

Maybe if it was on teachers...but using medical devices in an unlicensed way on children is surely beyond even this government?

We’ve had an outbreak at school, all staff tested with lateral flow, all negative, within two days three members did PCR and were positive.

Our school has already set it up and has been testing staff and students. And got some positive cases.

So does that mean all the training and organisation was a waste of time? As staff we are testing once a week, which I think is quite good.

I think if they can be used to find asymptomatic cases and then send them home to isolate that's probably ok, but replacing isolation for close contacts is ridiculous, especially since those contacts will also then be ok to mix outside of school, go in shops etc.

We have started testing in our school. My HT had a negative test lateral flow test at school on Monday morning. She started coughing in the afternoon so did a PCR test and it came back positive. I did a test at school on Tuesday morning but when I heard my HT was positive I arranged for a PCR test - mine came back positive this morning!

@Icequeen01

We have started testing in our school. My HT had a negative test lateral flow test at school on Monday morning. She started coughing in the afternoon so did a PCR test and it came back positive. I did a test at school on Tuesday morning but when I heard my HT was positive I arranged for a PCR test - mine came back positive this morning!

There is nothing to say to this I'm so angry at Boris bloody Johnson!!!!

I know it's ridiculous. We've had to close our tiny SEN school as from tomorrow. Too many staff are sick now 😢

I hope everyone recovers well

They are only useful for community testing to pick up some asymptomatic cases. Although I do worry that some people, having got a negative lateral flow test might be then more prepared to flout the rules thinking that they're safe to do so when they're not. Or if they then develop symptoms not bother getting a PCR.

Didn't the BMJ find publish a study showing that they only picked up 3% of positive cases when used at Birmingham Uni?

But anyway, using them instead of isolation was an idea of such stupidity I just couldn't understand why there wasn't more of an uproar in the press/in Parliament about it. Labour could have had a field day with that but if they did say something about it I certainly wasn't aware of it, and never heard anyone criticising the idea on the morning news, for example. The BBC seemed to present it as a good thing.

The Daily Mail have criticised the mass school testing plan on accuracy grounds (but not necessarily the close contact thing).

This does feel like another of those things where it's completely bonkers but no one is talking about it (like lack of mitigation measures in schools!).

On the other hand we had a child who tested positive on the LFT and was asymptomatic, and also tested positive on PCR test afterwards.
If we hadn’t tested them they would have been carrying on as normal passing it to others.

I am a bit concerned the government will bypass this because they are so determined to use them.

It hasn't made any of the press beyond The Guardian has it?

Guess those pesky unions will have to get on to it.

Found this. Interesting to say the least

www.channel4.com/news/factcheck/factcheck-government-emails-cast-doubt-on-safety-of-school-testing-plan

Reading that it feels like schools are definitely being used as guinea pigs.

I don’t see this on bbc news at all? Why haven’t they mentioned it as it’s a pretty big deal.
Our testing is starting today. I’m all for regular testing to catch asymptomatic cases, I’ve been wanting them to bring that in since September and schools going back. But the thought of no isolation and just testing instead was the most ridiculous and dangerous idea ever.

They are talking about LFTs re travelling to France at the moment but that's it.

@Maladicta

We’ve had an outbreak at school, all staff tested with lateral flow, all negative, within two days three members did PCR and were positive.

This is exactly why they are not fit for purpose

The colleges at Cambridge are doing an interesting scheme (with PCR tests but it could apply to lateral flow).

They test a proportion of people in every flat every week. At least one person is rota-ed into swabbing and others can swab too if they want. The swabs are analysed together (so reducing the tests required). Any that have a positive result they then go back and retest the whole staircase. They also obviously do symptomatic testing and isolation on top.

It seemed to me like you could do this in school classes or bubbles?

This is why we really need the MHRA. I can't get my head round the sheer stupidity and wilful ignorance of this government. The only thing they have got right is the vaccination programme and that is because they allowed the scientists and experts to sort it out.

No bubbles in secondary...

Using them to replace isolation was going to be monumentally stupid and would almost certainly lead to deaths ( e.g. kid who should be isolating hugging granny).

@Squidsister

On the other hand we had a child who tested positive on the LFT and was asymptomatic, and also tested positive on PCR test afterwards. If we hadn’t tested them they would have been carrying on as normal passing it to others.

I think you’re missing part of the point here.

The LFTs are OK for screening as you describe, to sieve out some of the positive cases that would otherwise have gone undetected, provided everyone understands it’s only a crude screen.

The problems are:

1. Some (possibly many) positive cases will get through the sieve undetected. This doesn’t matter if everyone is still social distancing etc. but if they relax because they think they are negative it may lead to more transmission not less. I suspect that this is exactly what has led to the recent surge in cases in my area. The queues for LFTs were hours long in the few days before Christmas. If people took their (possibly false) negative results to mean they were safe to mingle over the holiday... well, need I explain?

1. The proposed use in schools to test the close contacts of known positive cases INSTEAD of self isolation is deranged. It’s crazy even if the tests were 100% accurate because it’s still shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted, but as we know up to 50% of cases will be undetected it’s a reckless and negligent approach. This is the use that the MHRA objects to.