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.

@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.

Were they doing them daily or one off?

I can see the argument for twice weekly testing of staff (screening?) as we've recently had a case picked up asymptomatically via the London survey plus possible transmission (who knows though?!) and you'd hope staff understand the potential issues not to trust it as an "all clear" test, but the rest was batshit.

@Icequeen01

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

Sorry to hear you're poorly and there's lots of cases.

So many Sen schools have suffered. We feel our school community is very vulnerable to this being fully open. But understand why. We wish we could use rotas and timetables so we aren't all wiped out at once like this.

I'm not even convinced using them for screening is great - we had a case last week where a teacher tested negative on Monday with a lateral flow test, then her husband tested positive on Wednesday with PCR. She got PCR tested on Thursday and was positive. Now, to be fair to the lateral flow tests, she have caught the virus after she was tested on Monday, but she definitely delayed getting tested because of the negative lateral flow test and had close contacts with other staff on Tuesday who now have to isolate because "she knew she was negative".

My concern is that teenagers who have tested "negative" would be more irresponsible and socialise more, increasing the spread. And teenagers/ pre teens are probably less likely to do the test properly as is bloody unpleasant! I'm not sure I could have made myself do it properly at 11!

I do think screening is better than nothing, but only if it is clearly explained to parents that children should still isolate and get a proper test as soon as they show symptoms.

No not ideal at all, hence people suing should not assume a negative means negative. But better than nothing.

We have been testing staff and students on site since last Tuesday. Our HT had told parents right from the beginning that he would still require close contacts to isolate for 10 days. The email we send with a negative result reminds subjects about the poor accuracy of LFT. Given this, they do still feel useful, but it has been a huge amount of work to set up and mass testing will be a mammoth task in our very large school.

I don’t think even this government can override this

Was the plan to be that all secondary students return when testing was set up?

I'm so confused about where we are right now.

@TrashedWarrior the plan as it stands is 3 fold -

• test all students as a one off on return to school. This was supposed to happen after Xmas, haven't been told if that's still the plan for when schools eventually reopen
• test staff weekly

-test close contacts of a positive case every day in school for 7 days instead of sending them home to isolate. This is what the regulator objects to-as you can imagine this is stupidly risky with such an inaccurate test!

The point is that the LFTs may be slightly useful to pick up unsuspected cases.

So e.g. a weekly testing programme that tests everyone may pick up some extra positives - as long as those who test negative behave exactly as they would had they not been tested at all, with all current precautions scrupulously observed.

They may also be useful to test a wider population than might isolate e.g. if a school is sending home close contacts and there is a group of 'more distant wider contacts (e.g. if everyone in a class with a child who tests positive isolates, but those who e.g. were in the canteen at the same time has a LFT, or perhaps in schools where they are sending home the '2 metre' contacts only, it would be slightly less foolish to also LFT everyone else in the classroom over a period of time, which might also inform a change in policy).

It was always obvious that they should not be used instead of isolation, and I am glad that the Government should no longer be able to worm their way out of this (I had already written to my Conservative MP, who was sufficiently concerned to be consulting ministerial colleagues).

i don't think this is the end of the testing in schools plan, but it should only ever be used as a routine regular screen (with suitable information about what a negative means) or in addition to isolation.

Thanks Cant, but does that mean (if that goes ahead) that secondary are reopening and primary remaining shut?

Can't see either reopening!

Sorry to cantaloupe!

That does sound more reasonable cantkeep.

The end to self isolation was ridiculous.

As far as I can gather the regulator is also objecting to self administering by non trained speacialists and the altering of Innova's packaging and instructions.

@TrashedWarrior

Thanks Cant, but does that mean (if that goes ahead) that secondary are reopening and primary remaining shut?

Can't see either reopening!

Nah, both closed to Easter I reckon.

I was just thinking about what might be sensible, not what might actually happen!

"self administering by non trained specialists"
They mean the students administering their own tests.
Which brings us back to the question - Have they ever actually been in a school? A proper big secondary, not Eton.

My school says we are apparently being sent the tests next week to start testing at home the week after (primary.)

@TrashedWarrior

My school says we are apparently being sent the tests next week to start testing at home the week after (primary.)

hmmm. I think the regular testing thing is potentially on, just not the 'to get out of isolation' bit. It does make sense to trial the schools when not that many children in.

Yes sorry meant to add that's staff only. We are pretty much all in too as Sen. There's very little chance of us being able to test them.

This has just come up on another thread. The Govt denied the MHRA had refused to approve the tests instead of isolation of close contacts.

The MHRA have publicly confirmed that they have.

The govt are just lying about it now.

twitter.com/johndickenssw/status/1350095292121690112?s=21

@TrashedWarrior At our SEN school we had split into two teams with one on, one off which then swapped after a week (Those off did planning, paperwork etc). This was to try to preserve one team as much as possible so they could step in if someone from the other Team became ill. Sadly we had to swap out so many people since we returned on 4th Jan that 2/3 of us are now infected, hence the need to close 😢

Seems dfe taking no notice and ploughing ahead

schoolsweek.co.uk/dfe-says-mass-testing-in-schools-will-still-go-ahead-despite-fresh-concerns/

Today's email senior head still talks about testing in place of self isolating.

Absolutely shocking that the DfE are still planning on going ahead with this.

This is genuinely terrifying. It sin;t just terrifying in termsof the virus - but the potential destruction of trust by telling fat out lies about serious matters.

We are seeing Trumpian politics here and it is very worrying

Surely the Unions will not allow this?

I can't bear what this government is doing to Britain!

I sniff a u turn.