Twice weekly testing once back at school?

[Barbie222]

From the Guardian: thousands of lateral tests would be made available to children for home use once schools return. They don't specify the age of the children, but I'm interested in young primary: would parents be prepared to test young primary children twice a week in order to send them to school?

For context I'm a primary teacher happily participating in the scheme for myself, but this plan to test primary children at home was proposed before and rejected as the kits weren't licensed for home use.

I'd like to see young primary children back as soon as safely possible so I'd be willing to test my own child twice weekly in theory, but would it actually help?

www.theguardian.com/world/2021/feb/17/mass-tests-for-teachers-and-pupils-to-be-part-of-england-lockdown-easing-report-says

I think every little helps but I would worry some parents would overlook proper testing if anyone developed symptoms.

Are the lateral flow nasal tests like the PCR? I would happily take them twice a week as a parent - I think I might struggle to test my DC twice a week after the first couple of times tbh.

No i wouldnt.

Is this the same as the proposed plan before which then meant close contacts were able to attend school as long as they had the lateral flow test?

This makes me feel uneasy, as the lateral flow tests don't have the same levels of accuracy as the PCR.

Yes I would test if the school wanted me to. I would hope others would as well to keep schools open for as many as possible.

My DS has additional needs and no way would I test him twice weekly. We had to test him one before (negative) but it was horrific. This would cause him great distress

I'm in Scotland and it's senior phase pupils that will do lateral flow testing twice a week (S4-S6 - age 14/15ish +), not the younger aged secondary pupils or primary aged pupils. Plus all the teachers

It is voluntary

Absolutely not. I’d refuse.

I would but it should be compulsory as I know parents who hide symptoms and still send their kids in to spread their germs.

How would they police it?

It would depend.
As a previous poster has mentioned if it was to replace isolation of contacts then I wouldn't be keen on that idea.
And also as someone else pointed out that it doesn't replace PCR testing so again might have people disregarding symptoms.

On a whole though I would be happy to test my children twice weekly if it meant schools were safer meaning my children could attend again (haven't attended this year due to clinical vulnerability) and more likely to remain open.
Not the most pleasant thing and I would prefer an easier test such as a saliva test or something for young children but given we don't have that we would make do. Our eldest would probably struggle with it more than our youngest who has had so many medical procedures they didn't even flinch when they have had PCR tests to be admitted to hospital.

My older kids (10 and 8) wouldn't mind as they see me do it. No way in hell am I doing the 3 year old though 😂😬

My dd (12) has been testing weekly as shes been at school while I'm working. She doesn't seem to mind and its peace of mind for me.

I'm not sure I could test dd2 (8) as shes quite anxious about things and gets herself wound up worrying. However if they were done at school I think I would be ok with it as she would see friends having it done and it would become part of the day.

I’d struggle honestly as my kids are small and I think it would become a barrier
I’d do it perfectly happy - whatever it takes really for us to feel safer sending our kids in

I would happily test myself twice a week. I had to take DS4 for a test back in September though and I tried every trick in the book, including physically trying to hold him down, to get him to do the test and it was impossible. I’m not exaggerating, impossible. We ended up isolating instead. There’s just no way we’d be doing it.

I’m not saying it’s a bad idea I’m just saying that, for many families, it’s just not going to work.

I'm not happy at how inaccurate the result can be when the test is administered at home by someone unqualified. Amazed this has been authorised because of that fact.

What I'm not totally clear on is can you get false positives? Or just false negatives?

Once I return to school I will be doing the twice weekly lateral flow tests. My colleagues already are but I don't as I'm wfh at present.

I'd have no issues with the children using them too BUT not as an alternative to isolation for symptoms, positive cases or close contact to positive cases.

I'd also expect them to be dine at home, not in school, like staff ones are.

Used in addition as an extra level of protection - fine.

Used as a replacement for following the government advice for the country's self isolation, etc. - not fine

I’ve had to test my 8 year old twice and she just can’t stand the sensation up her nose of the swab. No matter how much I hold her, she’s quite strong and wiggles too much it’s just not possible, to do it twice a week would prob be worse than home schooling and that’s saying something!

This new guardian article on mask wearing in secondary schools outside classroom bubbles also includes a mention of the new testing programme being for secondary. Apparently the first three tests would be done in school, followed by ongoing home testing.

www.theguardian.com/world/2021/feb/17/masks-compulsory-for-englands-secondary-school-pupils?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

I'd give it a go but I'm not sure my DS would be happy tbh

I'd be happy to try and I'd explain the importance of it etc to my children.

DH self tested everyday at work and whilst an individual test, administered by a layman has a lower accuracy level on a workforce / school wide level repeated testing will lower risk.

I would.
I work in a provision attached to a secondary school. We are testing students - who have permission once a week and staff are tested twice a week.
It’s less than a minute of discomfort and has made a massive difference in my setting.
My dc are at school atm anyway, but I would definitely test them at home twice a week if it helped get everyone else back too.

And this is why the virus will spread.

People will opt out of safety precautions.

My kids are 5 & 7 there’s no way I’m subjecting them to any test unless they actually have symptoms and even then with my eldest I’m not sure I would physically be able to do it if he kicked off. I don’t think for primary it’s a good or even viable idea.

There is another article now which seems to suggest this will be limited to secondary pupils.

Our school has been advertising for testers for £10 an hour.... I don’t think they’ve had many applications so far!