Is anyone planning on refusing to allow their children to have the lateral flow tests.

[Witchcraftandhokum]

I'm really not looking to start a bunfight. Just tying to better understand the reasons if you are not planning on allowing your child to be tested.

Yes mine will be getting tested. I’ve agreed, and we’ve discussed it.
There’s such a lot of selfishness and misinformation on this thread. People making decisions without even bothering to find out correct information.

1. The lateral flow tests will NOT replace isolating if there is a positive case in a bubble - this was scrapped by the govt
2. The tests are unlikely to give a false positive but may give a false negative - however they will still catch significant numbers of asymptomatic Covid carriers. 1 in 3 people are asymptomatic.
3. Those saying ‘I’ll wait until my child gets symptoms before testing’ - that’s too late, they’ll already have spread it around their class by then
4. The Lateral flow test is different to the PCR test and not that uncomfortable- I’ve had it done and it definitely didn’t make my eyes water (obviously if you have nasal issues that’s different)

I do find the idea of it being an ‘invasive medical procedure’ a bit melodramatic - we are humans, we have bodies that get ill and die, and these medical procedures are what keeps us alive.
So those who are refusing the tests as ‘dehumanising’ - on that basis I presume you never let your children have injections? Or take them to the dentist? Are my daughter’s braces to straighten her wonky teeth going to traumatise her for life? What about a smear test? Or DH having a prostrate test?
Teaching your children to be fearful of having a cotton bud up their nose is really not going to help them manage their medical procedures in the future. In fact, I would say that agreeing to these tests to reduce Covid transmission for the good of society as a whole is actually humanising, rather than dehumanising.

Also, don’t forget teenagers may have their own ideas about all this. At DSs school there was a group of students in a classroom but one refused to do the test, and some other students refused to sit in the same classroom as them. I have no idea how schools are going to manage this sort of situation.
Quite a few of the students at DSs school have lost parents, grandparents, relatives to Covid, or seen them hospitalised. They have experienced first hand the reality of this awful virus - they are willing to be tested to keep their families safe. I actually wonder if it’s going to be the parents making a bigger deal about this than the children.

I can't believe how selfish some parents are being.

By doing simple test and wearing masks your child can help prevent the illness or death of someone else's child or family member.

Presumably even if you don't consent most secondary aged children would be able to consent for themselves as with other medical procedures. So probably some of you are stressing over nothing as they will decide for themselves?

Our school are doing two lateral flow tests before kids go back and then it will be saliva tests twice a week. My kids are happy to do it.

Yes 16 year olds and over would probably be able to give their own consent

My school has emailed an the online form. It says as one of the questions does the child give consent. So even with young kids they want the child to agree too

All around the Wrekin

The problem with your post is that it’s very definite.

By wearing this or doing that, they CAN prevent the death of somebody else. Maybe even a child.

And to disagree is selfish.

Dont you think that’s rather a lot of guilt for a child? Where is the direct cause and effect? Because you suggest that by wearing a mask, they can save a life. That’s rather definite. It means, by definition, if they don’t, they can selfishly kill somebody.

I go back to my point - if children are screened, why are the masks required? If they are ditched after Easter, what’s different?

I can see why they need the masks, because all the children won't be screened.

It's ironic (and almost humorous) that the anti mask brigade who are refusing to test are the ones that are making the masks more necessary.

I bet there was even a conversation where someone legitimately asked 'But do we really need them masked if they're going to be tested' and then someone else completely accurately pointed out 'Yeah but the tests are only 48% effective (at best, when done by a professional) and there's a lot of selfish arseholes about who won't consent so we'd better get them to mask up too'.

I've talked to my son about it and he has declined for various reasons which I accept are valid. I am on our school PTA page and most of the parents are saying they've declined. Some are worried about false positive results because they are self employed.

@earthyfire

I've talked to my son about it and he has declined for various reasons which I accept are valid. I am on our school PTA page and most of the parents are saying they've declined. Some are worried about false positive results because they are self employed.

Very short sighted views. That may come back and bite people on the arse. If you want your kids to be isolating more often then that is the way to go about it.

Less cases in school means less virus running around the school and more chances of controlling it. Whatever people believe about the tests. They will catch a percentage of positive cases. So have there use.

You do know that if to many in a year group are isolating. PHE will tell the school to get the whole year group to go back online. And if to many year groups have to many cases. Then the whole school will be back to online learning for several weeks.

Apparently your PTA parents don't want the school to stay open because the only way their plan would work is for everyone in the school not to test 🤷‍♀️

The other reason for the testing is that it will help PHE monitor cases around the country and be more prepared if cases start rising in a particular area.

The lateral flow tests are good at detecting the most infectious cases (because of the high viral load in their nose and throat). I can’t believe people are so selfish that they would have their highly infectious child wandering around infecting others - friends, family members, school staff - rather than take a simple test.
I really want my children back in school, but if this many people are going to refuse the tests how are we going to do it safely?

I'm holding my head in my hands. How utterly, utterly selfish some of you are. You are part of the problem, not part of the solution.

Some of you must be really dim. Your DC could be next to someone whose parents are equally selfish and catch it off them, then bring it home to you. Are you so fit and healthy that you wouldn't be affected by Covid? What a blinkered view some of you have.

I think lining up children, to stick swabs up their noses is a dehumanising process.

I'm pretty sure my DC would rather have this up their nose than a dead or sick parent or friend.

Yes, my DC are having the tests and they are happy to do so with no fuss. Unless your DC has SEN, you should be agreeing to this.

@Wandamakestoast

Also, don’t forget teenagers may have their own ideas about all this. At DSs school there was a group of students in a classroom but one refused to do the test, and some other students refused to sit in the same classroom as them. I have no idea how schools are going to manage this sort of situation. Quite a few of the students at DSs school have lost parents, grandparents, relatives to Covid, or seen them hospitalised. They have experienced first hand the reality of this awful virus - they are willing to be tested to keep their families safe. I actually wonder if it’s going to be the parents making a bigger deal about this than the children.

I agree that is is a level of negativity towards teens.

Just the whole narrative.

They won't cope with masks.
They won't want to/be able to test.
Their whole futures are ruined.

I think the narrative was turned positive we'd see such different outcomes.

There will of course be a few who the above are relevant to. But it's a minority and those students should be supported individually in a case by case basis.

I like hearing how there is such a positive collective responsibility in teens and wish we heard more it it via the media etc

I am on our school PTA page and most of the parents are saying they've declined. Some are worried about false positive results because they are self employed.

Please reassure them that false positives are extremely unllikely.

False negatives, on the other hand...

I live in a country where all children wear masks all day at school and all over 12 require a weekly PCR ( nasal cotton swab) weekly. And there is literally no drama about it.

I have to wear a mask outside my home, in my car, everywhere unless sat to eat or at my socially distanced desk at work. I need to have a fully vaxxed certificate or a weekly PCR to attend work. Again no drama.

Why would you?

@ResIpsaLoquiturInterAlia

My child's central London primary school has already communicated the return to a whole reopening of school on Monday 8 March 2021 (subject to a decrease in local infections etc) as all 300 children and not just the current fifty supposedly vulnerable can return.

What do you mean by “supposedly” vulnerable?

My dd goes into school as a key worker child, I take her for an asymptomatic test every fortnight as we have centres in our country to do that. There is no drama, no fuss, she's accepted what she has to do to stay in school and stay safe. She's nearly 15 and will be testing twice a week when full school returns.

Ohdoleavemealone

What age are they planning to do this on?

I have had to test my 5 and 8 yr olds before and it is a painful expereince. My DS got so worked up he had a nosebleed. My dd 5 cried for ages afterwards. “

Surprised to read this. Our family are participants in the ONS study, one test each week for the first month, one per month thereafter.

None of us found it painful, just a bit uncomfortable for a few seconds.

Wouldn’t want parents thinking it’s “painful” when it really isn’t.

It’s really not painful! Certainly not to make a child cry for ages afterwards! If it was you’ve done it wrong.

People are unspeakably selfish. I understand there are valid reasons why children cannot have tests - I can see it's not going to be fun with my eldest who has ASD. Sunscreen is an issue enough. But although it seems like a logistical nightmare, if it can be done then it should be done. Unfortunately, it seems to me that the people who have no good reason for refusing and are being all aggro about it being "dehumanising" etc are the same people who use conspiracy theories to make themselves feel clever and whose self-esteem is so fragile that any request from "authority" is seen as an existential threat to their autonomy. It's an attitude they've probably passed on to their kids too. Anyone who has ever been in a classroom as a kid or teacher recognises the type. Grow the hell up. If you think a test is dehumanising, hope you never meet a ventilator.

@Pissedoff1234

I don't mind the kids having a test at all. Anything to make it safer. My concern is that the schools will no longer send home close contacts to isolate as IMO this makes it less safe which I know was the plan in January. If it's as well as isolating close contacts then it's a great idea.

Our school are still carrying on isolating in the same way as they were ore Christmas.

Though I'm not sure what choices state schools are allowed to make individually?

We won't consent;DH works with covid testing and the tests they are using in school (he enquired as to which they were using) and the accuracy rate is really low.

Also youngest has massive sensory issues (he has additional needs) and is prone to nosebleeds.

More importantly even if we as parents consent we cannot force our kids to take it if they don't want to as they are their bodies not ours.

Tests are voluntary at ours, although social distancing and mask wearing inside my classroom definitely won't be, if that's the best that I can do then that's what I'll do.