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Original poster

Burst Bubble Already

85 replies

GinJeanie · 10/03/2021 00:00

Posting for reassurance really. I work in a school and we've lost a class/bubble today (on Day 2) due to a positive case. Is this really unusual?
I blinking hope so as wasn't expecting it to happen THIS early. It was a LF test so praying it's down to unreliability. We're obviously all hoping the PCR is negative and they might be able to come back. Not worried about myself (had vaccine) - just desperately don't want to see our poor kids' education disrupted any more. Also, it's a special school so especially hard on the families too... 😕

OP posts:
GreenSlide · 10/03/2021 04:48

Aw it's the luck of the draw OP. A school near me has had a class isolate as they've had a positive PCR test in before 9am yesterday. Figure that one out?!

WaverleyPirate · 10/03/2021 05:26

Same. Three quarters of a class sent home and a positive case.

On day 2!

Twixmas · 10/03/2021 05:33

This won't be unusual, I've no idea why there's this perception things are back to normal. Hope the bubble's back soon x

Orchidflower1 · 10/03/2021 06:29

My understanding that getting false positives is very rare with the LFT so I’d brace yourself for a positive pcr test.

My health visitor friend said they work on the same principles as a pregnancy test- unlikely to get a false positive but occasionally can get a false negative.

manicinsomniac · 10/03/2021 06:54

I

Beaniecats · 10/03/2021 06:55

Poor kids. Feel so sorry for them

ChameleonClara · 10/03/2021 06:58

Don't feel it is surprising, I think there will be a lot of burst bubbles.

Many havd been hoping it has magically gone - but we have high circulating levels and things spread in schools.

manicinsomniac · 10/03/2021 06:58

I don't think the false positives are as rare as the true positives on LF tests.

Not looked into it in great detail but what I understood from the BBC was:
60-75% chance of picking up Covid (so could be lots of false negatives)
Tiny number of positive results coming through, of which about half are true positive and half are false positive.

Might have misunderstood that but, if it's true, it makes the tests pretty useless. Seems quite likely to send home healthy children and let positive ones slip through the net

LouLou198 · 10/03/2021 07:04

I think this is to be expected to be honest. I am preparing for this to happen for my primary age dc. During November & December I had at least 1 child at home due to isolation, dd 1 has now had to isolate twice.

ChameleonClara · 10/03/2021 07:06

The actual positives are linked to rates in schools so these will overtake false positives if the virus spreads.

The tests are pretty dodgy but the false positive rate is not the biggest concern, it is the missed cases combined with overconfidence that worried me.

MonsterKidz · 10/03/2021 07:09

False positives on lateral flow is approx 1 in 1000.

DrMadelineMaxwell · 10/03/2021 07:10

We have 2 classes out on the 2nd week of the ks1 going back. Not lateral flow related.

But I can see it being a case of more bubbles popping not less, due to finally being able to pick up and isolate the asymptomatic cases that were likely to have been there all along but gone undetected previous to having the tests.
Eventually, picking up and isolating the asymptomatic should mean it lowers rates of transmission.

twinkletoesimnot · 10/03/2021 07:10

@ChameleonClara

Don't feel it is surprising, I think there will be a lot of burst bubbles.

Many havd been hoping it has magically gone - but we have high circulating levels and things spread in schools.

Agree.

And it's more likely that other positives are being missed as the tests are rubbish. It's horrible- it fees like you never know what is going to happen!

Violetlavenders · 10/03/2021 07:13

Looks like these lateral flow tests are not very accurate:

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/education/2021/mar/06/school-covid-tests-pupils-in-england-very-likely-to-get-false-positives

Original poster
GinJeanie · 10/03/2021 07:17

Thanks guys. I think I'm just horrified it's happened this soon. I just assumed cases would rise in the community amongst those not vaccinated yet and we'd see this in weeks to come. Not day 2! It sucks 😟. Thanks for the information about the tests - I am quite worried about their reliability but I guess it's all we have...

OP posts:
HolmeH · 10/03/2021 07:19

It’s not gone away- what did people expect?

What’s the alternative, no school until cases are 0? Unfortunately bubbles will burst & kids will miss some school. Nothing will change until it’s decided that we don’t need to isolate when some has COVID. God knows how long that’ll be 😩

IceCreamAndCandyfloss · 10/03/2021 07:20

Don’t feel it’s surprising either. The virus hasn’t gone and no children and few parents are vaccinated. People are still going to work, shopping etc and many aren’t following the rules and mixing so cases were bound to rise when mass gatherings happened .

Poundaminute · 10/03/2021 07:28

Virus levels are high - similar to October I think, so we are still in a pretty bad position and burst bubbles are sadly inevitable.

ChameleonClara · 10/03/2021 07:33

This is why we should have wait til after Easter - cases would have been way lower.

Johnson's pattern has never wavered: lock down too late, open too early. His choices have killed a lot of people.

CovidPostingName · 10/03/2021 07:36

The DfE minister said on Monday that children can't return even with s negative pcr though, so the child can't come back anyway. It's ludicrous.

Bicnod · 10/03/2021 07:43

@CovidPostingName

The DfE minister said on Monday that children can't return even with s negative pcr though, so the child can't come back anyway. It's ludicrous.
This is precisely why I've withdrawn consent for DS to be tested in school. We will test him at home and if he is positive will take him for a PCR test to confirm. There will be thousands of children missing even more school due to false positive lateral flow tests (even if then followed up by a negative PCR). It makes absolutely no sense whatsoever - the government has simply created a huge disincentive for parents to give consent for lateral flow tests to be done in school Confused
noblegiraffe · 10/03/2021 07:43

It depends on if the LFT was taken at school or at home.

If at school they have to isolate even with a negative PCR.

If at home they can come back if they have a negative PCR.

Original poster
GinJeanie · 10/03/2021 07:48

@noblegiraffe - thank you, that's useful to know. It was in school...

OP posts:
ChangingStates · 10/03/2021 08:01

@Bicnod also withdrew consent for my secondary child, having already given it, for this reason. Bizarre that track and trace allow a negative PCR after positive LFT to end isolation but this isn't the case in secondaries! I know 3 people who had positive lateral flows followed immediately by negative PCR so I don't think false positives are extremely rare. Will also home test and follow up if positive.
Sorry this has happened in the first week back op- not surprising but crap for you and the kids- back to remote learning, not fun.

Violetlavenders · 10/03/2021 08:03

If at school they have to isolate even with a negative PCR.

Why do they have to isolate rather than take a PCR test to check the accuracy of the result?

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