Parents of primary aged children - are you doing regular LFT’s?

[Shibees]

I’m a little unsure on what we are supposed to be doing as parents of a primary aged child.

School sent a letter regarding return to school with the usual info on drop off times, mask wearing etc and just a short sentence at the bottom saying that we are able to order LFT’s online.

No guidance or information on whether we have to do these. Other mums at the school are not doing them so I just wondered if others are?

Yes, DH and I have both been doing them twice a week. We live in a rural area with no near collection points so we order them online. It's easy and straightforward and feels the right thing to do.

I've never thought of doing them, our school has never even mentioned it to us

Yes have been testing every Thursday and Sunday. The school haven't sent any information home about it though

Gosh that's shocking Heartofglass. I thought all schools would have mentioned it. I have also had adverts on here and on facebook etc from the government saying all parents of school children are eligible to do this.

@Heartofglass12345 same here. Not mentioned on any of the newsletters in the run up to school returning or since. Plenty of info about staggered start times, what they can take in etc but nothing about tests. I can only assume barely anyone is doing it was we don't know about it. As far as I've been aware and what I've seen in the media its all been about secondary so would have no reason to test unless directed to by school.

I’m quite frankly disgusted by the amount of landfill that the tests are creating!

Nope.

The tests for parents are available to all parents and carers of schoolchildren. Primary and Secondary.

The message obviously hasn't been delivered well enough if mumsnetters aren't aware of it. It's secondary which is testing schoolchildren. But this is for parents.

Yes. DH can’t be bothered, dd1 is being given tests by her secondary school, so I’m testing twice a week as requested by dd2’s primary school.

That way, if either kid brings covid home to us, we’ve got a chance of spotting it, and stopping the chain of infection before it gets to the other school. DH and I are wfh, so it’ll only be from school.

We’ve had nothing from dds primary school alerting parents they are able to use regular LFTs either, so I think most parents are totally unaware they can do this.

Twice weekly since school has been back. Daughter has had her 3 at school and is now on home tests with us, son too young. We are lucky as have a pick up near husbands work and ordered a set on line. My husband is in for work everyday but I can work from hone if have to isolate and work are supportive of the tests. Yes they may miss some but we still take all the necessary precautions, both schools communicated it really well, secondary probably better than primary but primary have sent links and it’s on newsletters etc.

We are, and everyone I’ve spoken to about it with primary kids is doing so too. Quite surprised how many on here aren’t. Really don’t get the opinion of not doing to stop bubbles bursting, the whole point is to catch cases early to avoid that. No they’re not perfect, but most of our tools against COVID aren’t individually, combined they’re giving us a fighting chance though.

I have 3 at primary and honestly until opening this thread i had no idea it was even a thing. No one is talking about it among my school mum friends and there's been nothing from the school about it.

No, we had covid recently enough that it would likely cause a positive result. If we hadn’t my partner and I would test twice a week.

I have the tests but have only done one so far, both me and DH wfh and don’t go anywhere so was thinking 1x per week should be fine

Yes, twice a week. I'm also reporting the results, it's so easy given you can scan the barcode.

@Sirzy

Yes I’m doing two a week. If it helps keep schools open then it’s well worth it.

Ds is year 6 so he isn’t doing them regularly but we did do one last night when he spiked a temp.

You need to do a proper test too. LFT’s are for asymptomatic people.

There has definitely been a problem with communicating how and why these should be used. There have been loads of confused posts on the primary school Facebook page, about when to use them, who should use them, how to get them....it's a mess, with parents using them to test children with symptoms, parents testing children, parents thinking school provide them etc. School just forward messages from the government, without any clarification.....
.... it's a real lesson in why public health messaging needs to be clear and concise!

Our primary school has been very clear if you have symptoms you must isolate and go for a PCR test not use the LFT test.

Same with the secondary school of your child has symptoms you must go for a PCR test.

The LFT are trying to catch the asymptomatic cases.

I thought this was quite obvious and have read this information but we had a parent this week bringing their poorly child in saying the LFT said negative ....they even came in late as they waited for the full half hour ..sent home requested they go for a PCR test.

We both are although DH has been doing for a while for work.

On our welcome back letter from our head he very clearly said it was available and that the school would appreciate parents doing them, he gave links to the website where you can order them by post and listed the local collection site and times.

We are. My secondary aged child now brings tests home to use, I've been ordering tests online for the rest of us. I'm meant to be provided with tests from work (I'm a nursery nurse) but for whatever reason that hasn't happened.

@palacegirl77

Neither of mine are doing them. Until the over 70s have to do them to go to garden centre my children arent.

That makes absolutely no sense whatsoever though.

Most over 70s have had at least one vaccine.

Most garden centres have a few people milling about, not 30+ people sat shoulder to shoulder for prolonged periods of time in often poorly ventilated rooms.

Your comparison is a bit daft tbh.

A better comparison would be expecting 20-50 year olds needing to do them to return to open plan offices or work places where there are many people in one smallish area. And actually yes, they are also eligible to do the twice weekly LFTs in most cases.

@Gunpowder

I’m put off because of that comment from a minister that you have to isolate even if a positive on the LFT is followed by a negative on the PCR. I would be upset if the children have to miss more school for a false positive.

We are all on the Zoe app which asks us to do a PCR test for the merest sniffle these days. I have more faith in that TBH.

That's just for the first 3 at school.

You can apply for the ones for home and then all 'at home' LFTs need to be confirmed with a PCR. So most you'd have is a day of isolation waiting for the ocr result.

Currently over here in ni schools arent testing. If it is brought in i wont be testing.

First I’ve heard of it with primary schools? Teachers and school staff are testing twice a week but that’s it isn’t it? I do live in an area with barely any cases though!