School bubble burst..but should it have?

[McFarts]

Little confused about why my DS is off school self isolating.

We received a text Sunday teatime informing us that there had been a positive LTF test in my sons bubble and they were all to self isolate until the results of the PCR test came back.

Yesterday morning we got a text confirming that the PCR was also postive and he needed to isolate for 10 days from the 24th March. This is where im confused, i take that to mean that the person who has tested positive hasnt been in school since the 24th, now if thats the case then my son cant have been a close contact within 48 hours of the positive test, am i right? All this is still so blooming confusing!!

Is it possible that they now realise the child was showing some symptoms on 24th, and they previously wrote it off as a cold or something similar

It's contact within 48hrs of symptoms starting, not of a positive test. But if they had symptoms they should have gone straight to a PCR test anyway, LFTs are for asymptomatic people? Then again, it's possible that people with symptoms are doing LFTs if they have them at home.

He has been in contact with others in the bubble who could have picked it up and been asymptomatic on Friday, I think?

If the child concerned developed symptoms on Friday 26th - then they should isolate contacts from 48 hours before the onset of symptoms - i.e. the 24th.

So Im guessing that the lateral flow was positive on weds 24th...2 days after that the PCR was positive. I think the issue is do they go from the date of the lateral flow or the PCR. If its PCR and your son was also in school on the 24th then they would need to isolate. Its confusing at the best of times.

@Mugginyouleftrightandcentre

It's contact within 48hrs of symptoms starting, not of a positive test. But if they had symptoms they should have gone straight to a PCR test anyway, LFTs are for asymptomatic people? Then again, it's possible that people with symptoms are doing LFTs if they have them at home.

This cant be right - bubbles are closing based on positive LFT finding asymptomatic cases!

All sounds like they have followed the rules to me. 24th March would be day 1 of symptoms starting.

It's entirely possible that the child had no symptoms and took a LFT on morning of 26th. LFT positive and child develops symptoms later on 26th. So school isolate contacts going back as far as the 24th - 48 hours before symptoms.

Was your child in school on 22nd-24th? If the school was advised late, or if early symptoms were missed, then it still runs to Saturday. Either way, it's only just over 3 more days so not the end of the world.

This is a secondary school and all staff and children who have consented are LTF testing at home twice a week, the days we have been asked to test is Sunday and Wednesday, so i am assuming this LTF was a routine twice weekly test.

@McFarts

This is a secondary school and all staff and children who have consented are LTF testing at home twice a week, the days we have been asked to test is Sunday and Wednesday, so i am assuming this LTF was a routine twice weekly test.

Possibly a positive on LFT on Sunday 28th.

But symptoms on Friday 26th would trigger isolation of contacts from 48 hours previously (24th).

Of course a child with symptoms should not be doing an LFT - but we know from postings on this forum - that many parents are carrying out LFTs on children with symptoms.

@MRex

Was your child in school on 22nd-24th? If the school was advised late, or if early symptoms were missed, then it still runs to Saturday. Either way, it's only just over 3 more days so not the end of the world.

Yes he was in school all last week, but im assuming the LTF was an asymptomatic test as this is a secondary school and all staff and students who have consented are testing twice weekly at home.

No its not the end of the world, but this is a special school my son has severe learning difficulties and doesnt understand why he cant go to school, so whilst its only 3 days .....its going to be a VERY long 3 days.

When was the LFT test? Was your child in contact in the 48 hours before it?
If they've burst the whole bubble then not much you can do about it tbh

After the 3 days are you not just about at the easter break too?

@dementedpixie

When was the LFT test? Was your child in contact in the 48 hours before it? If they've burst the whole bubble then not much you can do about it tbh

Im assuming the LTF test was done on Sunday the same day school text to say the bubble had burst.

Im also assuming that the person wasnt in school from the 24th, for whatever reason, we're assuming its a child, but it could just as easily be a member of staff who only works part time. As mentioned its a special school, there is 4 members of staff for each class of 10.

Yes they break up on Thursday. Im not complaining in anyway that he has to isolate, i would much sooner it had been this week than next week when his siblings will also be at home, im just confused by it, thats all.

It is a sensible approach. We had one positive lateral flow at our school late last week. By the next Friday it had turned into 15 positive tests. We fortunately had sent the whole year home to await the PCR result of the first one and several more lateral flow happened over the weekend so the bubble was closed. Clearly the damage had already been done (or they were all having sleep overs regardless). It shows how it can spread...quickly.

I’m fed up with my DD’s bubble bursting.
Sent home again today for the 4th time since August!
Not including the “proper” lockdowns.
Pool kid’s not getting much of an education & she’s only 5!

If he had no symptoms then the isolation period is for 10 days from the date of his first positive test. The people who have to isolate are the people who were in close contact (or the bubble) in the 48 hours prior to the positive test.
So in this case I would assume that he took the test on 24th and tested positive, therefore any of the bubble who were in school on 22nd or 23rd have to isolate until 10 days after 24th.

I've just realised we don't know who the person was taking the test. I've said "he" but I mean the person taking the test!

@FelicityPike

I’m fed up with my DD’s bubble bursting. Sent home again today for the 4th time since August! Not including the “proper” lockdowns. Pool kid’s not getting much of an education & she’s only 5!

Better than lots of people spreading it and getting sick, it may not be too bad for children but most staff and parents are vaccinated and those that are are likely to have only had one dose so far.

They probably had symptoms starting on the Friday that weren't any of the three you're meant to test for so it wasn't thought to be covid until the LFT was positive.

I actually think it's quite likely that someone somewhere has done a little bit of deliberate "confusing" of dates to minimise the isolation period.

e.g. asymptomatic test on sunday, suddenly saying that child had coughed once on Friday so symptom date is back dated and everyone is then only isolating a few days rather than 10 from sunday.

Oh I know @IceCreamAndCandyfloss but I’m allowed a moan!
My DD, DH & I had the virus just after Christmas, it’s awful.
But it’s always her class! I just feel bad for them. Not that she minds of course...

It could be that the person had other symptoms eg tummy upset, sore throat, runny nose which we all know could be covid but wouldn't trigger a test in themselves because they aren't the top three.
Then if it is picked up by an LFT, they go back to the first of all the symptoms, not just the top three. We've had cases where we have had pupils in school all week with a sore throat and runny nose (but no temp, cough or loss of smell) and have realised at LFT that they have been in school, symptomatic and spreading covid for days. It's a contact tracing nightmare but unless the government updates the symptoms list for triggering self isolation and test, it will keep happening. It could well be what has happened here.