Really confused about new isolation rules

[eyeslikebutterflies]

Hello. Have kids. Have isolated A LOT. School rules used to be: someone at school gets covid, the bubble isolates. Your isolating child stays home but everyone else in the house goes about their business, unless child gets sick, any which point they get a PCR and everyone isolates until the results are known.

NOW school has changed policy. The bubble has burst. Child isolates, but also has to go for a PCR test. My OTHER child's school (i.e not the child isolating) says that if anyone is having a PCR test within the family, EVERYONE has to stay home until the results come in. But my isolating child has no symptoms, isn't a close contact ... and every fecking time this happens doesn't have covid. If we all have to isolate, then my other child misses out on yet more school (for no reason) and husband and I have even more of a work nightmare than we already have.

Does anyone know if this is right? Or can we take the isolating (but with NO symptoms) child for a PCR and we go about our business as usual unless results come back positive? As that's what used to happen, except we didn't need a PCR test for isolating child?

Before anyone jumps on me for not knowing: the rules have changed but without any discussion or explanation from either school. We are absolutely done in: this is happening every other week at the moment and if we all have to start isolating as well we will lose our jobs, never mind our minds. Any clarity would be much appreciated.

I think many councils are encouraging contacts to get PCRs (option being something like "my local council have asked me to". I don't see why you should isolate the rest of the family though awaiting the results.

I think this is possibly due to the rise in cases and transmissibility of the Delta variant. Head at DCs school says cases are spreading in schools far worse than previously. Symptoms are also not as listed on NHS website our schools have advised testing for anything from summer cold/ hayfever type stuff, headache, sore throat, temperature, sickness in fact anything. I think maybe its guidance rather than a legal requirement so up to you.

As far as I am aware it’s still a case of the household only has to isolate while waiting for a PCR results because someone is symptomatic.

It’s quite a recent thing really that you can get a PCR for being a contact. For the longest time the only reason most people can get them is for symptoms.

I always thought same as you, it was just the close contact who had to isolate. Everyone else carries on with their life unless the one isolating develops symptoms. Then everyone in the house isolates. I think maybe because before you could only get tested IF you have symptoms. The advice was anyone who had symptoms and needed a pcr their household had to isolate until negative. But now you can get pcr if your a close contact with no symptoms. If negative they still need to isolate but the household shouldn’t need to.

I think you isolate if someone has symptoms pending a pcr test. So if they have a pcr test for other reasons the household doesn’t need to isolate. There are reasons people have to have pcr tests when they don’t have symptoms Eg I had a pcr test a couple of days before my caesarean and they gave that to me at my pre op appointment. My family did not need to isolate for that.

If your child is having a pcr test due to close contact but no symptoms then the rest of you don’t need to isolate.

Our council are now advising when bubble bursts that all members of the household of all get a PCR test. So whole class bubble and household to get a PCR test.

I've had conducting advice today on whether household members have to isolate whilst they wait for the results. So infuriating as most want to follow the rules but when they keep changing them and not informing people clearly, it's very hard to do so. The conflicting advice was from the council, school and the testing centre. A mess.

Enforcing such stupid rules are just going to prompt less people to test as the situation you describe is just completely untenable. So for example your DC gets sent home to isolate and you decide against getting the PCR and just let them isolate alone instead. School can't make you PCR test dc as a close contact they cant make you PCR for symptoms either tbh but thats a whole different issue

No, it’s just the contact that isolates. If you’re getting asymptomatic PCR tests, you don’t need to isolate until you get results (unless obviously you’re isolating as a contact).

Thanks everyone, and also for not making me feel stupid! It's so confusing. I can't keep everyone isolating as it's completely unsustainable: my DD has only been back in school 4 days since her last period of isolation. It is such a chaotic mess: it has never been this bad in schools (which is making me wonder what on earth the government is thinking about the 19th ... it seems to be spreading like wildfire in schools, and so if it then goes like that in work places, no one will be able to work!).

Thank you. I will get her PCR'd but not isolate the rest of the household. She has no symptoms, a negative LFT, we will LFT again tomorrow morning etc. Argh!

@eyeslikebutterflies
These are the latest guidelines from our local Public Health Department in the area I teach in.

Thanks @ladypenelope68. We've been told only the child has to get a PCR, so there seems to be no consistency in messaging. But thank you for posting as it's helpful to know about how the rest of the household is expected to behave.

My OTHER child's school (i.e not the child isolating) says that if anyone is having a PCR test within the family, EVERYONE has to stay home until the results come in.

They can ask, but that's all they can do. They cannot enforce this. If you want to send your other child in, you're at liberty to do so unless and until your other child or any other close contact tests positive.

@eyeslikebutterflies

Sorry, I wasn’t clear. It is only the child who needs PCR, that top bit refers to our area where we’ve got ridiculously high rates so the are advising asymptomatic people to get PCR’s as well. It was the isolating but I was posting for you.

@eyeslikebutterflies

I’m a teacher and I’m currently isolating after a child tested positive, but I and the other children don’t need to test unless we get symptoms. I’ve got to isolate, but the rest of my household don’t - unless I test positive obviously or they get symptoms themselves.