Are we unusual?

[MattDillonsEyebrows]

Are we unusual in that the four of us in our family have never done either a lateral flow or PCR test?

We are a family of four, me, DH, DD5 (just finished reception)& DD4 (just going into reception after the summer).

We had one period of isolation for DD5 before Christmas and DH had to isolate last year when a work colleague tested positive but at the time, the advice was just to isolate, no need to test.

Since then, we’ve had no symptoms no school, (DD5 continued school during lockdown 3), nursery or work bubbles burst, and no pings on the app. I don’t think we’ve been reckless, we are double jabbed, and wear masks but we’ve never had symptoms so never tested.

I feel we have been exceptionally lucky, but also, a part of me feels a bit weird because none of us have ever done a test and I’m wondering if if we are unusual or others are similar to us?

I’m just amazed you haven’t so much as had a cough or temperature with children that age.

That to me is quite amazing.

@ineedaholidaynow

I'm surprised the school newsletter at some point hasn't mentioned LFTs for parents *@MattDillonsEyebrows*

To be fair, it has been mentioned in my children’s schools newsletter but it is the tiniest box ever, right at the end of the newsletter, tucked away in a corner.

I wouldn’t be surprised if most parents at my children’s school miss it.

Plus there is a surprisingly large amount of parents that don’t bother opening any of the emails from the school and rely on the WhatsApp and Facebook groups for information.

No one in either of the groups I am part of have mentioned the testing.

I go to the office once or twice a week. Work have never encouraged us to take LFTs. I have had one PCR as a precaution when in contact with someone who had covid but I wasn’t asked to isolate (wearing masks). DH never done one. DC in reception never done a test, had plenty of colds but no coughs. No cases in his class, had to isolate once due to teacher catching it, but no parents or kids developed symptoms. DC aged 2 done one once due to a temp (teething). Both had snotty noses several times but not continuous coughs and other than the one temp, neither DC had a temp since last March (and longer!). I’m on the lookout for temps as well as older child has a history of febrile convulsions.

I test a couple of times a week (work in schools). Every time we visit people or one of the kids has a snotty nose I test them too. I’m a bit over cautious though. I don’t care about covid just don’t want to spend it and make everyone isolate.

No one I know has done an LFT as I'm in Ireland where we don't do them.

Pcr test yes...

I haven’t done any tests. They aren’t given here for many things (not Uk).
Ds was born May 2020 and I wasn’t tested at all in hospital which I was surprised about but levels have always been far lower here.

Dh works from home, and most ‘places’ have only opened up in the last month here so haven’t really been anywhere. Now we are double vaccinated tests are given out even less as double vaccinated is entry to anywhere. Dh had one test beginning of the year as he wanted to go to the hairdressers (back when you had to test, you don’t anymore)

Testing here without symptoms has never been recommended.

We will have to fly soon back to uk and will no doubt have to have many tests in that time.

My sons had 1 test and dd has had none. Like you op, there's been no need too. No temp. Son had sniffles as the school reopened and I had to keep him off to test but it was negative. No bubbles burst and we've never needed to isolate.

I think we've just been very lucky.

Shame on your children’s school for not communicating the LFT for parents advice.

@covetingthepreciousthings

Have your children really gone for over a year with no bugs with temps or coughs? Especially a reception child, that's an amazing feat!

It's very lucky I think. I've not had a PCR but do LFT for work, the kids have done at least 4 PCRs over the course of the last year.

LFT only became widely available around new year's? We've also spent a lot of the last 16 months in lockdown (7 in total), so why test during that time if no one was going out? We have only just done our very first LFT last week.

I've tested ounce because I was asked to for a first aid course I was doing.
One of my children has tested a few times so that they could continue with their gigs and once when flattened with a heavy cold..

My husband and two other children haven't needed to do a test. I've never had symptoms that would warrant a test, not even the milder cold symptoms that they're now seeing

LFT rather than PCR tests, as we've never been eligible for those.

I’m the same, OP, but I’m in ROI and LFT hasn’t been encouraged for asymptomatic cases here.

People testing with an LFT when they have symptoms? Seriously? All this time into this and people don't know that an LFT is for asymptomatic testing and any Covid symptoms need a PCR? Selfish really.

We've just had a massive outbreak at school and I suspect this was part of the problem. Plus staff and families not doing regular LFTs.

I test several times a week because of the nature of my work. Is it enjoyable - no? Is it necessary - yes.

I don't suppose that you'll be the only parents of primary aged children who didn't follow the guidance on doing regular LTF tests, but I think this probably does put you in a bit of a minority.

None of us have done PCR tests because the need has never arisen, but we've done plenty of LTF tests between us.

Same here. DH and I are wfh, DD is in Year 1 and her class bubble only burst once (last autumn). She has not been ill over the school year - all that handwashing and sanitising has obviously worked! Neither of us has been ill either, so have not had symptoms that needed a test.

We have not met up with family / friends until after we’d all been vaccinated, so have not needed to do tests.

I was vaguely aware that the government was recommending twice-weekly testing, but thought it only applied to parents of secondary school children , and I don’t remember it being mentioned in letters from DD’s school.

Not unusual we are the same.

To add, none of the other parents in DD’s class have mentioned doing regular LFT tests either.

Why are people so smug though that they haven’t tested when they were meant to? How can people possibly have missed this? Did you completely miss the memo about symptomless spread?

No one in our household has had Covid symptoms.

But we've all done a PCR test (surge testing area just before Christmas) and do the regular LFT tests as secondary school children and parents of secondary school children.

I don't think it's particularly unusual not to have had symptoms but it is more rare not to do regular LFTs either as part of your job or because of being parents of school children. Plus lots of people now take LFTs before visiting older relatives/attending gatherings or events. The only people I know who've never done tests are older adults who live on their own or in a couple, WFH and don't go out much.

I know someone at school who has 5 kids (4 of them Primary aged and a toddler) and her DH works out of the house and none of them have had any kind of test.

The kids have had sniffles of course but nothing warranting a test.

We are a mixed bag. DP had had no tests, DC1 and DC3 have had one (both within past month so relatively recently). I've had one LFT to attend a school event. DC2 has had about 8... she is a cougher, bless her.

Similar here with kids 12 and 7, but I've done LF tests cause I've twice visited my mother in a care home. My DS 12 has done some for school too but only as a routine thing. So we haven't done any tests due to symptoms or contacts etc. None of us has had symptoms, our kids rarely get colds and no burst bubbles. We haven't been pinged either.

2 adults and 2 primary children here.
Only youngest DC has been tested. Once last year and once this year. The rest of us haven't had a temperate or cough or loss of taste so no need to test. Feel quite lucky as well to be honest!

Seems like an awful lot of primary school parents have disregarded the expectation to do twice weekly LTF tests then.

Wow that is amazing and you are located in the UK and not New Zealand etc? You have good fortune and fortitude given the potential amount of exposure. The personal risk mitigation and vaccination helps but still that is very excellent news particularly with close connections to mixing in schools and workplaces etc. There is a possibility that you may have inadvertently contracted the virus asymptomatically with a very very low viral load but without any noticeable changes?

We've never done one either. Family of 7, never downloaded the app, refused consent for secondary aged child to do lfts and never tested any symptomatic children.