Asymptomatic testing, schools and childcare.

[DontWantTheRivalry]

I’m just having a pity moan really.

Where I live, schools have been back for 10 days and yesterday, my childminder text me in the morning, just before we were due to leave to drop my son off, to say her eldest son had a positive LFT and so she was having to close. Her son was completely well and asymptomatic and was only doing the LFT as per school policy.

Because she was so surprised she did a second LFT on him and that also came up positive.

She took him for a PCR test yesterday and she has said it’s likely they will have to close for ten days.

Yesterday we scrabbled around trying to sort out last minute childcare….but if she closes for 10 days I don’t know what me and DH will do. I guess we will each have to take time off work which I doubt our employers will be happy with.

I understand the logic behind asymptomatic testing and I know it has to be done….but God, ten days into schools going back and already we are in this situation.

My childminder has two secondary aged school children so if they are both being asymptomatically tested twice a week I doubt this is going to be the last temporary closure that happens….

I also feel so bad for the childminder because she knows the parents of her mindees (she has 7) are now up shit creek. Inside I bet she’s also dreading the fact that this may keep happening and the knock on effect it may have on her job…..I.e worrying if the parents will withdraw from her and use other childminders/nurseries because they need a childcare provider that isn’t likely to close every month for a few days (or longer).

It’s just a shitty situation for everyone

Well if the household has covid now they wont get it again for a while. So shouldnt keep happening

Her son almost certainly has covid. Two positive LFTs is pretty nailed on. This is exactly what asymptomatic testing is for.

Be annoyed that covid is circulating, not that kids who have it are isolating to avoid infecting others.

Would you rather your DC bought COVID home with them? If their DC have COVID they won’t be testing again for 90 days as the tests can keep showing positive

Presumably she’s closed because her son will be in the house where she would be looking after all the children? Would you really be happy with your children going there knowing a positive person is literally living there? This isn’t the same as a bubble closing where he was a “contact” because he ate in the same lunch hall. He actually has covid. I don’t understand where you’re coming from here.

The childminder doesn’t know how I’ll he will get yet and might be planning for looking after him, which she can’t do with seven kids in tow.

So you'd rather your DD brought it home with her, and you had to find someone to look after her when ill (that'll be as rare as hens' teeth)

Same 10 days for her required isolation, plus the possibility of a later-starting 10 days for you/DH if you caught it from her.

Is that what you'd prefer?

Also, once it's gone round the CMs household, they should be clear if it for a few months at least.

And the less of it in your local,secondary, the better, unless you really do want to be in a hotspot

This must be a reverse.

Do you... do you want your children to get Covid, and pass it to you? Asymptomatic doesn't mean they're not infectious - she's been very sensible to test.

I'm not sure what your complaint is. Yes, Covid is shit... welcome to the last 18 months.

Would you rather your DC bought COVID home with them?

Yeah….that’s exactly what I want.

I said I understand the need for it - I just said that the knock on effects may be difficult for a lot of people.

Mainly so because I don’t think employers will be as sympathetic towards the cause in the same way they may previously had been. I just can’t face the guilt trip I will inevitably get when I have to tell my boss I can’t come in for three days because my childminder has had to close. And my DH’s boss definitely won’t be understanding.

Who knows, one positive is that it may make the Government re-think vaccinating secondary school pupils. Or at least give parents the choice to do it.

The asymptomatic is irrelevant here really ... if the DC has Covid, then your childminder can't have other children in.
Not sure why this is any different to the childminder's own children (whatever age) having anything contagious - norovirus, chicken pox, D&V ...

The only potential difference is that if the LFT is a false negative then you've lost a day waiting for the PCR results.

It's a PITA OP and unfortunately it's going to be a problem for lots of working parents over the next few months. Cases will rise as a result of schools going back and the knock on effect will be disruption to parents and employers. That's the reality of the government's living with Covid (let everybody get Covid) plan.

But employers have children too, they'll understand. Or at least the reasonable ones will... there will have been plenty who haven't taken it seriously the whole way through.

Now close contacts don't have to isolate there will be far, far less disruption (it's madness, but whatever). At least you've got it out of the way early.

@Covidworries

Well if the household has covid now they wont get it again for a while. So shouldnt keep happening

Daughter had COVID in April, son came home with symptoms in June, we all got it, then other daughter passed it round at end of July. So that way of thinking is wrong.

But employers have children too, they'll understand.

Whether the employer has children or not is irrelevant. Plenty of arsehole bosses have kids. Plenty of nice ones don’t.

Whether the employer has children or not is irrelevant. Plenty of arsehole bosses have kids. Plenty of nice ones don’t.

Very true. My boss doesn’t have children and she’s vile about her staff needing time off for reasons related to childcare difficulties.

My husband’s boss does have children and he’s still been an arse about it.

My boss asked me if I could guarantee it would only be ten days her provision would be closed for and I had to say no. I said if if his PCR is positive and then someone else in the household starts developing symptoms a few days before the son’s 10 day isolation is up, then it could be another 10 days on top of that too to cover further isolation.

She asked if that meant I could potentially need time off for the upcoming 3+ weeks and I said yes. She was not happy!!

I’m waiting to hear from my childminder about the PCR results but in my heart I know it’s going to come back positive. I really can’t face that phone call with my boss

@DontWantTheRivalry

Would you rather your DC bought COVID home with them?

Yeah….that’s exactly what I want.

I said I understand the need for it - I just said that the knock on effects may be difficult for a lot of people.

Mainly so because I don’t think employers will be as sympathetic towards the cause in the same way they may previously had been. I just can’t face the guilt trip I will inevitably get when I have to tell my boss I can’t come in for three days because my childminder has had to close. And my DH’s boss definitely won’t be understanding.

Who knows, one positive is that it may make the Government re-think vaccinating secondary school pupils. Or at least give parents the choice to do it.

It's rife in my kids primary school too - 3 days back and one of my DD has covid

It's rife in my kids primary school too - 3 days back and one of my DD has covid

I genuinely worry what the next 6 months hold for school children. They’ve missed so much already and I fear the coming year isn’t going to be much better for them.