Positive parent, would you send kids to school?

[pinacoloda]

DH has tested positive for covid. I have no symptoms and LFs all negative (I’m double jabbed).
2 primary age DC have no symptoms and negative LFs.
I know by government guidelines they are allowed to go to school and legally should be going to school.
It just feels wrong to send them in though!
I also have to work in the daytime and DH is feeling very poorly so not really able to watch them.
I wish the guidelines were whole house isolate still :( it’s a rubbish situation to be stuck in.

This is the reality and ironically you may be able to keep them more separate if they go to school

You are now supposed to send them in, it's what the government wants.

Fyi my dd has it, I've been told to work

Yep. But here we need a negative PCR before going in, not just lateral flow.

For close contacts of a confirmed (PCR) test, for under 18.5 year olds and double vaccinated adults post two weeks from second jab, the advice is to get a PCR test, but if no symptoms, they don’t have to isolate whilst waiting for the results, IF no symptoms.

People do different things depending on their situations/finances/ability to self isolate everyone without penalty.

Yes technically by the government guidelines I need to still go to work and the DC still need to go to school, only DH needs to isolate.

I’m fine going to work as I am double-jabbed, no symptoms and negative LFs so it’s likely I may not get it. Work is also distanced with PPE, most workmates double jabbed. A

I don’t see how on earth 2 unvaccinated children who have been in close proximity to DH for days will manage to avoid it though! We’ve missed the boat for keeping them apart, we have all been in the car together for a long trip the day he started feeling poorly, live in a small house together etc

Sorry, lots of repeats in that post!

Re PCR tests I don’t drive so the only way to get them would be for DH to drive us to test centre but he is isolating

@pinacoloda they may do! I tested positive the day after being a in car with my son (started symptoms that evening). As soon as I felt ill, I isolated completely. Touch wood no one has got it in my house over 9 days later but I have been incredibly strict about isolating since I first got ill. (And am lucky that I have a partner who has been able to WFH and look after kids).

You are allowed to drive to test centre if isolating, but appreciate if he’s positive sharing a car isn’t a good idea. You can also do postal tests?

I also sent my kids to school. I got my husband to do regular LFTs on them and himself (even though I didn’t have to) and literally didn’t leave my room.

Get test sent out

If imagine by the time test is sent, completed, sent back and processed it will be quite a few days anyway?

It's quite fast do you have a "NHS protiry" post box near you

You might be alright-we were all four together in a very small caravan for the first two days of my symptoms-at the time it was ‘just a cold’-and, although I kept separate from them after we got home and realised it was covid, no one else got it.

I suppose we may be alright but it’s the not knowing for sure and sending them to school...
I don’t know, even though it’s the guidelines it just seems irresponsible! :/

In your position, I'd order postal pcr tests for everyone and all isolate until the results came back.

But you're not following the guidance as you're not having PCRs.
Either drive to a local testing site (as a PP has said, you can break isolation to do this) or send away for them.
How does your DH know he has Covid if he hasn't PCR'd?

Postal PCR tests for everyone.

As far as school is concerned the kids may be showing symptoms so you wouldn't want them to go in until tested. As a parent I would thank you for this approach.

No.
Two parents I know tested positive sent their primary and secondary child into school. Lft every day. Lft are shite. A week later, my primary now has 4 cases in that class and the secondary over 15 as the child in question travelled on a minibus. All children who sat next to the child in the secondary form room and bus have subsequently tested positive.

I currently have siblings of a positive child and parents in my class. I am not getting too close, in as far as that is possible.

Is your dh jabbed out of interest?

DH did a LF upon arrival to work which was positive so drove to a test centre for a PCR test on way home which has come back positive

He is double-jabbed but there has been less than 3 weeks since the last jab unfortunately. I had my second jab a while ago so well past the 3 week point.

We would test and isolate for the 10 days. DH's work still requires that regardless of vaccination status.

Personally, I would isolate and get the children PCR tests, even if they are sent to you.

I'd be really interested to know how people would feel if their child's teacher came to school with their household all positive.
Would you want to be informed of that? And if so, what would you do with the information?

I am not at all happy with this rule change, the government are stupid.

Why the fuck are we talking about bloody mitigations we need soon whilst allowing kids to take it in to school

If I test positive, I do not feel comfortable senidng my child in to school to infect others.

Government messages are so confused at the moment!