Why aren't people pcr testing?

[Acer82]

Spoken to two friends with dc in my child's year last few days. One child has had a temp, sore throat etc...and they have just been doing lft tests, the other child was off last week with a cold and bad cough and I said did they have a pcr and they said no, we just kept isn't the lfts. My dc from the same year has been off today, woke up with sore throat, achy, cold but no temp/cough/loss of taste/smell. I'm probably thinking ill get him a pcr anyway. I don't understand why people aren't getting the pcr tests especially when they have a cough and temp? Have people just given up on them?

It's bad enough doing lfts on myself, let alone a PCR on a small child. After the absolute ball ache I've had over the last week of trying to get PCR results, I won't bother again.

4 year old woke up coughing in Tuesday morning. Kept her off school and did the PCR that I had in the house, with unbelievable difficulty and a lot of tears. Posted and delivered the same day. Waited until Sunday, four days off school and still no results. Rung to chase the results up. Told there was a 40 minute queue to get through to the test centre and the call handler wasn't allowed to stay on hold for more than 15 minutes . No amount of arguing worked, so no choice but to phone back later.
Second phone call and was left on hold for 25 minutes before speaking to someone who told me the results were negative. Asked for confirmation to be told they don't do text or emails and the only confirmation I could have was a letter in the post.
If I'd have known all this bullshit from the start, I would never have bothered with a PCR and would have trusted the lfts that were taken while we were waiting. I'd have sent her back to school after a day or so.

I should imagine people are bored getting their kids tested repeatedly for a virus that isn’t going to do them much harm and probably not themselves either if they’ve been vaccinated.

Coupled with a lack of fuel, time off work and lengthy drives to test centres I should imagine people just simply can’t be arsed anymore.

We've done PCR's throughout and many of them, it's easier on our teenagers who are used to testing twice a week anyway.

But it's always felt like ripping off a plaster to test. We won't get paid more than ssp for time off, or have to use annual leave. Isolating is a nightmare. We can't work from home.

Now isolating isn't necessary if one of us tests positive so it's easier. But, one positive test triggers off all of us doing a PCR to get back to work safely. Again the possibility of more unpaid time off.

We haven't done this, but we could take an LFT and test positive and no-one is any the wiser, nothing is in the system. No track and trace but we could take our own precautions.

A colleague phoned me today, coughed constantly for about 15 minutes. I asked whether she had done a PCR test, and she said no, just daily LFTs. We work in healthcare and when I suggested she needed to get tested before coming back to work she was really surprised! We’ve been doing this a long time now, I really don’t understand why it hasn’t sunk in yet.

It’s a worry OP.

I was due to have a home visit with someone until I heard them cough.
I stepped back & he said “but it’s not Covid, I did a LFT and it’s negative”

He’d been to his grandkids birthday party a few days before FGS.

I took a PCR last week and had to do one again today. Both times triggered by being a contact with someone who got a positive result from… a PCR test. Of course people are still testing – hence the daily case number stats – but given the lack of restrictions and the ballache of the testing, I can see why some don’t.

I've done three PCR tests since the start of September due to close contacts and one due to having a cough. All negative, as have been my many LFTs. I'm beginning to think I must have immunity atm. I'm feed up of doing them, tbh.

My recent COVID started as a sore throat and runny nose.

I'm basically housebound so ordered pcr to home, did the test, and courier collected.

Results less than 12 hours later which I was very impressed by

But I can understand why people are reluctant to test given the lack of financial and other support.

Doesn't affect me as I'm disabled and on benefits as can't work but I well understand the concerns and difficulties others are facing.

This govt can't really moan about people not testing/spreading the virus if they refuse to support people to self isolate!

@secretllama

Can you honestly not guess why people wouldn't test if a positive result meant isolating? Really? I'm not condoning it but that's the reality. People will lateral flow knowing full well its less likely to pick up but its better than nothing and less hassle than going to a test center.

Yep we can’t afford any more time off work after having to do tests on DC every time she catches a cold at nursery as she gets a cough with it. We will now only test if nursery make us, so if she gets a temperature at the weekend we won’t test her. We can’t keep taking time off work for something that likely won’t affect her, we’ll lose our jobs.

People don't want to have to isolate or tell their employers that they have to miss work for 10 days to stay home with their child who has tested positive. Their doesn't seem to be any plan to try to keep transmission at bay, rather just to let Covid circulate freely. I doubt there will be any changes from the government unless there is a rise in the death rate.

There

Daughter tested posted yesterday. Was advised by her primary school to order a PCR test as several people in her class had tested positive. Hugely shocked when hers came back positive! Her only symptom is a bunged up nose in the morning. Literally nothing else and there are loads of kids in school with colds and coughs! Wish they’d sent out the email a couple days earlier, she wouldn’t have given it to anyone.
My partner is terrified of getting any symptoms despite being double vaccinated because he’s on probation period at a new work place. We really cannot afford to lose his job, we’d lose everything. That’s a pretty strong argument against testing unfortunately.

@Overthebow

Lost three jobs now combined because of repeated isolations due to covid. Now I’m being asked to PCR my asymptomatic child, and then PCR him AGAIN after 5-7 days due to cases in the class. They have also requested we do LFTs DAILY on him. I mean on what planet is that okay for a year one child who hasn’t even got any symptoms. And I don’t even care that he could potentially have it asymptomatically. Not even one little bit. Requesting my child is tested daily is ridiculous, and I do wonder when this mass hysteria will ever stop.

The school mums who PCR at the drop of a hat at my kids schools are the ones who don’t work.

I feel your pain OP.

People are getting complacent and also burying their heads in the sand. My DD’s class is full of children hacking away with dreadful, and I mean dreadful, coughs! They even look really ill but their mums say it’s just a cold! How the f**ck do they know?!!

There are some really nasty bugs doing the rounds at the moment as well as Covid but surely if your child has one of the main symptoms you get a PCR or keep them at home.

@Bunn5

I feel your pain OP.

People are getting complacent and also burying their heads in the sand. My DD’s class is full of children hacking away with dreadful, and I mean dreadful, coughs! They even look really ill but their mums say it’s just a cold! How the f**ck do they know?!!

There are some really nasty bugs doing the rounds at the moment as well as Covid but surely if your child has one of the main symptoms you get a PCR or keep them at home.

I've heard that so many times. It's just a cold because they have a snotty nose??

I'm talking about senior school children so not little ones.

Me and teenage dd have sore throats and cold head. We've only done LF (each) as she says it's going through her school and everyone's been testing but it's not covid. If one of us starts coughing or feels worse we will go for pcr but I'm pretty sure it's just a cold. Main effect on me has been to make me vile grumpy at work which is not ideal!

There are roughly the same number of PCR tests being conducted now as 6 months ago so your experience does not reflect the national data

I wouldn’t mind testing my symptomatic child with a PCR and I would be embarrassed to send him in with a hacking cough, but requesting two PCRs and daily LFTs in the space of one week for a well child is quite frankly taking the piss.

It will cause nothing but resistance for when people really genuinely need to test their kids.

I have 2 young primary children,1 only just started. Both have had tests if symptomatic. We had tests just a couple of weeks ago (negative)

Family member has sent her much older child to stay with grandparents (ECV) as the child had a bad cold, and so the mum could continue at work. All assumed child had been tested. Nope, only tested today. Child (teenager) has been in contact with both GP's, aunts, unckes, and young cousins who've all been at school and work. Madness.

I can't work from home, which means taking time off work whenever I take a PCR test. Luckily, DH can stay at home if it is the children who are isolating, but I'm reaching the stage where I feel my employers would look askance were I to take a couple of days off work every three weeks during cold season.

People are getting complacent and also burying their heads in the sand. My DD’s class is full of children hacking away with dreadful, and I mean dreadful, coughs! They even look really ill but their mums say it’s just a cold! How the fck do they know?!!

I suppose they may have tested them. My son had an awful cough about 8 weeks ago that lasted for a month, went away for a couple of weeks and now its back. It sounds awful. He’s done lots of LFTs and 4 PCRs but all negative. He said all his friends seem to have been coughing for as long but they’re all negative too. I haven’t had a cough or cold in years but have now come down with it along with the rest of our household. We’ve all took PCRs and we’re negative, so it is just a cold I suppose.

But i can order a pcr if I should - but it's literally just a sore throat and a woozy head? (Plus the grumps). So no covid symptoms
Last time dd did a pcr it came back inconclusive

@batmanladybird

Funnily I have just come on here. I am not clear on guidance any more Have 4 dc One has sore throat and headache And temp What am i meant to be doing?

@batmanladybird order your ill DC a PCR test (go online & book a postal PCR or arrange to go to test centre) then ill DC should remain isolating at home until result back, even if feel better. (most results back quickly now)

Your other DC can go to school as normal.

but it's literally just a sore throat and a woozy head? (Plus the grumps). So no covid symptoms

These ARE Covid symptoms. Sniffles, sore throat, woozy head, etc all now acknowledged as Covid symptoms.