Send kids to school with positive household member or not?

[MissSkate]

I'm interested to know if others have sent their kids to school if a member of their household has tested positive for covid19 or kept them off? I know guidance is to send them in. I kept mine off even after negative pcr's as it feels wrong to send them in especially as they could still be asymptomatic

Yes I sent mine in when I was positive. I feel that the benefit of being in school far outweighs the risk of Covid. Vaccines have made it broadly a mild illness so no reason to keep them off

DS’s school have asked that any DC who has a family member test positive must isolate at home for 5 days and on return to school take LFT tests each day for 5 days. Seems a sensible approach as there have been a few tar group ‘outbreaks’

Year group NOT tar group!

DC also need to take a PCR test before returning to school after the 5 days at home.

My ILs all tested positive but for one child, primary age. They got in bother from this child's school for not sending him in. They asked school how they're meant to get time to school as both adults isolating and he wasn't old enough to walk the mile to the bus stop alone. It seems you're damned if you do send them and damned if you don't. I never understood why siblings could go to school if someone in one of their bubbles tested positive last year.

I'm in Cumbria. All schools in this county have advised that children with a positive case in the household (so any household member, not just siblings) need to stay at home and isolate until day 5, take a test, and if negative, return to school.

I can see both sides to it. On the one hand, Covid is bad, we all know that. On the other hand, experts are moving more and more towards the view that we are all going to get it eventually, probably multiple times, and this just feels like delaying the inevitable.

Plus, if, for example, DH were to test positive, then DC could not go to school, but under "the rules" I could take them to the cinema, soft play, bowling, shopping, museums etc., or any other crowded space you can think of.

An acquaintance of ours sent their DD in when their DS tested positive, then their DS in when he tested positive (dad) then both kids on once mum tested positive.

We have kept dc2 at home following dc1 testing positive.

Our school are supportive of that - every case in school has so far come from children attending with Covid positive household members, then passing it on.

We intend to pcr again on day 5 and send dc2 back into school next week if that is negative.

Meanwhile I’m working as a teacher - luckily my head is very supportive & as long as dh & I share the time off is happy to continue to pay me while dc are having to isolate. I do feel awkward for the families of the children I teach though; they have no idea I’ve got Covid positive dc at home.

Well all of my family are positive because the kid that sits next to DD at school went in (has a positive sibling). I think if they go in they should be doing regular tests at the very least.

@Datsandcogs

No. I know that they should go in.

I had a PCR and was waiting for the results, had I sent my child in then I would have had to break the law to go and get her from school, no backup so I would have to have gone.

My school insisting on DC going in despite us still isolating, they have had Covid ahead of us. It's very complicated as not many friends want to take your kids that have just had Covid from your germ house to school.

The problem as I see it is that if you commit to keeping your children at home each time there’s a positive case in the household they could be off school for weeks or even months without being ill. And then repeat in 6 months or who knows when!
They have already missed so much and I don’t think they should miss any more unless they’re actually ill.
We were in this situation and we were surprised that everyone around us seemed to think they should go in as per the guidance. We sent them in with daily lateral flows and PCRs when we had a positive lateral flow (me, then DD).

Cheshire East have informed us that family members need to isolate with a confirmed case within the household. Children are not to return to school for 'at least' 5 days and only then with a negative PCR

I mean I get what you're saying but depending on how many children there are surely it's likely to be everyone catching it at once, then a period of immunity? As in if they actually have COVID not a bug that seems to be and requires testing to rule out COVID? And then once they've had it they will be naturally immune for a period

Yup. Still sending in here.

Two weeks ago 32 of my daughters year group of 40 got a positive lft. A good 75% of them had siblings continue into school. Some teachers got ill. Back in a week. Some parents ill. Perked up after a week. Started in year 6 and got to year 3 last week.

Funny that with half term next week and lots of holidays booked the appetite for lft's has dramatically reduced. So has the number of kids off school.

Mine will go in every day they can. If we haven't hit herd immunity as a school and parent body by now we're scuppered anyway!!

I work in a school and am the only person who has tested negative (LFT and PCR) in my house. The others are vaccinated or too young to have had them. I’m having to go into school. It feels like it’s just a matter of time before I get it too although I’m hoping to be lucky!

It's probably an unpopular opinion but when I get it from people sending their children in while they have positive family members, then I will not be doing as some teachers are and working while at home sick. Even if I'm not that ill.
It's expecting too much.
Myself and my family have avoided it so far - and if my self employed dh gets it, we are screwed financially.
I love teaching, I love the children, but my goodwill has totally run out for this bloody government and their stupid policies and rules.

@TiddleTaddleTat It’s tricky isn’t it. In my case, I caught it and then 10 days later my daughter had a positive lft, no symptoms. She’s now got 4 days to go. My son is negative daily as is my husband. I don’t know if/when they will catch it or have already had it in some form given all the previous cases in my son’s year. But if he’d isolated with me from the start he’d have now missed nearly two weeks of school and for all we know could have antibodies anyway. Maybe he gave it to me?! And if my husband were to catch it at some point that would be another 10 days off school… so it’s not just all isolate together for 10 days and you’re done!

@DunderMifflinSalesRep

I'm in Cumbria. All schools in this county have advised that children with a positive case in the household (so any household member, not just siblings) need to stay at home and isolate until day 5, take a test, and if negative, return to school.

I can see both sides to it. On the one hand, Covid is bad, we all know that. On the other hand, experts are moving more and more towards the view that we are all going to get it eventually, probably multiple times, and this just feels like delaying the inevitable.

Plus, if, for example, DH were to test positive, then DC could not go to school, but under "the rules" I could take them to the cinema, soft play, bowling, shopping, museums etc., or any other crowded space you can think of.

Yes, same where I live as of this week.

The letter from the local authority was dreadful, it doesn't explain whether these
5 days absences are authorised given it isn't national policy. It also doesn't say what would happen if the sibling had recently had Covid so is unlikely to be infected again so soon and can't get a PCR for release on day 5 as they are within 90 days of a previous infection.

My eldest DS tested positive (PCR) on Tuesday - two youngest DCs had PCRs on the Wednesday - both came back negative early Thursday. I delayed telling the school and said they wouldn’t be in on the Friday as eldest had tested positive. Neither school queried it so I assume they were happy with the decision. Pulled them out of clubs etc for those days and the weekend. Plan was to wait 5 days and if still clear send them in on Monday. Had positive LFT on Sunday and positive PCRs on the Monday. We went against guidance but were in a position to be able to do so - DH and I can both work from home quite easily. I think the guidance re children is daft - I can understand it but it’s going to rip through schools who are now having to reintroduce restrictions such as masks etc. I also feel for teachers who will be on the frontline for this. Schools are starting to struggle to staff classes and have enough staff in to be safe let alone teach. Agency staff to cover are very hard to find at the moment.

DH and I had it a few weeks ago. The two sons loving at home never got it
My youngest is school age. His first PCR never came back at all. We sent both boys to do PCR again as eldest (23 online Uni) kept coughing. Negative tests.
So youngest (16) went back to school - it’s his Higher year and online school doesn’t seem to be available. Neither boy got COVID

But I agree - this makes no sense.

I actually don’t think the virus makes much sense the way it behaves either. Mild or severe illness/ one or two in a household- but not everyone. It’s so unpredictable.

I would recommend not to send them in and for adults not to go into a place of work.

My DC got a positive on Monday morning, I sent my other DC to school Monday and Tuesday as her PCR was neg. By Wed she was positive.

I really didn't want to send her, but our school are very strict on attendance and an absence of that many days would not have been acceptable just for precaution.

My 2 eldest go to senior school.
Think least 50 cases in year 11 loads off.
Our school not been vaccinated yet.

The highest age group of infection after kids and young people is 30 to 55.
Which is suspect are parents and teachers.
Young people are not a isolated group and senior school travel on packed public buses with members of general public many no longer wearing masks.
Loads senior school teachers off.
No admittance from the head that any staff have covid only vague sentences some kids in some years .
I'm assuming majority of teaching staff are double vaxxwd which means they caught covid and are missing 10days.
Some may have had covid previously and be 2nd infection.
It will create chaos as do many supply teachers yesterday no one turned up teach science.

Lack of any safety measures in school masks in class/ bubbles/ slow to vaccinate $ sending in kids from postive households has all led to education being disrupted for so many mine is year 11 im fuming.
Parents getting ill and missing work so being financially worse off.
Short staff in all areas as imagine a few parents work as teachers or NHS roles.
So letting it rip in young people has all sorts of consequences.

No.

And I think schools/ government are being absolutely ridiculous requiring it. It's completely counter-intuitive to stopping the spread of Covid.

I would just say they had symptoms and keep them off.

Is everyone informing the schools then? Are you sure every positive test is contacting the school office, I am not so sure. It is likely there are loads of children going into school from positive households and not spreading Covid and no one knows about it as it is perfectly legal. There has to come a point where we stop isolating healthy people who may have Covid and I think it is now.

I don't agree that children with positive family members should be in school. Thankfully both my children are to young to be left by themselves or walk to school so Im able to keep them off if one/ or myself test positive in the future but if my children was older and expected to be left alone or walk to school then I'd send them in as its likey I'd be fined.

I cannot believe we've spent the past year and half with all the rules to this 🙄