Confusion over testing and isolation, school rules

[Jeni1206]

Hi all, any info on the following will help. DS started showing symptoms 10 days ago (cold with a bit of a cough too). Hates being tested so we chose to just isolate instead (he was on school holidays anyway so we've just chilled at home). By day 7 he was so bored that he agreed to an LFT and was negative. Same the following day. So I'm assuming he was either positive and had stopped showing by day 7, or he was negative whole time.

He is due back to school tomorrow but is still coughing a bit. His school have a policy that if there is a cough, he must have a PCR. However his symptoms started so long ago, I'm not sure he is eligible for one now anyway? Can I explain that we have isolated over the school break, and he is now testing negative on LFT's? Or can they demand a PCR even if it way past when the symptoms started? I'm very confused, and needless to say wish we had just been braver and made him do the PCR at the beginning!

You'll probably find that schools will change their stance quite a bit after tomo's announcements. I'd send him back to school as normal and ignore the fact he has a bit of a cough (provided it is no more than that).

Send him into school. If cough is queried, tell then it started 10 days and you isolated during half term, it's not a new cough if it started 10 days ago. Honestly, so many kids have coughs, I wouldn't worry!

DS has developed a bit of a cough since Thursday night, he's on half term this coming week. He's not long had covid so not sure if it is covid or not (I know you can get it again) but we are planning to just chill or go to quiet open spaces (live rurally) for a run around rather than putting him through testing again - he is petrified of tests!

Schools can’t insist on pcr it’s in the gov guidelines to schools

Thanks so much all. He really wants to go in, and is fine in himself now (just the mild cough). But the school is so strict aboout PCR's, showing results (even though I don't think they are meant to even ask), I wanted to get some other opinions before they no doubt question me in depth tomorrow!

If his cough started ten days ago then they should accept him back, especially as testing negative on LFT now.

Just tell them he was pos on day 0 and he's negative now on day 5/6 or whatever it is

Literally same boat op! Dd had a cold from last Saturday, still has a minor cough now, we tested her several times just to be sure but we stayed home anyway. We are sending her to school with the hope she doesn’t cough too much and I won’t get them calling me. She’s always had a cough with a cold since she was 2, She’s had 8 days off already before Christmas and in October thanks to coughs because the school insisted on pcrs and we had to wait ages for the results.