Can I send DS2 to school on Monday?

[cottagegardenflower]

Told you don't have to test young children. He is 8. Older DS1 tested positive on Monday and faint positive today. DS8 tested negative on Thursday but had fever, snotty and cough so kept him off school. He cries when I test as it's so unpleasant. I tested positive today, fever, snotty. If older DS is negative I'll send him to school Monday but can I send younger DS Monday without testing again?

DH so far negative.

You aren't legally obligated to test so yes you can

Would only send DS2 if he is well and he is fine today.

Do you think it's safe @Lalosalamanca

Safe? That's debatable....let's imagine that your 8 year old the test he had on Thursday was a false negative because you didn't do the test effectively as he finds them so distressing....he has fever and cough on Thursday (symptomatic) so we could say this is day zero. Therefore if you were to follow public health advice he should isolate for three days (Friday Saturday sunday) therefore school on Monday as long as he is not with fever should be arguably "safe".

I think you should probably assume he has it and ignore the negative test.

PPs are correct that there’s no legal obligation here but I’d think carefully about the moral side of things. It’s the last week of term next week. There could be people with summer holiday plans that might be ruined if they get covid. If it was me I wouldn’t send him. But if you’re asking whether you “can”, then yes, you can. It’s whether you should. I’d be really pissed off if someone sent a covid positive child into my kid’s class on the last week of term.

DS was so distressed because I did the test properly and deep into nose and throat so I will do it again Sunday and see what it says. It should be clear by Tuesday as it's 5 days. I was thinking about others about to go on holiday but it's so rife it's almost inevitable people will get it.

The most recent tests are nose only and only 2cm into the nostril.

I would just keep him home. If it's COVID you wouldn't want to spread it and in any case he's obviously not well. It's going to be too hot for going to school feeling unwell.

It would be cruel to make him test again when there’s no benefit to him of knowing. If he’s well enough to go to school then he goes to school!

I wouldn't test him again either li thought current guidelines were to send them in if they are feeling fine after 3 days.

I’ve heard of people getting positive result from swabbing mucus from a tissue after they’ve blown their nose, could you maybe try this with him if he’s snotty?

Great ideas, thank you. Littlest is fine so is the big one, but the heat on monday might be a factor. Kind of hope school say don't send anyone, and take the decision away. Going to just swab nose as its the throat he hates. Me its the nose.

He probably does have Covid but as others have said he'll have done the 3 days anyway by Monday. However if he's not 100% I'll keep him off anyway.