Do you have questions about the return to school or regular COVID-19 testing? Ask GP Dr Amir Khan and principal Gerard Garvey

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With schools now open to all children, we know that many parents are feeling relieved to have their children back to school. However, you might still be feeling a bit unsure about the transition, what new and existing protective measures are being implemented (including regular rapid testing), or how teachers are helping children catch up following time away from the classroom. So, this week GP Dr Amir Khan and principal Gerard Garvey will be here on Mumsnet answering any questions you have about children's return to school.

Find out more about the experts below:

Dr Amir Khan is an NHS Doctor, GP, and best-selling author. Dr Amir is a frequent face on ‘Good Morning Britain’ and ‘Lorraine’ and will be able to offer his expert medical advice on any questions that you have as all children return to schools.

Gerard Garvey is the principal at Newcastle Sixth Form College. Gerard has first-hand experience of ensuring that schools are ready to welcome students back with additional COVID-19 measures so parents and pupils can feel at ease about face-to-face learning.

Here’s what Dr Amir Khan says: “It’s great to be seeing all children heading back to schools. Being in the classroom is so important, and children and young people continue to be at relatively low risk from COVID-19. It’s great to see new and existing measures in place at schools, to help protect both students and staff. New measures such as increased use of face coverings for all educational staff as well as secondary and college pupils and regular rapid COVID-19 testing are now available for secondary school and college pupils, education staff, and families and bubbles of all children.

Rapid lateral flow tests are essential in the fight against Covid-19. If you, your family or bubble test positive at home, then you should all self-isolate and the person who has tested positive should also take a confirmatory PCR test and follow latest government guidance. All these measures are there to ensure your child is safe at school because ultimately, it really is the best place for children to be, not just for their education but for their mental wellbeing and development too.”

Here’s what Gerard Garvey, says: “It’s been challenging for a lot of children, teachers and parents, particularly over the last few months, so it’s great our doors are open to all children once more, to see their smiling faces! The new and existing measures in place, will take the risk of Covid-19 down even further than it has been before. All students are our priority, and we want to reassure parents that we are keeping your children as safe as possible at school. Please ask us any questions you may have.”

From more information on testing for education staff, parents and support bubbles of nursery, school and college students, and what to do if you receive a positive result, to the rules on face coverings and what protective measures schools have put in place to welcome children back, Dr Amir and Gerard Garvey will be answering your questions throughout the week.

Please note that Dr Amir will not be able to respond to questions asking for specific or personal medical advice. If you are worried about a personal health issue, please contact your GP.

As a thanks for their time, all who leave a question on the thread below will be entered into a prize draw where one Mumsnet user will win a £200 voucher for the store of their choice (from a list) supplied by Mumsnet. The prize draw will be carried out on 23rd March.

Thanks,

MNHQ

Insight Terms and Conditions apply

Both my children seem to naturally have temperatures that range from 37-38.3 during the day. We went through a period of regular testing for Covid last year, each test coming back negative.

Our school has accepted a letter from our GP that they have naturally higher temperatures with no underlying health conditions.

This does cause problems in other areas though, e.g. extracurricular sports or clubs (when they soon open up).

What can we do? They are currently too young for vaccination and I don’t really want to do weekly (or more frequent) tests.

I echo a question on how close contacts are decided. In a year of 360 pupils in 12 classes, why is the entire year sent home following a positive test for one child, when half of the children do not even know that child, let alone have spent time in their company? This has happened at my son's school

How has lockdown affected the other bugs out there other than covid. Our daughter has been back a school a week and my husband has already developed a cold.

Have the schools had any guidance regarding PE? My year 11 daughter is going to school in PE kit, they have been told that this is to avoid changing rooms - but then they are taking off their masks and doing PE indoors - this seems mad to me. I think they should be doing PE outdoors, or not at all, but certainly not taking off masks indoors to do PE.

Unrelated - my biggest concern is GCSE grading. Judging by MN boards, schools seem to be using many different ways of assessing the children for GCSE grades. How can this be fair and standardised?

Is a LFT as effective at picking up the virus if you do a double nose swab instead of a throat and one nostril?

Is there any alternative testing available for small children who find it difficult to tolerate the LFT. And do you believe the testing should Be mandatory

How long will alternative online lessons go on for for those who have to isolate
Do you think those refusing to be tested should be at school?

I would like to know why children are being allowed back in school without having a test - surely this is wrong. I feel that it compromises the safety of all other school members who are prepared to put up with what is an uncomfortable experience - as well as the families they come home to each day. Why is this being allowed?

Do the lateral flow tests detect the virus in the 2 weeks prior to symptoms showing as the virus can still be spread during the 2 weeks between getting the virus and symptoms showing

How regularly would I expect my child to be tested - and do you see this being a regular practice in the long term

Would parents be allowed to carry out the tests before school - I really worry about the trauma of this for my 8 year old who has ASD and highly sensitive about things in his mouth - I know it would make him severely anxious about going to school - I could take him with the test - and result.

When I receive my test to do at home, I noticed it was made in China. I'm afraid I would find it very untrustworthy. Surely, if this country can made our own vaccine, we can also produce our own testing equipment and, if not, why not?

Hi yes... I have heard that if a lateral flow test comes back positive and then if your molecular covid test (which I believe is more accurate) comes back negative then your child and assumably the whole household still has to isolate. Can i ask you to advise what you know to be correct in this case please? Many thanks

As having the covid tests in school's is compulsory, how can the schools guarantee that those students, who have chosen not to being regularly tested, do not have asymptomatic Covid19 and are not going to spread it? If they did have covid then aren't the tests, given to consenting students, a waste of time? If testing is being given it should be compulsory or they work from home.

My sons are 3 and 5 and have tested positive for covid. They have both have covid symptoms and it's spreading much quicker through schools and nursery than it did last year, with the children also displaying symptoms. Is this a new strain that is affecting young children easily?

i saw a video of a teacher online saying that kids don't legally have to wear a facemask in school but my sons high school is saying its adoratory is this true

At the moment my daughter has a covid test every Friday to see if she is negative to go to the school on the Monday. How long do you think pupils being tested at school is likely to go on for?

Dr Khan,

The Royal Statistical Society has written to the MHRA expressing deep concerns about the use of LFD in school children without a confirmatory PCR as is currently happening in secondary school testing at school. The assumption is that as the tests are supervised, they are accurate, but the RSS disputes this from the data.

Given that from January to March, just 0.14% of lateral flow tests conducted in schools came back as positive, including in a time period when infection rates were much higher than now, shouldn't their use in children be reviewed? When the positive rate is lower than the lab expected false positive rate (0.32%), something is clearly going wrong, even though those tests have been taken supervised at school.

Where is the data to show that self-swabbing by school children is accurate enough to warrant a mass roll-out of regular home testing of children when the supervised testing appears to be so inaccurate? Home testing is going to be of an even lower standard. I am supportive of measures to improve school safety, but children are now saying that they don't understand why they have to wear masks because they have 'tested negative', so this is a worry.

Thank you.

Hi, I'd like to know if you think that Secondary School children who are doing the lateral flow tests (with supervision I'm presuming at the first stages) are doing them correctly? My child says he doesn't know what all the fuss his friends are making about it being unpleasant. When I have been doing mine however, I always gag and my eyes water. So I'm wondering if he's been doing them correctly. Thank you.

I'd be interested to learn more about whether there might be more of a focus on the emotional wellbeing of our children. There is certainly much more awareness & discussion around mental health than there was 10 years ago - but this pandemic has had a huge impact on the mental health of many, not least on the mental health of our children. Some children have been incredibly anxious about returning to school, others have been in tears having been off school for so long - for children (like my own son) who have no siblings - there are huge gaps where he has not been able to be around other children at all. Luckily he has adjusted well - but I would love to learn more about any additional learning/education regarding the impact of the pandemic on mental health which is being built into the cirriculum.
Thank you :)

My daughter 10 years has a blood disorder called neutropenia so she is shielding at home. Once shielding stops and she returns back to primary school-her school are asking what extra precautions they should follow on top of the normal protocols neutropenic people need to follow in order to reduce her possibility of her becoming ill with covid if there is a case going around at school and it progressing further into a secondary bacterial infection and her being extremely ill. Extremely worried about her returning back to school as of course we want her to have her education back to face to face and her having socialising with other children her own age but we also have to weigh up her health to-any suggestions on what the school can do to reasure us all please,thank u

When I children have to isolate because of a positive test in their bubble, should they also be tested before returning to school? A local nursery has implemented this policy and picked up 3 asymptomatic cases recently so it seems like a sensible idea, but is it in reality?

I too am interested in the accuracy of the lateral flow tests - they are now expected to do them themselves at home, are they likely to stick the swab far enough up their noses/down their throats to give anything like an accurate result?

Hello, we found Dr Khan's videos really helpful re how to do home tests!

Can I ask what happened to the other thread, where Mumsnet invited people to write questions about vaccines? As it seems to have vanished without trace.

Hi, what is the accuracy rate of these tests - and how do you know the swab will collect enough to perform an accurate test ?