Teachers - rules - update

[Floridatilly]

What are the rules regarding covid symptoms and teachers teaching?
My husbands work requires any teacher with symptoms to stay off until a negative PCR test is done.
Masons school have just tang to say his teacher is full of a cold but LFT is negative so no need for PCR test.
Mason is vulnerable so this doesn’t sit well with me because LFT tests are not as accurate as PCR tests.
Can I insist a PCR test be done or is it tough luck?

[ElsasGloves]

It’s tough luck. You can’t insist that anyone has a PCR test and it would be a breach of confidentiality to tell you the results of any test that a member of staff takes.
Sorry if that sounds harsh, but there’s more chance of your son contracting Covid from a classmate instead of the teacher and primary aged children are not routinely tested.

[Ds4ljs]

I’m not sure about your child’s school as everywhere has their own protocols but at my school if I had a heavy cold and my LFT was negative, they would expect me to be at work. Like I say, everywhere is different so I’d talk to someone at your son’s school. X

[Floridatilly]

I have collected Mason. The IBD team said he has to stay off school until a negative PCR test is done by the teacher or stay off for 10 days. So I have showed the head teacher the email.
General guidelines in schools seems to be if you have symptoms then you take a test so I don’t know why in this case school is accepting LFT 😖

[Floridatilly]

Originally Posted by Ds4ljs

I’m not sure about your child’s school as everywhere has their own protocols but at my school if I had a heavy cold and my LFT was negative, they would expect me to be at work. Like I say, everywhere is different so I’d talk to someone at your son’s school. X

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So your school are happy to have you teach with covid symptoms and just a negative LFT?
I find it baffling, no wonder numbers are shooting back up.
My husbands place of work demand the teachers stay off until a negative PCR test is done however thats a college so I don’t know how it works with primary schools x

[Chilli-pepper]

One of the difficulties going into the winter will be distinguishing between normal winter colds/coughs/sneezes and COVID, in turn we need to decide whether we ‘believe’ and put stock in LFT’s or not.

If the teacher has cold/COVID symptoms and an LFT comes back negative, we need to believe that and crack on – otherwise what’s the point in LFT’s and we might as well make the decision to just go straight to PCR’s

[Floridatilly]

Originally Posted by Chilli-pepper

One of the difficulties going into the winter will be distinguishing between normal winter colds/coughs/sneezes and COVID, in turn we need to decide whether we ‘believe’ and put stock in LFT’s or not.

If the teacher has cold/COVID symptoms and an LFT comes back negative, we need to believe that and crack on – otherwise what’s the point in LFT’s and we might as well make the decision to just go straight to PCR’s

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I totally agree, with winter coming it’s going to be difficult to know whats a cold and whats covid 🙈
I personally have no faith in LFT because all my three had negative ones but positive PCR tests.
Alder hey won’t accept any LFT, only PCR’s and Mason has his next infusion next week.
If Mason wasn’t vulnerable then it would be a case of just getting on with things. I am not sure how far duty of care goes at school, he has a health care plan. I have asked for some work to be sent home but they are now paperless and not doing Google classrooms for just one child. 😣🙈

[sparrow]

The LFT is to be used if there are no symptoms. If you have symptoms you should have a PCR.

[marypoppins38]

Originally Posted by sparrow

The LFT is to be used if there are no symptoms. If you have symptoms you should have a PCR.

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This exactly. It was my understanding that government guidelines say that if you have symptoms then you MUST get a PCR. LFTs are not to be used if you have symptoms. I think the school is wrong here. Can you imagine if the teacher does actually have Covid... how many pupils/families could they infect?!

[Floridatilly]

Originally Posted by marypoppins38

This exactly. It was my understanding that government guidelines say that if you have symptoms then you MUST get a PCR. LFTs are not to be used if you have symptoms. I think the school is wrong here. Can you imagine if the teacher does actually have Covid... how many pupils/families could they infect?!

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This is my thoughts. The head rang (whilst I was at the hospital with my mum) to say his teacher is full of a cold, sore throat and coughing but her LFT is negative.
I said I would check with Masons consultant but in the meantime can his teacher wear a mask or face shield until I could pick Mason up.
The answer was no because teaching is impossible with a mask/shield 🤯
I now have to keep Mason off for ten days as advised by IBD team unless his teacher has a PCR test.
I feel so frustrated 🙈