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Last I heard, the UK had very aggressive mass testing amongst school-age kids regardless of whether they showed symptoms, and it didn't seem to be spreading muc

by makomk 6y ago

Last I heard, the UK had very aggressive mass testing amongst school-age kids regardless of whether they showed symptoms, and it didn't seem to be spreading much aside from a brief spike when schools first reopened for in-person learning.

dfgdghdf 6y ago
The mass testing story is not what you think it is. The tests are optional, self administered, self reported, only available to staff (not students) in many cases and have a 50% false negative rate.
- PJDK 6y ago
  I'm not sure this is accurate - tests on students are twice a week according to this https://dfemedia.blog.gov.uk/2021/03/09/covid-testing-in-schools-who-will-get-tested-how-and-where-will-they-be-tested-who-has-to-isolate-after-a-positive-test-these-questions-and-more-answered/ https://dfemedia.blog.gov.uk/2021/03/09/covid-testing-in-sch...
- vidarh 6y ago
  My 11yo son was tested in school first couple of weeks after returning, and now have self-testing kits that are meant to be used twice a week.
  - dfgdghdf 6y ago
    Again, some schools are running this better than others.
- Angostura 6y ago
  > The tests are optional, self administered, self reported, only available to staff (not students) That's rubbish. My kids are stuff swabs up their nose twice a week - and they are lateral flow tests, so we sit there waiting to see whether the double line appears.
  - dfgdghdf 6y ago
    Different schools are running things differently. I am glad you used the tests, but they were strictly speaking optional. Lateral flow tests have a very high false negative rate, particularly when not administered by a trained professional.
- martinald 6y ago
  Not true at all. UK was doing >1million rapid tests a day when schools were open. They will do that again when they are back from easter break. Also, the false negative rate isn't a big problem IMO. The PCR 'false negative' rate is far far higher because we are only doing a few hundred thousand a day, so 90% of people are getting missed entirely. I'd rather a 50% false negative rate than a 89% false negative rate from PCR. There is also the problem that PCR takes at least a day to turn around as well - which will result in more spread. I'm not saying we should get rid of PCR testing and just do LFD but doing both is probably the best option.
- chrisseaton 6y ago
  Please stop spreading misinformation. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/rapid-lateral-flow-testing-for-households-and-bubbles-of-school-pupils-and-staff#secondary-school-pupils-and-college-students https://www.gov.uk/guidance/rapid-lateral-flow-testing-for-h...
  - dfgdghdf 6y ago
    I am not. This is first hand information for me. Nothing I have said contradicts your link either.
    - chrisseaton 6y ago
      > Tests will be available to pupils, students and staff at secondary schools and colleges – so pupils in year 7 and above.
      - dfgdghdf 6y ago
        That's the plan yes, but unfortunately some schools have not been sent enough to deliver this.
  - jpttsn 6y ago
    Misinformation: when your lived experience doesn’t match the government reports. Don’t tell anyone if this happens.
    - vidarh 6y ago
      In this case their "lived experience" is directly contradicted by the lived experience of a number of people right here in this very thread. It may well be they're telling the truth about their school, but that still makes a blanket claim, like the one made above, misinformation when it's presented with no qualification to indicate it's based purely on an anecdote (I'll note the comment has since been edited to water down the original claim)
weezer 6y ago
I don't think that is correct. It looks like in November/December the rate among grades 7-11 was almost 3x the rate of those ages 35-39. https://twitter.com/c_drosten/status/1347544994941431808?s=20 https://twitter.com/c_drosten/status/1347544994941431808?s=2... https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/conditionsanddiseases/bulletins/coronaviruscovid19infectionsurveypilot/latest https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthan... Also, most schools were closed from the beginning of January to March. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/04/world/europe/uk-lockdown.html https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/04/world/europe/uk-lockdown.... https://www.bbc.com/news/education-51643556 https://www.bbc.com/news/education-51643556
- lacogubik 6y ago
  Chart on the bottom here [0] seems to confirm parents assertion - cases for under 18s spiked after school reopening, but are now decreasing. Though atm schools are closed for two weeks (Easter holidays) [0] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/apr/08/covid-uk-coronavirus-cases-deaths-and-vaccinations-today https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/apr/08/covid-uk-coron...
  - weezer 6y ago
    They're different data sets. The data I shared is calculated from random population surveillance testing, and is the gold standard on measure of true spread. The data you linked to is reported cases. Children often have very mild or asymptomatic cases so they are not tested nearly as much and thus many more cases are undetected in children compared to other age groups.

by makomk 6y ago

dfgdghdf 6y ago

The mass testing story is not what you think it is. The tests are optional, self administered, self reported, only available to staff (not students) in many cases and have a 50% false negative rate.

PJDK 6y ago
I'm not sure this is accurate - tests on students are twice a week according to this https://dfemedia.blog.gov.uk/2021/03/09/covid-testing-in-schools-who-will-get-tested-how-and-where-will-they-be-tested-who-has-to-isolate-after-a-positive-test-these-questions-and-more-answered/ https://dfemedia.blog.gov.uk/2021/03/09/covid-testing-in-sch...
vidarh 6y ago
My 11yo son was tested in school first couple of weeks after returning, and now have self-testing kits that are meant to be used twice a week.
- dfgdghdf 6y ago
  Again, some schools are running this better than others.
Angostura 6y ago
> The tests are optional, self administered, self reported, only available to staff (not students) That's rubbish. My kids are stuff swabs up their nose twice a week - and they are lateral flow tests, so we sit there waiting to see whether the double line appears.
- dfgdghdf 6y ago
  Different schools are running things differently. I am glad you used the tests, but they were strictly speaking optional. Lateral flow tests have a very high false negative rate, particularly when not administered by a trained professional.
martinald 6y ago
Not true at all. UK was doing >1million rapid tests a day when schools were open. They will do that again when they are back from easter break. Also, the false negative rate isn't a big problem IMO. The PCR 'false negative' rate is far far higher because we are only doing a few hundred thousand a day, so 90% of people are getting missed entirely. I'd rather a 50% false negative rate than a 89% false negative rate from PCR. There is also the problem that PCR takes at least a day to turn around as well - which will result in more spread. I'm not saying we should get rid of PCR testing and just do LFD but doing both is probably the best option.
chrisseaton 6y ago
Please stop spreading misinformation. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/rapid-lateral-flow-testing-for-households-and-bubbles-of-school-pupils-and-staff#secondary-school-pupils-and-college-students https://www.gov.uk/guidance/rapid-lateral-flow-testing-for-h...
- dfgdghdf 6y ago
  I am not. This is first hand information for me. Nothing I have said contradicts your link either.
  - chrisseaton 6y ago
    > Tests will be available to pupils, students and staff at secondary schools and colleges – so pupils in year 7 and above.
    - dfgdghdf 6y ago
      That's the plan yes, but unfortunately some schools have not been sent enough to deliver this.
- jpttsn 6y ago
  Misinformation: when your lived experience doesn’t match the government reports. Don’t tell anyone if this happens.
  - vidarh 6y ago
    In this case their "lived experience" is directly contradicted by the lived experience of a number of people right here in this very thread. It may well be they're telling the truth about their school, but that still makes a blanket claim, like the one made above, misinformation when it's presented with no qualification to indicate it's based purely on an anecdote (I'll note the comment has since been edited to water down the original claim)

weezer 6y ago

I don't think that is correct. It looks like in November/December the rate among grades 7-11 was almost 3x the rate of those ages 35-39. https://twitter.com/c_drosten/status/1347544994941431808?s=20 https://twitter.com/c_drosten/status/1347544994941431808?s=2... https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/conditionsanddiseases/bulletins/coronaviruscovid19infectionsurveypilot/latest https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthan... Also, most schools were closed from the beginning of January to March. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/04/world/europe/uk-lockdown.html https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/04/world/europe/uk-lockdown.... https://www.bbc.com/news/education-51643556 https://www.bbc.com/news/education-51643556

lacogubik 6y ago
Chart on the bottom here [0] seems to confirm parents assertion - cases for under 18s spiked after school reopening, but are now decreasing. Though atm schools are closed for two weeks (Easter holidays) [0] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/apr/08/covid-uk-coronavirus-cases-deaths-and-vaccinations-today https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/apr/08/covid-uk-coron...
- weezer 6y ago
  They're different data sets. The data I shared is calculated from random population surveillance testing, and is the gold standard on measure of true spread. The data you linked to is reported cases. Children often have very mild or asymptomatic cases so they are not tested nearly as much and thus many more cases are undetected in children compared to other age groups.