Latest News
COVID Testing – which test to get!
Good evening all. As a result of several conversations with parents/carers today, I am sending this message to set our expectations around testing and to clarify that there are different ways to get tested for COVID-19, depending if you or your child have symptoms or not.
There are different tests you can get to check if you have coronavirus (COVID-19). The test you need depends on why you’re getting tested.
The 2 main tests are:
- PCR tests – mainly for people with symptoms, they’re sent to a lab to be checked.
- Rapid Lateral Flow tests – only for people who do not have symptoms, they give a quick result using a device similar to a pregnancy test.
To find out how to get tested, go to nhs.uk/get-tested.
If your child develops COVID-19 symptoms they should take a PCR test and isolate. You can visit a walk-through or a drive-through test site.
The main COVID-19 symptoms are:
- new continuous cough and/or
- high temperature and/or
- a loss of, or change in, normal sense of taste or smell (anosmia)
If your child displays any of these symptoms in school, we will call you and advise you to take them for a PCR test.
Your child should also take a PCR test if:
- they have been in contact with someone who’s tested positive (if they have been in close contact with someone who’s tested positive for COVID-19 they can get a PCR test, whether or not they have symptoms).
- they have tested positive on a rapid lateral flow home test to confirm the positive result.
Your nearest drive through test site is:
Litherland – Mobile Unit.
Litherland Sports Park, Boundary Road
Litherland
L21 7LA
Your nearest walk through test site:
Walton Hall Park Car Park
Walton Hall Avenue
Liverpool
L4 9UU
Anyone can now get regular rapid lateral flow tests without having symptoms.
About 1 in 3 people with COVID-19 do not have symptoms but can still infect others. You/your child should do a rapid test twice a week (every 3 to 4 days) to check if you/they have the virus. We strongly recommend this! Many of the children who have tested positively in our school have not had any symptoms at all!
If people test positive and self-isolate, it helps stop the virus spreading.
Thank you for your continued support – it is very much appreciated! We need to do everything we can to keep our school community safe.