We've heard that much about testing in schools recently that's it become confusing as to who should be doing what.
As schools prepare to fully reopen on Monday, some parents are wondering whether their children need to be tested beforehand or not.
In secondary schools and colleges, pupils are all being tested before they're allowed back in class. And while it's not compulsory, parents are being urged to give consent and the more who do so, the more chance there is of preventing Covid transmission.
After their first test at school or college, they will then be tested twice more in the setting over the next fortnight, before being asked to self-test twice a week at home.
The tests are not being carried out on primary school children, but every adult in a household with kids in education, no matter what their age - and the support bubbles of those kids - are being encouraged to test regularly at home. The same applies to any household where there are primary or secondary school staff.
So where do you get the tests from and how do they work? I went to get some tests to try out with my family to answer some of your questions.
Getting the tests
We reported earlier today how there are various ways to get the tests, including ordering online here.
Another way is via collection from your nearest test centre. You don't need to book, you just search for your nearest one here and it tells you the opening hours for that particular site.
I turned up at the walk-through testing centre at New Bury Community Car Park in Farnworth shortly after 5pm on Monday.
After explaining why I was there, I was told to sanitise and wait to be called into the testing cabin. Once inside the centre, which was empty except for a few members of staff, I was offered one or two boxes of seven lateral flow tests. Within minutes of arriving I was driving back home with my 14 tests.
What tests are they?
Unlike the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, which are given to people already experiencing symptoms of Covid and are sent off for lab analysis, these are called lateral flow tests (LFTs).
The rapid tests detect cases quickly – in under 30 minutes – meaning positive cases can isolate immediately.
With about a third of individuals with coronavirus showing no symptoms and potentially spreading it without knowing, the idea is that targeted, regular testing will mean more positive cases within households are found and prevented from entering schools and colleges, helping to keep educational settings safe.
How do you do the tests?
In each box, you get seven tests, instructions on how to take the tests and how to report results to the NHS.
You can watch a demonstration video on how to do the tests here.
Each test is made up of a swab, a small liquid sachet, a plastic tube to put the liquid in, a test strip and a plastic bag to put your waste in. Some cardboard in the box also acts as a tube holder to keep it upright, but you can just use a cup if you throw it away by accident.
There's an easy to follow guide giving you step by step instructions of what to do.
In summary you get the test out ready, pour the liquid inside the tube, blow your nose and then take the swab sample from your throat and nose.
Obviously this is the bit that's most people don't like. You rub the tip of the swab over both tonsils (or where they would have been) four times on each side. You then use the same swab and put it up one nostril - just until you feel a slight resistance - and roll it around the inside of your nostril making 10 complete circles.
It's not pleasant but it's not painful either. I found the hardest part was trying to get my tongue out of the way to get to the back of my throat as you need to avoid touching your tongue, teeth, cheeks or gums with the fabric tip of the swab.
The other issue is the gagging and there was a bit of that, but even our 10-year-old with let's just say an overenthusiastic gag reflex managed it without too much trouble.
He's still at primary, so didn't need to take one, but with the rest of us doing it, it made sense to check us all.
His 12-year-old sister on the other hand is going to have to get used to them, so if anything it gave her some reassurance about the process before doing her first test in school next week.
Like the rest of us she was a bit watery eyed, but it was far from the horrible experience she'd imagined.
Once the swab is taken, you put it inside the tube of liquid for 15 seconds, pressing the fabric tip against the edge of the tube and rotating it around. Once you've removed the swab you put the cap on the tube, turn it upside down and place two drops of the liquid onto your test.
This looks a bit like a pregnancy test, with the result showing in a similar way. Get one pink line, next to the C for Control, and it's negative. Get a second line next to the T for test and it's positive.
If you get no lines, or only one line next to the T, it means the test is void.
Have you consented for your child to be tested at secondary school or college? Will you be doing the household testing if you're a parent or a support bubble for a younger child? Let us know in the comments here, or share your views on our Manchester Family Facebook page.
Reporting results
Results, whether negative or positive, should be reported to the NHS and must be done so within 24 hours. To do this you can go online and report it using either the QR code or the ID number on your test. You can also call 119 between 7am and 11pm.
It's important to remember that anyone testing positive with a LFT still needs to book a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test to confirm the result as these have a higher accuracy rate.
Take-up rates
There have been some concerns raised by parents who don't want their children to be tested and say they won't be consenting. Others have shared concerns over the accuracy rate, claiming there are too many false negatives for it to be an effective system.
One headteacher told us that so far, two out of three of his parents have so far given their consent, but that figure is rising.
As just one of many measures being introduced to help make schools safer, teachers - who were told last week that they won't be being prioritised for the vaccine - are wanting families to get on board and support the plans to help protect them and their pupils.
