Dementors can dement but we'll keep it positive here

[hobnobsaremyfavourite]

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Dementor free zone

I do agree that the scientists who are now ' household names' do seem a a little bit happy that their predictions have come to pass.
Chris Whitty and Bill Gates both did lectures and talks about a possible pandemic years ago ( all on u -tube) especially after the ebola outbreak in Africa 2014. (Many others did too , but those are the ones I know about. )

They obviously do not want people to die , but if you spend your entire career waiting for something bad like this to come to pass it must feel strange when it finally gets here.
I even heard one professor on the radio weeks ago admit this may be big , but a bacterial infection would be worse. Almost as if ' we will take this for now!'

The economy taking a big hit will be worse than the actual virus , but that's not their concern for now.

Really interesting that Allison Pearson (the most Tory woman in Britain and unofficial government mouthpiece) is saying in her column this morning that the biggest challenge now is to get people back to normal life. She was full throttle dementor six weeks ago.

I think they’re in for a hell of a shock on Sunday when the message is “It’s the economy, stupid” and when the announcement of a reduction from 80% for furlough is made. There’s already conjecture in the media that it will go down to 50%.

I do also agree this is a big experiment in behaviour. See how quickly we have become ' conditioned' to queue up and avoid people. How we have obeyed the rules ( mostly!) how ' protect the nhs' has been ingrained as the way forwards.
This app I'm not keen on for many reasons , I will probably have to download if I want to visit my dad in his care home in the future as I'm sure the conditions for any visit will hinge on me complying with having this on my phone!
It only occurred to me today that this could be a condition. So many people will be made to download it in order to go to work or travel on public transport, Another thing that will become the 'norm' and track our every move!
I know I sound a conspiracy theorist nut but just think how fast we have mostly complied because of this virus. Or maybe lockdown and not being able to work has made me think too much!

I'm thinking of using another payg phone for the app, if that will work

I’m perfectly happy to have the app on my phone. I suspect that we’ll have to put proof of vaccination on them too once a vaccine is widely available. Again, I really wouldn’t mind that either. I’d do pretty much anything to stop existing and start living again.

These measures are not sustainable long term as it's costing billions.
What the answers are I don't know.

I'm just concerned about the amount of 'control ' this app will have. However, if it means I can see family and go out and do things I guess I'll just get on with it of course.

Meanwhile we have a relative who is a teacher, who says he won’t go in to work until there’s a vaccine

Pray tell, how does he think his school will react to that? I don't envy his union rep having to explain that no, his disinclination to leave his house does not trump his employer's expectation of getting a day's work in exchange for a day's pay.

I'm still waiting for clarification on what people without smart phones are expected to do when the time comes.

The teacher refusing to go to work is part of a wider issue where people who are terrified to leave their homes will have to trade off between a perceived risk v’s getting paid. I think the speed at which the government offered financial support was both a blessing and a curse. Ultimately people who think the can just push out not going to work until they believe the risk has passed will find themselves first in line for redundancy.

Teachers are a unique band of people that we need but are vilified in equal measure! ( not by me , but just read a school thread)
So many school threads highlight the same problems ; it's impossible to SD reception and certain year groups.
It's going to be tough for schools and the children and the adults teaching them!

I do feel for teachers, SD is impossible (and also in my opinion not desirable for younger children), we need to keep teachers as safe as possible, but children need to get back to school. I’m Chair of Governors at our local school so know it’s a hard ache.
All the teachers I know in real life know that social distancing is impossible but are desperate to get back to teach their classes. Tougher if they’re vulnerable though.

I was pleased to see that a teacher's union put out their own five point criteria that should be met for schools to return.
I thought it was very clear and wise.

I think that the schools could be looking at things like using students in teacher training under supervision (who need school placements anyway) and also play scheme staff to help support more vulnerable staff. Ours already use them to cover the teachers PPA time (planning time) rather than using supply teachers.

To help the teachers I mean. It could be good for both - senior teachers supporting the younger students and mentoring etc.

@Orangeblossom78 t That would make sense. I think the really important thing Just now is to get children back in school with their friends and safety nets as soon as possible rather than for education as such. Plus it will enable parents to get back to work.

Yes, I have done teacher training myself a few years ago, and on placement you get paired with a teacher who then observes you teaching and you work alongside them. So I remember a bit about that.

The play scheme staff are fab too, on the PPA days they get the children outside doing lots of races and activities, KS1 one week, KS2 the next, they also do some of the after school sports.

Even if the children are at home doing online work some of the week I think they must be missing all the exercise and sport. At the very least schools and their grounds could be a kind of hub for outdoor exercise given that passing it on outdoors is now apparently very low risk

We have been taking our tow out on bike rides and walks most days but it will become bad for their health being in all the time, obesity rates are already high in this country as it is. They could get the chance to see their friends also

There was also lots of talk of using 'outdoor classrooms' a few years ago too...better in the summer though than in winter!- and forest school type activities as well can benefit children

OP: My husband did something I think is against The Roolz and I am horrified. AIBU?
B-M: Uh, yeah, a bit.
BSC: OMG ROOLZ ARE ROOLZ PEOPLE WILL DIE MY RELATIVE WORKS FOR THE NHS WE SHOULD ALL BE LOCKED IN OUR HOUSES FOR MONTHS ITALY SPAIN THIS IS WHY THERE WILL BE BODIES IN THE STREETS!!1!

So many squares ticked off my Dementor Bingo card.

I'm not coping today - yet another shiftily toned email from the youngest's school has tipped me over the edge. Basically trying to guilt parents into not wanting the money back for things like cancelled after school club, the residential trip etc. Sorry but with the fact the fortnightly home learning stuff they've sent out has been the result of no more than 20 minutes work (and I speak as an ex teacher) and total lack of support for any of the kids - the goodwill I had toward the school head has gone.

"how 'dangerous' was this thing? "

I think that's one of the big questions and, from a statistical point of view, may depend on how many people have had it without realising. There's a talk by where I think he's saying 'we don't know, but perhaps not very'. It's a helpful talk IMO, and, although it's 1 hour 20 mins, he's a good speaker so it doesn't drag on.

"I'm thinking of using another payg phone for the app, if that will work"
That seems like an idea if you're concerned about privacy and you may not even need a SIM in it as the app is supposed to work on bluetooth.

There's a mention on another thread of China having welded apartment doors shut to ensure proper lockdown. Worryingly, I'm unsure if this is referred to admiringly 😂

Would anyone like a Dementor Bingo card? So far the squares are:
Stay the fuck at home
Which part of … don’t you understand?
Italy
Spain
People will die
Relative works for NHS
I am shielding so you can't go out
No end in sight
Won’t go to work until vaccine
You’re selfish
Heatwave lockdown
Post-lockdown peak

I know I'm missing loads - what are they?

I really really hope we get a vaccine soon (watching the Oxford Uni effort with interesting!) but the fastest vaccine ever developed to date still took four years. So we all have to factor in the possibility that a vaccine will take quite a few years or not come at all. I also hope a very close look at all the data available will help us be more nuanced in understanding the 'at risk' concept. At the moment its obvious that a healthy 35 year old woman is very low risk (say me) & a frail 91 year old man with lung damage from decades of smoking (describing my grandad here) is very high risk, but we need more nuance about the middle ground.

Yes to Dementor bingo!

Can I add:

There should have been a tougher lockdown from the start

This isn't lockdown

Anne Frank

Is going to the pub or eating out more important than PEOPLE'S LIVES?!

Candidate for bingo. Not my actual viewpoint.