What is covid going to do to education this year?

The biggest thing that can be done is to improve ventilation in schools. ( ideally not by the roof falling in because of crumbling concrete) Even just ventilating for 5 minutes between classes and at break and lunch times would help. So this means paying attention to windows in schools, sorting out those rooms where windows don't open properly or have been painted shut.
There is some evidence that HEPA type air filters are also catching quite a lot of viruses so these could be introduced in classrooms. At the very least, every classroom needs an effective CO2 monitor with advice on how to place it appropriately to indicate when windows need to be open for a bit.

This is the first time we’ve had it since March 2022. Also, interestingly, my son has been much worse than me. Possibly because last time we had it we had all been vaccinated only about 2 months earlier, whereas I had a booster last year but he hasn’t had one since January 2022. When we all had it the first time, we had it very mildly.

We had an email from the school reminding us of the symptoms and that off if they aren't feeling well.

Only one person in his class has been off since they went back in August. I am in Scotland.

I think vaccinations will help slow down the spread though, so vaccinations are better than no vaccinations.

I don't think they slow down spread, that was a myth.

Everyone I know has been vaccinated, and yet everyone I know has also had covid. I think the “only” thing vaccines do is stop people getting really sick (which is great!) - I don’t think they stop people getting it though.

Depends where you live. Leicestershire went back before the Aug bank hol.

I’ll be interested to see what my child’s head teacher has to say about it. He announced about 6 months ago that covid was over and that no one should be having time off with it. 😬

I don’t think you can trivialise COVID. Having had it mildly twice and being fully vaccinated , I had a really unpleasant bout in May, leaving me feeling quite gritty with strange symptoms until late in the summer hols.

I think the after effects of Covid will take years to work their way through the population.

OTOH, what can we do but let ourselves become accustomed to the virus via immunisation and infection? I don’t think we can keep taking measures that damage society and the economy unless hospitals are threatened again.

In terms of schools, we will have more staff sickness and that will become accepted. Teachers will have to set cover and pupils will have to do their best. It is far from ideal, but that is where we are.

Long term, Covid will only exacerbate the funding crisis in schools and health care (and provide an excuse for poor policy). Maybe a new government will plan for it…not hopeful, though.

I agree that I don't think the vaccines stop you getting it or passing it on. The majority of people I know have had all vaccines offered to their age group. It seems totally random as to how many times people have had it and how badly they get it.
One friend and her 2 kids have had it 3 times. Felt rough but not horrific each time. Partners parents (over 70) felt rough but managed). One friend felt like death for 5 days and very tired for a few weeks. Many friends have just had "cold" symptoms. I myself just had cold symptoms. One unvaccinated friend was tired and breathless for a few days but otherwise fine. Her unvaccinated son had sniffles for 47 hours. Another unvaccinated friend has had it 4 times and barely noticed each time. Just mild runny nose and headache.
Like a lot of viruses it just seems to hit people worse than others. And some people seem to avoid catching it as often. I was once with a small child for 10 hours who the parents said just had a cold. She was climbing all over me. Coughed in my face multiple times. Even gave me a slobbery kiss goodbye on the mouth! Next day the parents messaged to say oops she has covid. I never got symptoms and I did test daily for over a week. (Was going away and was worried it would ruin the holiday!)

@Cheeseandlobster
My Mil is immuno comprised. If one of us even has a sniffle we'll stay away and not visit that week regardless of whether it's possibly COVID or not. Sometimes we'll not visit for weeks because one or the other of the children has a cold/ cough etc.
COVID has not changed that for us, we've always been very careful, 13 years and counting.

Every year, pre Covid, when the schools return we are hit by new viral illnesses curtesy of world wide travel during the summer break. Some will return with Covid but many more will just have a new variant of the good old common cold.
Although covid is airborne, you are just as likely ( probably more) to catch it from surfaces. The airborne claim was introduced to try and maintain social distancing as people were starting to relax. Face masks, unless they are FP3, are a waste of time. I work in a face mask ( changed every 30mins) and they have never stopped me picking up colds. A lot of research has been done on wearing FP2 masks in medical settings and they concluded that the only thing they did was to stop large droplets of blood and saliva and any other disgusting liquids from inside the mouth from building up on our face. Viruses sail straight through the fabric. We used the gas mask style masks during the pandemic but had to limit the time we wore them because they were bloody awful to wear.
Handwashing, handwashing and more handwashing. Not hand rub but proper soap and water is the best way of avoiding viral infections.
The covid virus is getting weaker. The testing done now is to isolate the new variants to see whether the current vaccines are still effective. They do the same with flu variants every year to decide which flu vaccines are likely to be effective.
We had the same panic this time last year and all was well.
I do think that not testing is the way to go. Unless you are classed as vulnerable. I think there is a lot of over reaction based on the scaremongering from 2020.
I have come across people who still test weekly through absolute fear. Some have never had a positive test but continue to panic.
It takes me back to when AIDS was first discovered. People were totally irrational.

The sixth formers are more likely enjoying the current hot spell. It’s been an awful summer who would want to be stuck in a classroom in this weather. Playing the Covid card is an easy week off.

What immunisations? Most school staff won't have had a covid vaccine for a couple of years.

I'm really not sure that your information is correct here.

royalsociety.org/blog/2022/02/the-role-of-sars-cov-2-aerosol-transmission-during-the-covid-19-pandemic/

https://www.bmj.com/content/377/bmj-2021-068743

There are lots of other articles out there but the Nature one is under a paywall and I have chosen two from prestigious organisations to show it is not just cranky corners of the internet saying this!

The most important thing that schools can do right now is introduce as much ventilation as possible into rooms. As winter approaches, at least investing in properly calibrated and set up CO2 meters will indicate when rooms are in critical need of ventilation ( so windows can be opened wide then even just for 5 minutes).

I'd also wonder about looking into how effective HEPA air filters are and maybe trying to get PTAs or similar to raise funds for them. They'd be a few hundred pounds per room which would be expensive but probably less so than the costs of supply teaching if a school gets hit badly.

Your suggestion of keeping CO2 below 800 made me laugh. In winter it's a challenge keeping it below 1500. Mostly it's above 2000.

I agree @noblegiraffe that ventilation in schools is nowhere near sufficient given the infrastructure of current school buildings but nevertheless ventilating as much as possible ( which will vary from school to school depending on age and design of buildings) will help to reduce spread. With the current temperatures I would be having as many doors and windows open as possible for as long as possible. Heading into winter even just having windows open during breaks and for 5 minutes between lessons will help. It isn't an all or nothing situation - below 800 good, over 800 bad. Some ventilation is better than none and obviously the effectiveness will vary with school design as I said above but at least in some schools it could make a big difference.

I think the solution is to close schools permanently. We're heading that way anyway; COVID, strikes, snow days, dodgy concrete, the list goes on.

That would keep the unions happy. Exam results improved when the schools were closed for COVID so it's a win win situation.

Plus, 20% of kids don't bother going to school anyway and no one seems overly fussed.

@EducatingArti

I agree. So simple, air rooms once an hour, open windows and doors, simple no cost things. Unfortunately people do their own thing.

I don't exactly think it is simple and there are some rooms where windows don't open and some rooms where the placement of windows doesn't encourage air flow through the room etc, but it will help.
@Sidslaw Is the door on the opposite side of the room to your windows? If so, would you be able to leave or wedge it open a small amount? ( I know noise and layout won't always permit this). This would help get airflow through the room. Another thing that might be possible depending on window positions would be to arrange a desk fan directly by a window so that it is pushing air out of that window which will in turn pull air in through the next open window.