To think we should be honest

[thegreenlight]

It’s schools that are causing so many cases, not shops and restaurants. I’m a teacher, we should absolutely, positively keep schools open but why do tier 3 lockdowns act as if it is anything other than schools that are causing the jump in cases? We are punishing businesses because we don’t want to shut schools but want to look like something is being done. If you want schools to stay open, just acknowledge that there will be more cases and carry on. AIBU? Are we targeting restaurants and shops unfairly to create the illusion of containing the virus?

The schools in my town have been hit really badly. I know of one where a class was sent home to isolate for 2 weeks then were back in for 2 days before being sent home again for another 2 weeks due to another case in the class. A friend of mine has kids in different year groups of a school and both have been sent home at different times to self isolate for 2 weeks due to a case in the classes. Another friend tested positive and has no idea where she got it from so it looks likely one of her kids was asymptomatic and brought it home. It is absolutely rife in schools round here so it does seem a bit pointless to be shutting anything else down as it’s currently in pretty much all the schools anyway.

I agree op, I'm very annoyed my children are being required to spend all those hours in covid-insecure environments.

I am very lucky to have a good headteacher so we have got some good arrangements for our older child. We are less concerned for the younger child as transmission rates seem to drop as you go down through the year groups.

@Boom45

My DD's are students and don't know anyone at their universities who are sick. One of them is in a city with a really low incidence, probably the lowest per capita for a city of its size. Her university is being very strict and she's being tested every 2 weeks by a saliva test (trial) along with thousands of others

We had an isolated case amongst the adults in our school about a month ago.

Then this week we had a year 7 test positive. The year was sent home immediately the call came to say there was a positive result. We've now got three (including the first) positive in the whole class.

And we've just had a sixth former test positive. His/her case is more worrying actually. The mother was in isolation as she had been in the same office as someone who had tested positive. She decided that the whole family should isolate - not the rules, they say everyone can carry on as usual apart from the person isolating UNTIL that person shows signs or tests positive. So mum decided the whole family should isolate. And sorted out tests for them (again against the rules). The sixth former showed positive (as did mum). Neither of them have shown any signs at all of Covid....

900 children in dds school, not one single case. Almost all other schools except one school (with one case) in the whole county. So not I do not agree! At all!

Even in the areas of high transmission children should continue to go to school.

No cases in the school I teach at yet, none in my DC school but a few isolated cases locally. Tier 1.
Instead if even contemplating closing, why in earth can't there be weekly testing? Or even random testing with the school community?
I'm sure it would be expensive and a logistical nightmare but it is better than closing. If they really want to limit spread surely this makes sense!
Or is it the case that if they test an unmanageable amount if cases will be found 🤔

@modgepodge

I’m a primary teacher. There hasn’t been a single case in my school yet. I have friends who are teachers in probably 10 other schools. None of them have had a case yet either.

I know 2 heads who are positive

No-one is out clapping for school staff though are they. No discounts for the new key workers (who are actually at more risk than most of the NHS were)

No cases whatsoever in DDs large secondary school. One case in an adult in Yr 2 of DSs large primary school. Yr 2 had to self isolate for two weeks. So I disagree. We have a very low number of cases and schools in this area do not seem to be the cause of transmission.

Schools should not be closed again in any Tier.

All these people saying no cases- I dont think that as a parent you would know.

My 2 DC tested positive. They only had a test as I was positive. 1 has almost no symptoms and the other slightly more but mild cold type. 1 works in a secondary school, there was no announcement, no newsletters etc. A couple of children had to self isolate- certainly not even being discussed amongst pupils apparently.

No cases in my kids school or the school my sister works in or the school my friend works in (all primary) None in DC3 nursery. I have 16 nieces and nephews over several schools (a few are in the same secondary the rest primary x5 different schools) and only one niece has had to isolate due to a confirmed case.

Its not to say there won't be cases in the future but thus far schools haven't been the issue.

To be fair, I don't know anyone personally who has tested +

Universities here or rather the student population
Some cases in school but only two episodes of small bubbles being sent home in my DC's school and it has over a 1000 pupils
One comp locally almost needed to shut down but that was 35 cases amongst teachers and serious questions were asked about their procedures

Theres been 2 or 3 positive tests between my kids 2 different secondary schools which isnt bad going really, and it hasnt burst any bubbles yet.
Im pretty sure the uni has a lot more, but even then, more university students have died from drug overdoses and suicide this term than from covid

Where are you op? The government publishes the infections per age group and none of the nine or twelve areas (can’t remember how many but London, midlands etc) has the school age group as the main issue. It must be very localised to you.

The government press conferences and website can help you get a wider perspective.

I think the uni students triggered a rise here, definitely looking at the "top 10" areas of the city they were all classic student areas. Since the additional restrictions (no pubs or restaurants open at all in Central Scotland) our numbers have about halved (per 100k) in the last couple of weeks but elsewhere with the same restrictions they are still going up.....which suggests different areas are maybe triggered by different things?

2 cases in the school I work in resulting in 2 out of 3 bubbles closing.
In my son's school every year has had at least 2 cases. My ds is in Year 10 and said last week only 40% of his year was in as most were self isolating having come into contact with the infected person.
Schools are driving it.
I'm in Liverpool

Oh come on.

My secondary school has had 1/2 cases per week since September. As if the parents have been told about them all

When you consider that young people are more likely to be asymptomatic and how hard it is to get tested, there’s clearly lots of undiagnosed Covid in schools being spread back round the community.

We don’t send whole year groups home, or even whole classes, and very very few of the teachers of the positive students, because obviously they’ve stayed at 2m (in a tiny unventilated crammed room), nothing at all to do with how the school couldn’t stay open with the teachers isolating .

At our school all parents are being told about every known case, with parents of children being required to isolate being informed in advance of the general announcement.
By keeping us informed it stops rumours and helps parents support the school.

It’s schools that are causing so many cases, not shops and restaurants.

Tracing in the Netherlands has shown that although the chance of spreading covid in a restaurant is quite low, when there was a spread 200-300 people were infected. Restaurants are closed here now (although they can opt to provide take aways).

But yes, schools and for a large part older students (uni) and young adults not complying is a major factor in the spread. That's why I hate it when people say that the restrictions are unfair on the young, it's them that's bloody spreading it by not distancing! If they'd comply more they would have more job options.

Not the case here (tier 1,
South East).

We've had no cases so far in our primary, one case each in three of the other primaries (we have seven in our town and local villages) and one case each in the two secondaries. So it's not the schools driving it here at all. The bubbles in the affected schools were closed for two weeks each and no cases spread further in the schools as a result.

In a tier 3 uni city here, one of the students next door to me disappeared home last week and came back again yesterday meanwhile my local pubs have closed. It infuriates me.

I want to reiterate I am in no way suggesting that schools close. I totally think that children should be in school for their benefit and so their parents can work - I’m just saying that businesses like pubs and restaurants are being used as sacrificial lambs to further a political agenda of being seen to ‘do something’ which I think is unfair. We need to just accept that there will be a higher transmission rate if the schools are open.

Tier 3 secondary school. 7 weeks in. 6 separate cases, only small bubbles sent home (those sitting next to, not whole class) no in-school transmission 🤷🏻‍♀️

My sons teachers tested positive last week, The class of 24 were tested and all came back negative. It looks to me that (primary) schools are not a significant source for transmission.

But only those with symptoms will be sent home 42% will be asymptomatic. So for every child that has a symptom, one will not and still have Covid.

I'm in a tier 3. We've had about 12 cases in my teens sixth form. One in my kids primary and that was staff. I don't think it is primary schools, cases in primarys are quite low. I think colleges, sixth forms and unis are the worst. Rates went up in our area when uni students arrived en masse.