To not understand why we have now got rid of isolation for household members?

[AlexaShutUp]

Sorry if there is already a thread on this, but isn't it a bit crazy to be sending children into school when their parents and/or siblings have tested positive for covid?

I totally get that the pinging was getting too much and I am OK with a lot of rules being relaxed as we have to get back to some kind of normality at some stage, but surely it isn't unreasonable for members of the same household to carry on isolating. Isn't it going to spread like wildfire as soon as schools open up?

It just seems crazy...

YANBU and I'm glad household contacts here in Scotland still have to isolate until a negative pcr. I would not be happy having colleagues with positive partners /kids coming into work where we work in extremely close contact.
It's all very well saying you're vaccinated, get on with it, but lots of us have vulnerable family members and its looking increasingly likely that the vaccines do not work very well at all for the most vulnerable /immunocompromised.

“I certainly wouldn't go into the office if others in my household had norovirus or similar... that would be incredibly selfish.”

It would never have occurred to me before reading this and before COVID to stay off work if I wasn’t ill but others in the household were, except if I had to look after a child of course which is holiday or unpaid leave. Did people genuinely used to stay off before, was it a done thing? Is it claimed as sick leave if you aren’t sick or holiday/unpaid leave?

Why? I think it is because Mr Johnson is beholden to those backbenchers in his party who want no restrictions, and is unwilling to discuss proposals with opposition parties and find common ground. As there are some companies who want people back in the office (usually because the CEO or MD wants to be there primarily I expect), then the fewer children not in school, the better.

[quote sorrysaywhatnow]@SuperCaliFragalistic I get that, and you're right absolutely...but people don't die from sickness bugs. I just really worry about all the unvaccinated/immunosuppressed people that are at risk still.[/quote]
Lots of vulnerable, particularly elderly people die of norovirus every year. It closes hospitals very regularly. But we don't all stay home if someone in the family is sick and the rest are fine

I think it’s mad too.

But in our hospital we still have to isolate if a household member is positive.

And if we are a contact of someone who is positive (non household) we need a negative pcr and daily lfts before going in.

I don’t understand these rules either. I cannot believe that I could go to work (in a job with no social distancing and I mix with a lot of colleagues and public), go to the gym, cinema, out for dinner etc etc whilst my family are at home with covid!! Then the next day test positive myself having spread it everywhere I’ve been for the last 2 days before!! Gradually going to spread through my workplace and lead to potential staff issues and staff off over longer term than 10days isolation. I understand we are learning to live with this virus etc etc but this is particularly contagious one and can kill people ( I know other virus can do that too). Even those vaccinated are ending up in hospital with it. I think some people have more fear now than ever

@newnortherner111

Why? I think it is because Mr Johnson is beholden to those backbenchers in his party who want no restrictions, and is unwilling to discuss proposals with opposition parties and find common ground. As there are some companies who want people back in the office (usually because the CEO or MD wants to be there primarily I expect), then the fewer children not in school, the better.

I think lots of the population want fewer restrictions and children back in school, unless we genuinely need to lockdown again due to a new variant.

@Hellotoallmyfans

You honestly don't understand the reasons why we need to get rid of isolation for people who aren't sick? Okaaaaay then.....

(Though I suspect this OP is posting with faux naivety as they are a regular poster on the covid boards..)

No faux naivety at all. Yes, I post on the covid boards sometimes, but I genuinely don't understand why we can't retain the self isolation for household contacts. It makes no sense to me.

@Lifeispassingby

I don’t understand these rules either. I cannot believe that I could go to work (in a job with no social distancing and I mix with a lot of colleagues and public), go to the gym, cinema, out for dinner etc etc whilst my family are at home with covid!! Then the next day test positive myself having spread it everywhere I’ve been for the last 2 days before!! Gradually going to spread through my workplace and lead to potential staff issues and staff off over longer term than 10days isolation. I understand we are learning to live with this virus etc etc but this is particularly contagious one and can kill people ( I know other virus can do that too). Even those vaccinated are ending up in hospital with it. I think some people have more fear now than ever

I don't have fear, but I also wouldn't do all those things you have listed either if my dcs tested positive. I'd try and stay out of people's way as much as possible, but I wouldn't hide at home for 10 days if I tested negative.

Making whole families isolate meant that less people tested.

*Do you stay off work if someone in your house has a sickness bug (but you are otherwise well?) Or if your child has chicken pox does everyone stay home?""

Most people have either had CP or been vaccinated against it, and for most people that gives lifelong immunity. Neither vaccination nor having had Covid give that.

It's really odd that we are viewing 140 deaths a day as good news. If there were a one train crash causing that many deaths there would be endless inquiries, we'd probably close down the railways if there were one a day.

@SuperCaliFragalistic

What's crazy is the country remaining in a state of semi lockdown when the majority are fully vaccinated. If you're ill - stay home. If you're not ill - go to work/school/uni etc.

Except that 30 per cent of infected people are asymptomatic... They may pass it to me/anyone acv.....

DD was back at school yesterday in year 3, cases in our postcode are 532.2/100,000 which is way above average.

I will be interested to see what happens to case rates and hospitalisations over the next couple of weeks.

We haven't had the Covid risk assessment/plan for school yet but based on what we've seen from yesterday they are keeping some aspects of the bubble principle and ditching others.

So they are still eating lunch in classrooms not the hall, but they can play outside with the other classes at break and lunch, they have re-instated class trips and swimming lessons which were all cancelled last school year. Not sure what is happening with assemblies.

Parents are not required to wear masks when doing drop off or pick up but teachers are still wearing masks if they want to when moving around the school.

No one seems to be being encouraged to do lateral flow tests, last school year parents were being asked to do them (not on the kids) to see if there was Covid in the household.

Scotland is showing a big rise in cases since the kids went back there, Leicester/Leicestershire went back this week so keep an eye out on cases here to see what the rest of the country is likely to see by end of September.

Its madness household not having to isolate. There seems to be this idea from the government that the infectd person will isolate within their household. Keeping to their own room and bathroom and having meals delivered.

But in reality this is hardly ever happening. In our case the first person infected was a small child. No parent is going to be able to isolate from a small child - especially if they are ill. Once recovered and stuck home for 10 days do we say that the child cannot play with parents or siblings? Then of course the small matter that most homes don’t just have spare rooms and spare bathrooms to make up a covid isolation suite...

But then the rest of the family have gone down with it in the the classic 5 day intervals...

As it happened DH is WFH and the rest of us are on summer holidays so we did just isolate as a family. But from next week I would have been expected to be back in work ( as a teacher) despite a covid positive pre schooler at home!

Why is it crazy though ? We’ve got used to that Covid is so dangerous every day we see threads on people that are double vaccinated reasonably well are worried because they have tested positive because that’s what the media have terrified them. We’ve been in this pandemic for more than 18 months I’m more surprised that some have managed to avoid it . If the majority are vaccinated and all adults have been offered it why would we need to keep isolating at this stage?

@AlexaShutUp

What does it mean when people say learn to live with it? For me, that means things mostly getting back to normal but still taking sensible precautions like isolating household members. For some people, learning to live with it seems to mean pretending that the virus no longer exists?

I think for most people, learning to live with it means treating it like any other infectious virus. Are children kept home/ isolated when one of their household members has a cold/ the flu?

Bizawit
So you mean parents should send their kids into school with it because that is what most of them do with colds/flu/sickness?

@motherrunner

I’m a teacher and come start of term there will be no ‘Covid secure’ measures in place, just the ‘back to school’ LFT (if parents consent).

On the flip side will parents be happy knowing I will be teaching their child (and hundreds other) with positive contacts at home? (I have 2 primary DS and a teacher DH) I could be a ‘super spreader’!

The director of PHE for my area has requested people still wears masks in enclosed spaces. Socially distance and take regular tests, as a 1000 people tested positive last week in my area. All the things I can not do in school.

Yes, of course they’ll be happy.

DC are very unlikely to become seriously ill if infected, and vulnerable people should be taking measures to protect themselves.

@Awalkintime

Bizawit So you mean parents should send their kids into school with it because that is what most of them do with colds/flu/sickness?

Yes.

I keep mine at home if they are a) throwing up (has never actually happened, we never get stomach bugs for some wierd reason) or B) has a temperature. Now I'll add C) positive for Covid. Otherwise they go in.

@SuperCaliFragalistic

What's crazy is the country remaining in a state of semi lockdown when the majority are fully vaccinated. If you're ill - stay home. If you're not ill - go to work/school/uni etc.

Have you seen the latest about vaccines not providing 100% protection and that people can still spread it when vaccinated.

These threads tend to go in circles. I see the argument that 'not everyone can be vaccinated, the vaccine doesn't work for everyone, the vaccine is wearing off..' everyday - so what will be different in 6 months, or 2 years? Are those people suggesting we keep restrictions and isolating whole classes/households forever? If not then what?

Also, vaccine protection wears off after a few months.

What this government needs to do is invest in the NHS and adult social healthcare sector then we’d be in a better place.

@BoomChicka

These threads tend to go in circles. I see the argument that 'not everyone can be vaccinated, the vaccine doesn't work for everyone, the vaccine is wearing off..' everyday - so what will be different in 6 months, or 2 years? Are those people suggesting we keep restrictions and isolating whole classes/households forever? If not then what?

Invest in the NHS. Then we wouldn’t have a health care system that is about to collapse after over ten years of being deliberately underfunded (while we are told, by the snake oil salesmen, that it’s fine. Which is bollocks)

GreenWillow
Perfect there will be no issue when the teachers get sick then! The kids can still come in right? With no teacher?