Primary school seems obsessed with covid

[Lightswitch123]

My children's primary seem obsessed with covid.

We had a few cases in school before half term (??20 positive tests in the whole of the school?)

Now we are back, because 2 parents emailed the head over half term to say their child had a also had a positive result, the school have cancelled all in person events, after school clubs, parents not allowed in playground, reintroduced bubbles, staggering drop offs, minimising lunch and play times, kids not allowed to use class pens or pencils, no water provided etc

We get at least 1 parentmail a day "updating" us on the situation.

This is in spite of no one actually being unwell- just positive lateral flow / pcr results off the back of being named contacts. And we've all been off for ages for half term as well.

It all seems so bloody punative and OTT.

I'm beginning to think I'd rather the kids went elsewhere or just stayed at home away from this crazy.

Aibu?

YABU - School response sounds reasonable

YANBU - School is OTT

Also any advice as to how to tackle this with the school? It's doing my head in.

@3asyp33l3r but the what about us argument is endless. What about my mum who couldn't access cancer care and is likely going to die? What about my daughter who still can't access SALT even though it's in her EHCP? What about camhs having a 4 year waiting list in my region? What about my friends daughter who can't see a psychologist even though her sister killed herself last lockdown and left a note saying she's sick of not seeing anyone? What about parent who are self employed and will lose their homes if they cannot work because they've ready had a mortgage holiday and there is no other one? This list of counter arguments is absolutely endless. Can you not see that you having such a staunch view and refusing to even consider the opposite, is selfish?
No one is saying that they don't feel bad for you or that it's ok. But please, stop being divisive and try to see the other side. We are all in this together and everyone is losing and has lost something.

@Lightswitch123

Errr cases are falling!

Are you not in England?

@rrhuth

Anyone still saying covid is like flu is completely thick.

I'm sick of being polite about this.

Flu kills adults and children. Its actually very serious when vulnerable people and children get it. Often leading to Pneumonia which my DGM had twice in 2019 leading her to be hospitalised on both occasions and nearly losing her - despite having her flu jabs every single year.

We will have to live with this whether people like it or not, its not going to go away - just like other seasonal illnesses.

And what about the people who need to attend or visit hospitals. You can’t if you have Covid in the house.

I mean current advice is sentencing thousands of children to months or even years of debilitating illness due to long covid but you know, screw 'em, apparently. I wonder if they will forgive us.

Nevermindthesquirrels

We’re so not in this together. Some of you tucked away from school germ factories frankly don’t give a shit re school staff or pupils. Thankfully most parents do and the gov are giving guidelines which schools are following. There is no other side. We’re in a pandemic with a new virus. There are guidelines and schools are adhering to them. If you don’t like it arrange alternative childcare.

@charliesbookmarker

Everything you say about flu is true, but irrelevant. COVID and flu are completely different.

Anyone still saying COVID is like flu is thick.

We will have to live with this whether people like it or not, its not going to go away yes, but we need to live with it not try to ignore it.

@MrsMattMurdock

I mean current advice is sentencing thousands of children to months or even years of debilitating illness due to long covid but you know, screw 'em, apparently. I wonder if they will forgive us.

No it isn't. The risk is very very small for children. Stop scaremongering. there is more risk of flu to children yet no one starts thread upon thread about children not having the flu vaccine.

Lets not pretend this is about kids. This is about triple vaxed adults blaming children for covid when they could pick it up in Asda.

Firstly, the change in tone in many schools comes from higher up than the headteacher. In my town all schools are reinstating some form of Covid restrictions because they have been told to by the director of public health for our county. Schools, quite rightly, won't go against that advice.

Secondly, if Covid starts infecting significant numbers of staff in schools then schools/classes will shut. It doesn't matter if parents test their kids or not- schools are more likely to close if parents don't test their children.

At my DD's school the headteacher has been off school since early September with ongoing Covid related health issues. The week before half term they had 11 staff members out due to Covid or waiting for pcr results. Clubs were cancelled, swimming was cancelled. It doesn't matter if we're in 2021 with vaccines or 2020 without. If staff are getting ill, regardless of a vaccine, then there will be disruptions in schools. I honestly find it hard to believe that 18 months down the line and people are still not understanding that schools can't function normally without staff members.

@3asyp33l3r I work in a school actually. But thanks for the patronising input.

[quote rrhuth]@charliesbookmarker

Everything you say about flu is true, but irrelevant. COVID and flu are completely different.

Anyone still saying COVID is like flu is thick.

We will have to live with this whether people like it or not, its not going to go away yes, but we need to live with it not try to ignore it.[/quote]
A lot of peoples living with it is really hiding from it and expecting others to do the same.

If you are vulnerable then you need to shield/stay in.

You can't expect every one else to do the same.

Triple vaccination is neither here nor there. My Dh and I fully vaccinated. We’ve never been so ill and are both normally v healthy with no other conditions. Vaccinations don’t stop households from getting it from each other either. Read the threads fully vaccinated people are getting v ill with it.

there is more risk of flu to children yet no one starts thread upon thread about children not having the flu vaccine. This is not true, for under 5s if they catch it outcomes for flu can be worse but flu is less contagious.

Also COVID is more complicated.

We have to stop comparing them - although it is comforting it is not helpful.

A lot of peoples living with it is really hiding from it and expecting others to do the same.

If you are vulnerable then you need to shield/stay in.

How many times does it need to be explained THIS DOESNT WORK.

I know the UK has some literacy issues but this has been on the TV and radio too.

the boosters avaliable to those who need them...

I am sick to death of people spreading this piece of fake news. The booster vaccines are only available to vulnerable people 6 months after they got their first. If you were fucked over by the GP system waiting ages for a vaccine in the first place, you’re (like me) still waiting for a booster now despite being high risk. I’ve had to take my kids out of school this week because no one gives a shit about spreading covid anymore, even though we haven’t got through the booster programme.

@3asyp33l3r

Triple vaccination is neither here nor there. My Dh and I fully vaccinated. We’ve never been so ill and are both normally v healthy with no other conditions. Vaccinations don’t stop households from getting it from each other either. Read the threads fully vaccinated people are getting v ill with it.

The vaccine was never supposed to stop people from getting ill. The purpose was stop people from dying. And its working.

Its a bad virus, people are going to get sick.

@rrhuth

A lot of peoples living with it is really hiding from it and expecting others to do the same.

If you are vulnerable then you need to shield/stay in.

How many times does it need to be explained THIS DOESNT WORK.

I know the UK has some literacy issues but this has been on the TV and radio too.

What doesn't work? People getting on with their lives?

You don’t just get sick you get very sick. Shockingly sick considering we’ve had 2 vaccinations. And you can get left with long term symptoms. I really hope what I’ve been left with goes.People think the vaccinations stop you from getting really poorly or from getting it at all. They do neither.

They are trying to reduce the spread and keep the kids in education. I'm sure you don't want the school to close. Our school closed before half term as there were too many cases and the staff were ill. There were no online lessons as the staff were ill so the kids had to do without.

Kids are getting will with it and we are seeing kids coming back into school struggling with the after effects such as being unable to breathe properly.

Maybe thank the school for doing what they can to minimise the spread and protect your child.

Bonkers. At one point before half term we had 8 out of 30 kids home with it, plus the class teacher. I was in throughout, didn't catch it. One of my children was home with it, rest of the household didn't catch it. School has continued as normal

How big is the school? 20 seems like a lot of cases, far more than our local Primary has had.

A local primary school to me has closed 6 classes due to staff shortages this week, staff are all double jabbed and we went with the rules set by the government but cases were rising and staff were ending up in hospital . I think it was the right move and I feel schools get complained about whatever they do.

@3asyp33l3r

You don’t just get sick you get very sick. Shockingly sick considering we’ve had 2 vaccinations. And you can get left with long term symptoms. I really hope what I’ve been left with goes.People think the vaccinations stop you from getting really poorly or from getting it at all. They do neither.

No not every one gets very sick. Its still the very small minority of people that get hospitalised. The vast vast majority of people are able to deal with it with over the counter medicine.

Some still have no taste and other mild long term symptoms long after. Some have more severe long term symptoms which is still being looked in too. My Auntie still has no taste six months on. I agree its a shit virus but the overwhelming majority deal with by spending a few days in bed.

I will point out though that the vaccine also effects some people negatively. My eldest dd has a school friend ( they are both young women now) who has had multiple seizures a day since having the vaccine as is struggling to get answers of the consultants. But again its the very very small minority this effects. She is making a video log of the whole experience ( But we are not allowed to discuss that though are we?)

Both DD and I are double vaxxed. We have to for our jobs. We deal with the public every day. We do our best to stay safe - and carry on

@3asyp33l3r

You don’t just get sick you get very sick. Shockingly sick considering we’ve had 2 vaccinations. And you can get left with long term symptoms. I really hope what I’ve been left with goes.People think the vaccinations stop you from getting really poorly or from getting it at all. They do neither.

That's just your experience, it's by no means a universal truth It's certainly not my experience.

I live in an LA that topped the covid case charts last month. All after school club (both teacher run and paid care) are on, there are no bubbles and other than mask wearing at the school gates, normal life has returned as far as my kids are aware. They are so much happier than they were this time last year.

Schools in our authority now ask any child who lives with a positive case to remain at home and take a PCR test on day 3. If this is negative they can return to school and are asked to take a daily LFT.

Kids that are identified as close contacts of a positive case in school are asked to take a PCR test and return to school after a negative result.

I think this is really fair compromise. I'm more than happy for enhanced testing and some possible occasional missed days if it gives my children a more normal school experience.