Will history write we have failed children over this time?

[Bewareofisms]

I have just read a BBC article stating that 6 healthy children (in the UK) have died from Covid over the course of the pandemic. Six. We have closed schools and imposed all these "bubble" rules for this, the impact on children's mental health will remain to be seen.
I have an acquaintance working with social services that has personally been involved in dealing with children that have lost their lives from abuse over this period. She, one person, has personally been involved in many more than 6 cases over this time. She hasn't stopped. Vulnerable children have been "lost" due to school closures. The impact of that will far outweigh the deaths from Covid. I wonder if they will ever release the true figures here...

In 100 years time will it be written that we utterly failed children over this pandemic? 😞

I didn't know ANY healthy children had died. Could you post a link?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-57766717?atcampaign=64&attcustom4=340C704C-E094-11EB-8955-130A16F31EAE&atmedium=custom7&attcustom1=%5Bpost+type%5D&atcustom3=BBC+Family+%26+Education+News&attcustom2=facebookpage&fbclid=IwAR1ey0PWoV83xxeqMevM7K-nZKKHb7qUmQxp6nr0zqq-YQMd52bnjnUWlBw

It wasn't about them. It was about them catching it taking it home and it continuing to spread in the community

It wasn't necessarily to keep them safe.

Deaths of children arenot the only deaths that affect children.

No I think the most shocking situation is how we were clearly failing children before and will continue to fail them after.

And as far as I was aware the aim wasn't to protect the children.

I know 2 children who have been utterly traumatised by seeing their mother taken out of the house in March 2020, by people I'm the equivalent of hazmat suits, never to see her again.

In 100 years time will it be written that we utterly failed children over this pandemic? 😞

I think everyone has struggled and been messed up, not just children.

Children were being failed before this pandemic - children in abusive homes ignored due to underfunding of social services. Children 'lost' to education and no follow-up. Children in truly inadequate schools without qualified teachers. Children with severe mental health issues unable to access support.

Don't think the problems will be solved by the pandemic and restrictions ending.

Donate to children's charities. Write to your MP about the totally inadequate catch-up funding. Sign Young Minds' campaign for funding for local mental health support hubs for children.
youngminds.org.uk/get-involved/campaign-with-us/fund-the-hubs/
Don't vote conservative.

I'm not sure why teachers and school staff should be exposed to it unnecessarily, nor parents, grandparents etc.

It was never about protecting children from it, just like it isn't now.

On the abuse side of things I think sadly all that has happened is that what was already happening has been highlighted. I doubt in the vast majority of cases they went from a lovely safe home to an abusive one simply because of the pandemic. What is important now is making sure we have systems in place which protect young people.

It’s easy to look back now with hindsight but we had to deal with the situation as we knew it at the time. Closing schools wasn’t just about protecting the children but the staff, parents, grandparents and wider community.

It isn't just about the children that die. Children are also affected by family members dying because they brought covid home from school.

Schools also have Staff. School closures also protected thousands of adults. Many of these would be vulnerable esp to covid.

Some children are vulnerable - how many of those children still does despite schools closing? And many of those kids are in standard state schools.

Comparing healthy children in the UK (massively cutting the data set, what about unhealthy children, they don't mater?) and then comparing to a set of abused children which existing medical before COVID and will exist after, shows you don't understand relative risk.

There is sometimes not a right answer.

I think that their mental health is screwed. Every conversation I have with my friends at the moment is about a child's mental health.

Yesterday it was a friend whose child has been diagnosed with tourettes (consultant said cases have rocketed, definitely following the pattern of lockdowns).

Today a friend called me about her depressed 12 year old.

I'm feeling numb now, and I'm a relatively competent 50 year old. Imagine trying to navigate teenage years in these circumstances.

So, yes, I think history will say we have failed children and also the elderly... another story.

And of course those 6 tragic deaths of children came even with the restrictions in place. Would probably be a pretty safe assumption that more would have died or become ill if they had been in school.

@CrouchEndTiger12

It wasn't about them. It was about them catching it taking it home and it continuing to spread in the community

It wasn't necessarily to keep them safe.

But I have also read that the evidence showing that children pass it on is debatable to say the least...

@lazylinguist

Deaths of children arenot the only deaths that affect children.

Of course not. Who would say / think that?!?

You know it’s not just children in schools, right?

Not only do you have school staff, including kitchen staff, cleaners, office staff, therapists etc but you have parents dropping off and picking up. And if schools are open you need the buses to be running, the catering suppliers to be delivering, maintenance staff coming in.

Closing schools was not simply to protect children but their families, as well as the school staff and countless other people involved in keeping a school running.

@Romanoff

No I think the most shocking situation is how we were clearly failing children before and will continue to fail them after.

This is unfortunately true. But doesn't change the additional failure over this time I don't think?

But I have also read that the evidence showing that children pass it on is debatable to say the least...

That's incorrect. The evidence we have shows that they do (admitted by SAGE at Christmas which is why they shut schools in January). I can see them passing it around my school for sure.

@MrsTerryPratchett

Comparing healthy children in the UK (massively cutting the data set, what about unhealthy children, they don't mater?) and then comparing to a set of abused children which existing medical before COVID and will exist after, shows you don't understand relative risk.

There is sometimes not a right answer.

The vulnerable children just get to isolated at home and excluded from school and socialising whilst everyone else carries on because they're seen as less important than other children. Or at least that's what I was repeatedly told over the last 14 months.

But I have also read that the evidence showing that children pass it on is debatable to say the least...

My nephew brought it home to my sister.

@noblegiraffe

Children were being failed before this pandemic - children in abusive homes ignored due to underfunding of social services. Children 'lost' to education and no follow-up. Children in truly inadequate schools without qualified teachers. Children with severe mental health issues unable to access support.

Don't think the problems will be solved by the pandemic and restrictions ending.

Donate to children's charities. Write to your MP about the totally inadequate catch-up funding. Sign Young Minds' campaign for funding for local mental health support hubs for children.
youngminds.org.uk/get-involved/campaign-with-us/fund-the-hubs/
Don't vote conservative.

They will not be solved, of course not. But do you not think things were made even worse over this time by the government actions more so than the virus itself?

But I have also read that the evidence showing that children pass it on is debatable to say the least...

Me, my partner, my son, my parents, my brother and his wife and children all caught it....from my daughter in late Feb 2020.

Maybe my daughter is the medical outlier. But how on earth would it not spread form children.

Why is my sons classed closed? There was one confirmed case. We were asked to do our test, and there's 3. More likely the first child gave it to the others unknowingly. They wouldn't be closing classes if kids didn't pass it on.

So what was your solution?

Remembering at the point the decision was made little was known about the infection other than it spread rapidly and it killed lots.

Given some children are clinically vulnerable or clinically extremely vulnerable.

Given schools have adults as staff and they may be at risk.

Given young people may live with high risk adults.

Without any benefit of hindsight what would you have done?

@SleepingStandingUp

It isn't just about the children that die. Children are also affected by family members dying because they brought covid home from school.

Schools also have Staff. School closures also protected thousands of adults. Many of these would be vulnerable esp to covid.

Some children are vulnerable - how many of those children still does despite schools closing? And many of those kids are in standard state schools.

Children can test positive and most are a symptomatic. I have read findings that show that people with no symptoms (not people that are about to become ill, people that never get ill) are unlikely to pass it on. These findings are quietened down (which makes me take more notice).

Let's stop believing the narrative painted of children as these "super spreaders". Think about the fact that this picture must be painted to justify the actions taken. Now think about the whole thing again...