Time to close the schools

[PaddyF0dder]

I can’t believe I’m saying this. I’m a dad to 3 very young boys. Our eldest is nearly 6 and is on the spectrum. Our twins are nearly 3. They’re hard work when they’re stuck in the house. I also work as a doctor in the NHS. Closing the schools would be a nightmare for us.

I think we need to do it, and do it early.

Watching how this virus is spreading, seeing how harmful it’s been in other countries, reading the stats on transmission, burned on healthcare etc... closing schools and nurseries really seems to be the most logical step.

The UK is at a turning point. We’re entering the stage of sustained transmission. We may already be too late. But we might still have time to enact draconian measures early as opposed to late. Closing school and nurseries. Limiting travel around the country. It seems inevitable that these things will happen, but doing it early might save the lives of the sick and vulnerable.

I honestly don’t know how my family will cope with it. We have absolutely no family support re childcare. We both work hard jobs in the NHS. I wish there was a better option. But the more I look at the facts of this outbreak, the more obvious it gets.

We need to reduce viral transmission. There are many ways, and all must be done. One such way is to close schools and nurseries. We need to do it now.

How about we have the Easter holidays early and close for two weeks.

Rather than closing schools, far better to keep all the children quarentined in. That way they won't be out passing it around.

Unsurprisingly our head wasn't keen. 😁

Time to close non essential holidays to Italy, China and close schools.

Why has Italy been so hard hit?

Chinese workers in the factories in the North?

Surely all holidays are non-essential?

Our numbers may be much higher

Nhs 111 link below actually tells you to do nothing even if you have all the symptoms

I went through it and tested it - said no to all the travel questions but yes to all the symptoms and it still said not to do anything so even symptomatic people are being dismissed in terms of not being tested etc

Therefore many mild cases are probably being missed

I know I’ve had a sore throat all week and have felt off but you can’t diagnose everyone with CV based on generalised symptoms which are very common this time of year

111.nhs.uk/

Chinese workers in the factories in the North?

No. The areas with the largest numbers of Chinese have had fewer cases so it really isn't helpful to suggest this.

@rayn this is exactly what has happened in the UAE.

Tourism.
Chinese are prolific tourists the past 10, 15 years.

Tourism.
Chinese are prolific tourists the past 10, 15 years.

They go everywhere though, not just Italy.

If schools close how many working parents will be using grandparents as childcare? Therefore spreading the virus to those most at risk of death.

So in countries where there isn't so much testing, are people dying but the cause has been put down to say pneumonia and not Coronavirus, as they haven't tested even after death?

I went through it and tested it - said no to all the travel questions but yes to all the symptoms and it still said not to do anything so even symptomatic people are being dismissed in terms of not being tested etc

This UK is testing asymptomatic people and people without travel risk factors, but they are only doing it in designated areas, called 'sentinel sites'. This is to avoid overwhelming laboratories with swabs. I am sure you can understand that labs need to prioritise the highest risk patients and we do not have the capacity to test everyone with respiratory symptoms.

So one of the cases in BCP attended the gym by smyths on Friday. My best friend and her husband were there on Friday, the gym has just rung them. Very close to home now!

@feesh hi from the UAE you are right, much lower proportion of women work here.

I think it's 80/20 who don't work versus the other way round in the UK.

I work like a dog as do all my friends. The shut down is causing chaos for us. I don't know anyone who is being allowed to work from home.

I’m also interested to know why Italy has been so hard hit?

Wrong thread whoops ignore me

So in countries where there isn't so much testing, are people dying but the cause has been put down to say pneumonia and not Coronavirus, as they haven't tested even after death?

In some poorer countries, this is probably happening, but the high profile countries (Italy, China, SK etc) will be testing everyone who dies of respiratory illness in affected regions. The number of CV deaths in these countries should be accurate - with the possible exception of China at the start of the outbreak, when they were still in denial.

I’m also interested to know why Italy has been so hard hit?

I don't think anyone has come up with a convincing explanation. Maybe it's not one thing, but a combination of bad luck - lots of older people, lots of travellers to ski over half-term etc?

I’m also interested to know why Italy has been so hard hit?

PS, for those still worrying about children, it's worth remembering that the 3 worst affected countries so far have some of the world's lowest numbers of children, as a percentage of population.

Over large parts of sub-Saharan Africa people just die all the time. Often people dont know why and often as a combination of things - HIV and malaria fi. There is no formal system of post mortem, they just bury you before nightfall.

I’m also interested to know why Italy has been so hard hit?

Not sure but it might have been there a while before being picked up so maybe it's just got it ealier getting by chance?

www.theguardian.com/world/2020/feb/28/coronavirus-may-have-been-in-italy-for-weeks-before-it-was-detected

The new coronavirus may have circulated in northern Italy for weeks before it was detected ...The claim follows laboratory tests that isolated a strain of the virus from an Italian patient, which showed genetic differences compared with the original strain isolated in China and two Chinese tourists who became sick in Rome

Certainly the deaths in the UK seem to have been reported as died with the disease, rather than from the disease. So we know the same isn't true elsewhere?
Just through chance, some dying people will contract it.