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.

Lilgreen- she was retweeted by Chris Van Tulleken in the last few days. He is an infectious diseases doctor, associate professor at UCL and also operation ouch. His account is really interesting reading, I was looking at what people around him were saying.

Agreed EYProvider - in most of these businesses staff costs are a huge proportion of income, plus all the other costs which aren't just going to go away. The money simply won't be there to pay people with zero income as most aren't running huge reserves, and insurance (where it exists) will be slow to pay out if it does at all. I'd expect to see mass redundancies, there will simply be no choice for many.

Agree @lilgreen. Peter Piot (virologist who identified Ebola back in 1976, very respected, spent his life chasing down viruses), wrote in The Times last week that he estimated 2 thousand infections in the UK already. Many people not being tested, because we have no real idea what the actual extent of this thing is. Many people only getting mild symptoms so assuming cold/other virus, etc.

My daughter technically has most of the symptoms - shes only one and GP diagnosed chest infection, but there was no testing and realistically the symptoms could be...I don't for a moment think she has it but it does suggest that the number of cases is much higher than known (and therefore death and complication rates lower)

COBRA meeting held and nothing is changing.

How many people will be able to survive if they have to be off work and only get £95 per week SSP? I reckon people will continue going to work anyway as long as they are legally able to do so because people have families to feed. If the Govt really wants to slow the spread of the virus they should extend SSP to the actual amount of people’s lost wages so that there is no financial wages burden on businesses or individuals. And it should include people who are and employed or on zero hour contracts )based on their average take home pay).

^should include people who are self employed.

Ssp is current paid by businesses- they would need the government to start paying it too.

Didn't read the whole thread but I think it's more of the priority to pressure companies to let workers work from home whenever it is possible. I can do my job at home but my company always against wfh even though it is a IT Cloud company, they don't have the best company reviews so not surprising. I now continue to commute on busy train journeys everyday, catching and passing on whatever i might have to and from other commuters UNNECESSARY.

Shutting down schools will cause so much problems to working parents like us, I am not aware and kids have caught it. Unless government have the power to exempt us from work then it means we will lose our jobs over school locked down.

I had all the symptoms the other week, following the timeline. But apart from some friends who flew back from Thailand just as it was kicking off and my sister coming back from SA I haven't been in contact with anyone suspect. So there is no chance it is, but it didn't occur to me until I read an article th other week and I suspect many others will have been the same

stayistically the Govt should pay all of the sick pay during this crisis. I had assumed SSP was claimed back by companies from the Govt like SMP. It’s pretty shit that they are expecting businesses to pay SSP whilst potentially being shut and losing money and it’s also shit that they are expecting people to survive on £95 a week.

Too late!

Yep. the time was about 2 weeks ago.
One of the independant scientists, not on gov pay roll reckons there's approx 2k infected in UK and Eater is looking pretty grim and will peak here.
I wouldn't want to be having to try to gain access into the country after a Easter holiday if this is the case. Not that I'm going anywhere.

So many conflicting numbers flying around, it's who to believe.

I don't understand why people think they can't have it because they haven't or don't know anybody who has travelled, it's in the UK now so it can spread to anybody just by going to the shops or public transport. Especially if people aren't being tested unless they've been to an at risk area because surely those people are going about their business because they can. The numbers being released are official numbers but surely so many more people have it now?

stripes

I don't mind admitting I'm a bit dense, quite low IQ, but some of the things I'm reading make me look like Einstein.

Did you know kids can't catch the virus?
This is what worries me and other such classics.

How ridiculous. Who looks after the kids whilst they’re off school ? A majority of my friends, nurses, have children. So we leave our healthcare system even more short staffed ? Unless this is deemed necessary by WHO you need to calm down.

Ah yes, Keep calm and Carry On. The British way. Because obviously a virus knows we are Battling Brits!

Meanwhile, the American way has Trump political points scoring, minimising sufferers and doing the 'It's just flu and not even as bad' line.

@Devlesko I wasn't directing that to you I mean people generally saying they can't have it for that reason. I've read it on here a lot that 111 are saying to people that unless they've been in contact with somebody that has it you most likely don't, which I understand why it's being said but I also don't believe the number they've given is the right number.

@devlesko reading back what you wrote I dont think you thought I was aiming it at you. I think I need to read things properly

stripes

I know my love, it just seemed like you were hearing as much rubbish as me

Runmybath

Wouldn't it have been better for your friend to be absent in orer to contain the virus, rather than likely being off ill themself or with ill child during the peak when she will be missed?

The government has done nothing to contain this disease but somehow the UK population think it won't be the same for us.
Economy is more important than lives. The survival of the fittest, everyone else can whistle whilst they trudge with job and childcare worries.

Economy is more important than lives

It's not a case of "economy is more important than lives" but they have to be balanced because they don't exist in isolation. It has been proven many times that recession costs lives. Look at what has happened with austerity, and if the economy takes a significant hit then it may cost lives in the long run. That's before you account for the many other impacts of increased poverty and so on.

• I had assumed SSP was claimed back by companies from the Govt like SMP. It’s pretty shit that they are expecting businesses to pay SSP whilst potentially being shut and losing money and it’s also shit that they are expecting people to survive on £95 a week.

Agree on all fronts, but right now they pay none of it. Small businesses in particular simply won't be able to pay it in many cases and will have no choice but to lay people off, make them redundant, or fold.

We'll have to beg to differ.
Containment should have been a priority, then we'd be looking at fewer cases, and a lesser number during the peak.
It seems like we're fucked with most of the front line essential workers being parents, who'll need to be off for their children, during the peak.
We hear complaints of what about childcare if schools closed, what the fuck will people do when school closes and we're all ill.

Rory Stewart has a different take form Johnson:

The government has made a serious mistake today. They should be acting much more aggressively to contain coronavirus.
Schools should be shut now. If the government are not prepared to shut them now, they should - at the very least - state clearly and transparently what their triggers will be for closing schools over the next few days.
All medium and large gatherings should be cancelled. All passengers coming from hotspots should be tested and quarantined. There is no excuse for passengers not being tested off a plane from Milan last night.
There is no justification for half-hearted measures. The government and the Mayor keep saying they are simply following “scientific advice”. But the scientists are clear that this is now a political decision - on whether the government are prepared to spend very serious sums of money, and take a large economic hit, to maximise protection of the population.

I agree with Rory Stewart-he speaks sense.

I do also fedup .
As someone who can stay home with my child & has already lost 2 children I am considering keeping my DS home from school .
After seeing the updates from WHO organisation today ,I don't believe our government is acting in our best interests.
I lost one of my children to an undiagnosed heart condition & my ds hasn't been cleared yet . I have spoken about hand hygiene constantly but do kids really listen ? I no longer can be sure that is enough myself anyway .