Spain: this is what happens when you close the schools

[Hopeisnotastrategy]

murciatoday.com/murcian_government_decrees_enforced_quarantine_of_a_guilas_san_pedro_san_javier_los_alca_zares_cartagena_la_unia_n_and_mazarra_n_1353560-a.html?fbclid=IwAR0iqy14FgcHMXspstqQKdALOm-xMVg5S9qkgIV4P8FC55gMNaPf750XlJA

Families leaving Madrid and heading for the coast are spreading the virus throughout the country. A week ago the province of Murcia was only getting its first case of coronavirus.

CatEnabler I don't think I understand. If the children aren't in school what does it matter where they are?

@Mummyoflittledragon and @CallmeAngelina American citizens are exempt because, well, they’re Americans. They’re repatriating back to their country and should/need to be let in. It’s not a commentary on having über genes or anything.

Also in Ireland and social distancing has been taken very seriously. Play centres have closed, the council has closed the playgrounds and work has been sent home from school. Almost everyone I have spoken to about has enforced some sort of structure to their day ( school work between 10-1 etc)

@Bool
I don’t believe China thinks it is out of the woods. As pp have said this is a marathon, not a sprint. They are worried about a second spike when restrictions are relaxed and also reinfection from people returning to China.
Things are starting to return to normal, but my dd’s School is still closed and will have a staggered reopening. It is sensible to be cautious, but perhaps there is a teeny tiny glimmer of light.

@bool No one knows that. There is not the research to back up that conclusion. They are gambling.

@bool And people still die of flu. So even if the gamble is right, people will die of this virus every year.

Which do you think is the best approach to this ShanghaiDiva?

@ShanghaiDiva yes my colleagues in China are all returning to the office as we are all now working from home. I do hope that it won’t return to China I really do.

Yes,, me too Bool as I would really like to go home and resume my life.

Shanghai are you in a quarantine facility?

Sorry if you’ve been asked 100 times!

@NellyGrace I think this is an utter shit show and whatever the best outcome will be awful. I studied virology at university years ago and this has always been my worst nightmare and I could see it coming since it kicked off in China. I had a little cry last night and sometimes it still overwhelms me. But what the chief scientist and chief medical officer is saying makes the most sense. I think we are at the very bottom of an enormous spike and so we all now need to work together to flatten that spike out - just as they say. So we don’t overwhelm our health system. But Boris is right - we are going to lose loved ones before their time and he was right to be truthful about that. The CMO and scientist have modelled the most effective ways to flatten the peak and have told us all to do it. That modelling is clearly laid out in this video below. It is an interesting 45 minute watch. This virus though is not going to ‘fizzle out’ by magic. The only way to really beat it is by some form of population immunity which will prevent it spreading. People don’t like that because it is not palatable. It is more palatable to think we can hide away and it will go away. It won’t. It will spring back. And maybe harder than ever.

No fresh fruit or vegetables, no sausages, no milk, no loo paper, no anti bac liquid soap in my local largish Tesco.
I'm in Ireland and dc home from school.

Bool it’s interesting you studied virology good to have that insight. I feel like you really. Feeling really tense about it atm.

Wales has cancelled all planned non urgent surgeries and is taking other measures.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-51877667

@NellyGrace
I Think that with no vaccine and a long incubation period, social distancing is all we have. Reducing contact with others means it is easier to trace contacts and also means fewer people become ill at the same time. I believe this has worked in China, although the measures taken have been extreme.
I am taking a similar approach now. I am staying with my mum who is 78 and am not allowing her to leave home (my authoritarian measures must be as a result of living in a totalitarian state for 12 years!) but joking aside, I think this is the safest option for her at the moment.

I'm loving all the 'experts' on this thread who know more than the CMO (and other scientists making decisions on our behalf). .

@AutumnRose1
No, ironically I am back in the uk. We left China back in January for a holiday and cannot get home. My dh is working in H.K and I am here with dd.
When we get a flight back (none to my city at the moment) we then need to have 14 days isolation at home.

Oh I see Shanghai. Hope you get home soon.

Yes, me too. Dd really misses her dad. She hasn’t seen him for a month.

I hope people dont take the opportunity to travel to their holiday homes. I'm in Norfolk and we are the only place in the UK so far (could have changed since yesterday) with no cases. I think as soon as the schools close we will have a massive spike as people come here to their second homes and students come home.

How long can children stay isolated from other children, no playdates, no playareas for realistically

They'll have to, for as long as it takes, if it's a matter of life and death. Anne Frank lived in an attic, refugees live in camps, it's not the worst thing ever to be alive and healthy and unable to go on playdates

I'm genuinely concerned about who is going to look after my toddler if they close the nursery. I'm a nurse, I cannot and will not consider not working in a time where I'm most needed, but if I can't send him to his at risk grandparents, then what am I supposed to do? I know that France is allegedly offering childcare for their healthcare workers, but what does that look like? I'm not leaving a three year old with complete strangers.

Bool when you say it’s a shit show, I’m not sure what you mean, because you also say that you think the CMO is giving good advice.

one of my esoteric interests was about the Black Death - actually about how society recovered - but although this has ABSOLUTELY NO comparison - you have only to read a little about it to realize that in 1347/49 as it spread across Europe (Decameron anybody? - although I know that was fiction) people ran away to escape taking the infection with them - especially the rich (the same thing happened in 1665 outbreak) & People did the same with Ebola etc - & its quite understandable if you are frightened & don't believe it can happen to you. Obviously it defies the whole reason of trying to control the outbreak.

Echo everything being said by my fellow Irish posters.

It's been taken very seriously by everyone - kids included. My kids have been doing elbow-touches (is there a proper word?!) for about a fortnight now instead of hugs - with me!

I think one reason everyone is taking it seriously is that that's the line taken by Government. Quite honestly, they didn't give us a choice - and in this case I think it's right. Everyone was told 'this is what's happening' and undoubtedly it's causing hardship for some people (self-employed etc) & childcare issues. (I'm fortunate - I work in a university so we are now working from home, and it's understood you won't get a full days work done if you're minding kids. In fact you have a choice about not working from home if you can't due to caring responsibilities. And I'll get paid. And will still pay my childminder) But I think people are seeing the gravity & accepting it's literally life or death.

We'll go outside to wide open spaces but not to anywhere public or meet friends, do play dates. Teachers did amazing work getting homework together, thank God. Some structure!