Exposed to Coronavirus at school - no one knows, nothing being done

[coronavirusissueatschool]

Not sure what to do about this.

Have name changed.

I work in a school, at the front desk as a receptionist.

Within reception, we have students in daily who require medical attention (injuries), or who are sick. All teachers send sick kids to reception. Most of the time it feels like a doctors surgery. We have at any one time, at least 5-6 students in; injured, being sick, migraines, colds, coughs, fever etc etc

They sit in the waiting area. The same area that we also sit visitors/parents. Right next to me.

One of the parents has tested positive for Coronavirus. The student of the parent was still in school when we became aware of the test result. 111 said no need for student to go home.

The student was sat in reception the day before, sat on a coach for a school trip full of students prior to that. Whole school assembly. Still doing biometric thumb prints for canteen food.

Husband of positive case came in to reception, picking up another student, who was feeling unwell and felt like a cold was coming on. We ignored 111 advice, and sent both students home to self isolate.

Everything just carried on as normal after that. No cleaning. No information on what to do about contact students had with others.

We continued to have many students in throughout the afternoon, many with a dry cough, many with a fever. There's no where to put them.

Then we have 'helpful' comments from staff members saying 'you know they should be sat 2 metres apart with a cough/fever' and 'wish I hadn't come in here and exposed myself now'

But we are exposed. Every day. And I've had a shed load of bugs already. I feel like I work in a doctors surgery.

With coronavirus, it's just brought it all to such a realisation how at risk I am.

Over the top? Tell me I'm making a mountain out of a molehill?

What would you do? There's no hand sanitiser. We're not checking anyone coming in. We don't even have a thermometer to check for temperatures. There's no real guidance, and no one seems to taking this seriously. Lots of laughter, and 'flu kills more' type of comments.

But if it carries on, it won't be a case of IF but WHEN I get it.

That was longer than I thought it would be. Sorry.

My concern is for the many poorly students we have who are compromised with their heath.

Op, when I say whistle blow something anonymous.

Vague details, no name to local paper or the mail.

We are playing Russian roulette with people's lives

Can you find any best practice guidelines from anywhere with any clout and go to the head with your suggestions

I normally would approach things like that, but the head is a very difficult character. Quite dismissive of everything really.

Nothing to add but just want to say I feel sorry for school.staff being forced into this situation.

Oh, and if I were informed by anybody that I should be sitting kids 2m apart, I'd reply 'oh, does that mean you're offering the use of your office for isolation? That's very kind, I'll let the Business Manager know'.'

Teachers will get ill there is no doubt about that when you look at medics in China and Iran.

it wasn't so much a doctor's surgery as battlefield triage

So true. Everyone who come's in says 'it's like A&E in here'.

This is also similar to the higher ed institute my kids' father teaches in. Staff member tested positive, they closed down for a couple of days, didn't test other colleagues or the rest of the people at the institution although they may have tested his students, no cleaning etc, opened up again and it's business as usual.

It's bullshit. We don't even know if herd immunity will work with this thing as it is unclear whether or not you can get it twice.

We are playing Russian roulette with people's lives

I don't know what to do. But I'll be either getting it done from the top or doing something myself to try and keep people safer.

any students coughing, with a temperature should be sent home for a week. Maybe schools could find some of those mini tissue packs and anyone coughing given their own pack to take home, but asked to cover their mouths when coughing. I assume your school is regularly telling parents to keep any coughing kids at home?

Absolutely do not whistle blow to the media! That is exactly what will get you fired. You need to whistle blow to the correct place, through correct channels. I don't work in education so can't tell you what that is I'm afraid but you must have a whistle blowing policy that you can follow and by law you must be protected if you follow that policy (you're not protected by the law if you go to the media).

I dont know what to believe, as official reports say 6 cases in the county, and yet my sons teacher says that 50 people from the college are thought to have it

I assume your school is regularly telling parents to keep any coughing kids at home?

We have kids sent in every day, who are ill, and we end up sending a lot home. Parents even send their kids in when they have thrown up.

Even when they have thrown up in reception, and we phone home to get them to come in and collect, they seem very put out when we say don't come back for 48 hours after last episode of vomiting.

Another child we send home yesterday with a cough/fever, told parent he needed to self isolate for 7 days, was pretty pissed off. Granted, he'll be in on Monday

My child’s said there was a lot of sickness on Thursday! A lot of coughing since the school trip.

Funny that.

Purple are you in southern county? Initial letter in first 10 of alphabet and town initial letter in first 6? If so I think I know what you're talking about. If not then there's 2 areas with similar cases/suspected cases.

Not sure.

Southern

Buy a thermometer. A digital one. Well worth having.

Yes I'm south east and coastal county. Local college had a case in paper the other day. F.

Think we are on the same page.

I went round town after work and couldn't find anywhere with thermometers in stock. Shops said all sold out.

Our school (also SEast) has one parent with confirmed case of CV - their kids are now self-isolating.

Anecdotally, several kids are off with clear CV symptoms.

Headteacher sent message saying:
"I can confirm that at this time I know of no staff or students who have tested positive. "

Since nobody is being tested anymore this is probably 'technically' true, but it's very different to saying "At the moment we have x students off sick with CV symptoms"

Not Corona-related but we had a child recently who was clearly unwell and who had thrown up quite violently in school one afternoon and was sent home. They turned up at school next morning - parent had dropped and run and switched their phone off all day (back up contacts not answering either). Child told us said parent had a spa day booked.

CallmeAngelina - oh that boils my piss. Happens here a lot. I get exposed, teachers and all the other kids get exposed because someone can't be arsed to look after their child

Pebbles574 - yes, our letters our similar.

Im in Primary too. There is no plan, parents send in children with temperatures, coughs, d&v even when told not to and then don't answer phones.
It's not very helpful that Boris has talked about schools like babysitting services that must stay open to help parents.
It's extremely worrying how unprepared we are for the inevitable surge of cases.
Children aren't being hugely affected but will spread it so quickly.
We have no sanitiser in schools and are business as usual. Some companies have stopped outside visitors and meetings but not schools.
Very shortsighted.