to ask if your kids are going to school on Monday?

[MoonBlood]

I’ve been quite happy to follow government recommendations so far, but today my DD couldn’t go swimming with her mates as their parents are keeping them home. I made a comment that they’ll be surrounded by kids at school on Monday anyway and she said that their parents will be keeping them off now as they disagree that schools should be open. I was going to keep sending mine as long as they’re open, I’ve got three healthy teen kids but also a preschool child with asthma who ends up in hospital fairly regularly just from basic colds and am second guessing myself now?

How many of the parents keeping their children off school are also parents who didn’t get their children fully immunised when they should have done? I bet there’s a correlation there somewhere

Decided to keep my two off this morning.

I'll fully admit DH and I had a little chuckle at SIL posing for "homeschool" photos on Thursday night.

Funny how things can change in a weekend. I'm eating humble pie now.

Are you expecting your children to never get this? What’s your thinking? How long are you going to isolate you and your children for?

Who knows? I will wait and see. I'm intending to home educate until the gov publishes something that actually seems logical. I will watch what happens in Ireland, as our closest neighbours. Watch US, France, Spain etc. Listen to the WHO. Watch what happens in China when they remove lockdown. I will watch the NHS and see how they're coping with current numbers. I will look out for research on any long term issues for children.

And tbh the whole "it's just like flu" thing. I've had the flu. I wanted to DIE. Wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. I'm a single parent with two children, normally in illness I'd call on my 70 year old relative to help. I can't do that anymore. I can't imagine anything worse than lying in bed with "flu" and having two children in my care, with nobody to look after us. FUCK THAT.

I’ve heard it all now that herd immunity has been rubbished. Jesus wept , as are the scientists who invested the vaccines that have virtually eradicated MMR.

I thought what had been rubbished is herd immunity WITHOUT a vaccine program. I've heard this stated multiple times on the news by various experts.

As far as I know, they have no idea if catching this will give you immunity next time, and even less of an idea if catching it will give you immunity to further mutations.

The whole "herd immunity" strategy sounds like one big massive gamble to me.

And in fact, the last I heard the gov are now saying that's not the plan -- even though it was mentioned at the conference on Thursday night

My issue is I have relatives who work in a childcare setting right now and nobody has a fucking clue what the strategy is.

We're not doing social distancing -- so you'd assume the govs plan is to have it spread?

Yet the nursery is taking absolutely extreme measures to try to limit the spread. To the point that toys / books / equipment are being locked away over fears they can't be cleaned.

So.... we're sending kids to school in the hopes of it spreading really quickly while simultaneously trying to stop the spread?

The whole thing defies absolutely ALL logic.

Strike through fail 🙈

How many of the parents keeping their children off school are also parents who didn’t get their children fully immunised when they should have done? I bet there’s a correlation there somewhere

Not sure what sort of a correlation you’re looking for but mine have had every single vaccination. I have no truck with anti-vaxxers

I was working today and we had two children out from a class of 12 (special school). All the other children were in.

The reason they talked about herd immunity is because it's a useful excuse not to have an expensive lockdown. As is talking about behavioural science (the apparent certainty that a lockdown wouldn't be observed despite this being the first event of it's kind for a generation so no one actually knows) and pretending it's the kind of hard science used in medicine.

The reason they're backtracking on herd immunity now is because it's ethically unfeasible to use it as a strategy with an illness that has such a high mortality rate when other things could be tried first. You would have to be damn sure there was no other way. You'd have to be damn sure that having the virus even conferred immunity (they aren't).

And you'd have to have a bloody good reason for going for this option now rather than pressing hard for delay-given that the ventilators aren't ready (but will be later), the winter pressure on the NHS is still on (but will ease later), scientists think they'll have a much better idea of how to treat it by May (but don't know much now) and the data from every other country suggests that failing to trace and lockdown in a hard containment drive will lead to uncontrolled pressure on the NHS and deaths that could have been avoided were there fewer people needing treatment.

Herd immunity looks like Italy, basically. It's unjustified a human tragedy and wouldn't be considered by the ex leader of the NHS and ex minister for health, who are frothing at the mouth and pointing these things out to anyone who will listen. But hey, if Grandma has to die because 'life has to go on, why wouldn't it?' it'sb straight past her grave to so called herd immunity. And no, it's not unavoidable that grandparents have to care for kids if the schools close. Over 60 percent of people can work from home. Awkward and financially crippling, perhaps. Not impossible.

You'd also have to be pretty damn sure the illness wasn't likely to cause long term damage in those that have it, no?

I love that posters keep prattling on telling us that our children will have to catch this eventually. I personally don't want my children having it during an explosion of new cases and I don't want to cause any additional people to catch this. It has been well therorised That 20pc of people will need medical help and 5pc will be severe. If the NHS becomes overwhelmed the correct help may not be available for a great proportion of that 20pc. I would rather we were taking more precautions, lower numbers catching this until we can get a vaccine. And from that I have kept my children off. It isn't ideal and we will lose money but I would be a hypocrite not to.

Immunisations all up to date here, thanks very much. I'm a cautious (okay, anxious) person and like to know my kids are protected from unnecessary illness. Hence keeping them at home until we know more, have more resources and the government release some coherent, logical, factual information.

Hi everyone! Well we are new to the UK (great timing huh?) and I have a one year old and a 4 year old who is in reception right now. I am refusing to send her at school for all the above mentioned here. To my understanding as she is younger than 5 I have the legal right to just take her off right? Thank u for any input :) and yes we are healthy with some underlying issues but I am not gonna risk our health for a strategic who is not clear yet (today they say they do not want herd immunity) for a totally new virus and most of all, I do not want to be the one to spread it to the elderly or high risk people.

The rules differ depending on which bit of the UK you're in, and which LA (local authority) you have.

As far as I know, and in my experience, though, most schools are being supportive of those keeping kids at home.

Good to know thank you!

Decision was partly made for me as DD1 school is closed anyway due to a confirmed case. They plan to reopen later in the week and I will reassess then. At the same time she has developed a cough but is very happy doing her online learning. Have taken the other one out for now. I’ve heard of two more confirmed cases locally in the last 24 hours but the schools are insisting they stay open (for now). At least parents evenings have been cancelled.

More fuckwittery: mans work colleague tested positive, man, having worked with him and knowing the positive result goes to family wedding and numerous other social outings. Mans extended family member now tested positive and man & his wife posting on social media about how everyone should stay in. Selfish fucks. This is why my children aren’t going to school. People are stupid and selfish.

Does anyone know, if one member of my household has symptoms and needs to self isolate, do the rest of us need to self isolate?
Just thinking about my decision to keep kids off and doing it officially, would be easier to say this really.

New rules literally just announced. If one person has symptoms the whole household has to self isolate for 14 days and not go out even for food.

Also noted he says no non essential contact- but still hasn’t closed schools

Can someone please list the new rules ?
Are they laws or just guidelines ?

Not go out for food?!

@Hasa 👍

New rules

If any person in the family has a cough or fever the whole family must self isolate for 14 days. Must not go out since must not have contact with other people.
All unnecessary travel must stop
Everyone who can work from home must
Non essential social contact must stop. No pubs, clubs, theatres, cinemas, restaurants etc
Large gatherings stopped
From this weekend over 70s and anyone who is vulnerable due to health condition must self isolate for 12 weeks.
schools open for now but they will have conferences everyday and this will be under review.

Serious stuff.

No pubs, clubs

DH works in a Pub/Club :(
I wish they'd just fucking close. But they're to greedy for that. They're just making them cut costs and push sales.
Great considering we have young children at home who are going to school

They will close since there will be nobody there.