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Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Covid

Are we key worker parents and our families just not important?

123 replies

Bbq1 · 19/03/2020 16:42

Fuming and so angry that schools are opening for children of key workers. It's ok for non working parents and non essential people to stay at home but the rest of us working people are just thrown to the dogs to take our chances? I work in an educational setting where the sick and vulnerable children will attend while we are exposed to the illness. Surely they are the very children that should be staying home while schools open for healthy children?

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AlwaysCheddar · 19/03/2020 16:45

Sorry but yabu a bit as the work the police and emergency services and nhs do is far more important in this situation, and they have to draw the line somewhere.

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Greysparkles · 19/03/2020 16:45

Seriously.

I'm a "non essential worker"
Still have to go to work though! To provide food for my family. Except I now have the extra added stress of childcare on top

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Coffeeandnutrients · 19/03/2020 16:46

Suppose those nurses and doctors also looking after the sick and vulnerable should also be able to stay home as they’re at risk?

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zelbazinnamon · 19/03/2020 16:48

so should everyone stay at home? Or do you think some people should be obliged to continue working, just not people in your role?

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Marieo · 19/03/2020 16:48

So every single one of us stays at home, no healthcare workers retail, amenities, delivery drivers, shop workers, sound great. What you really mean is that you expect them to carry on working, but you would like to be at home. Yes it's crap, but it is what it is at the moment- and I say this with both of us classed as essential workers so will be expected to carry on.

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GrumpyHoonMain · 19/03/2020 16:48

You think children with SEN and Social services involvement should be staying home? Really? Are you actually a teacher because every teacher I know in real life agrees with this policy. Adjustments are made for teachers with high risk conditions or with family with high risk conditions - in my SIL’s area 3 schools are opening out of 30. All low risk teachers are in the rota. All high risk teachers are either designing the lesson plans (for either face to face or remote lessons) or preparing lessons for after the shut down.

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Shamoo · 19/03/2020 16:49

They mean vulnerable in terms of not having safe environments / regular food etc at home, not vulnerable as in health, surely. The provisions on self isolation if you or your family are ill still apply. The intention is that the lack of other people out creates the social distancing needed to protect everybody - kids sat at least 2m apart.

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SimonJT · 19/03/2020 16:50

So if you become ill you’ll be happy to have no access to healthcare?

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Tootletum · 19/03/2020 16:50

Lot of those non essential people won't work at all and won't get paid. Some have already lost jobs. Also rather fucked, really. Not sure competing for the pity party is terribly helpful.

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Jobseeker19 · 19/03/2020 16:50

In my nursery there are a lot of parents who are working from home and still want to sent their child in because their partner is a key worker.
They are putting a lot of pressure of staff who want to isolate with their own children.

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Marieo · 19/03/2020 16:50

Also why are you going to have sick children? Yes some might be more likely to pick it up and be asymptomatic if their parents are out and about, but they aren't going to be going in poorly. You really wish vulnerable children were left at home for months, nice. On the flip side, you have a secure job and aren't worrying how to pay the bills, a luxury many people don't have at the moment.

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Welshmaenad · 19/03/2020 16:51

I'm busting my ass trying to get people discharged from hospital to free up beds. You'd rather I stayed at home watching my 9y/o play Minecraft??

I'm one of the people who are supposed to be isolating for 12 weeks (neuro condition, on immunosuppressants, diabetic) but I'm in and out of hospitals and people's homes on emergency visits because keeping people safe is my job.

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lampsandrain · 19/03/2020 16:51

I do think that only essential workers should be going into work at the moment. IMO, teaching doesn’t fall into that category

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LambriniSocialist · 19/03/2020 16:52

Unless you or your kids are in a high risk category, in which case you will have to self isolate for 12 weeks anyway won't you, its unlikely that Covid 19 will make you particularly poorly. I am in the same boat as you, the kids I work with are both vulnerable and superspreaders as they have zero concept of hygiene, but it is what it is. We are 'key workers' - the clue is in the name!

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Ostagazuzulum · 19/03/2020 16:52

There was a list in the local paper that suggested that childcare providers will be included in list of key workers so you should be fine.
I think you are being bit unreasonable ( I see your point and frustration butter idea is to limit the amount of children going to school and key workers are based in what government deems to be the most essential propel to keep the country going. If loads of nhs go off to look after their kids then who looks after the sock people? If loads of police go off (and majority have young families) who will ensure people are safe. When a vulnerable child is at home all day with their a suite parent, who will turn up to protect that child, when certain people start getting violent with each other who will turn up to make sure people are safe and protected if police are off looking after their kids? Who sells us our stuff or keeps the supermarkets running to help us with logistics to get through this period of the supermarket workers are at home looking after their kids?

Have you ever considered that some of those key workers might not be that comfortable with their kids being in school still hit have no choice?

I know it's tough for very one but I think we might need to look at the bigger picture. Personally i don't like the schools shutting as I worry for the kids who's only meal and place of safety is at school (and although those children are included in kids that can go to school, realistically will their parent S bother to get up and take them?) but we just have to crack on with it best we can and hope it gets sorted x

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Keepcalmanddoyourbit · 19/03/2020 16:53

@Coffeeandnutrients
Not really the same is it. This type of comment is stupid and seems to be very popular on MN
NHS workers are used to dealing with sick people and generally have the protection and equipment to manage the risk and reduce the chances of transmission.

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Parker231 · 19/03/2020 16:54

If teachers don’t work where do you think the DC’s of key workers are going to go? Some people have no sense. DH is a doctor and they need additional cleaners, can I put your name down rather than you stay at home.

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Ostagazuzulum · 19/03/2020 16:54

There's a lot of typos in my post! Sorry but I'm multitasking!

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Littlemissdaredevil · 19/03/2020 16:55

If everyone working in the nhs with kids had to stay at home to look after them we wouldn’t have enough staff in the hospital!

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LambriniSocialist · 19/03/2020 16:55

I do think that only essential workers should be going into work at the moment. IMO, teaching doesn’t fall into that category

Well that just shows that you know absolutely nothing all about some of the children who are in UK schools right now.

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Marieo · 19/03/2020 16:55

@Keepcalmanddoyourbit the NHS don't have the equipment to sufficiently keep medical staff safe though, that's the problem. If you think otherwise then you are very much mistaken.

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Parker231 · 19/03/2020 16:56

I would hope that the schools remain open over the school holidays as the key workers aren’t going to be able to take any holidays for months.

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lampsandrain · 19/03/2020 16:58

Thing is, parker, our secondary school had six children in it today, and all staff who weren’t self isolating (normally 1200.)

No way does the school need around fifty members of staff for six kids.

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Peanutbutteryogurt · 19/03/2020 16:59

What? As an essential worker (I am one too) you should feel some sense of responsibility to help keep society functioning.

And, fwiw, schools are closing to protect the health of children, children don't suffer badly with it from what we know. It's to stop the spread. The gov obviously feel that some children, with Sen or on care plans etc, are still better off in school. Which makes a lot of sense. There is a post on MN from today where the op is worried about being isolated with her SEN son as he is violent towards her.

I work in the NHS and am more than willing to keep going to work to keep things running. I'm not in a high risk category and neither is anyone in my immediate family. If they were maybe I would think differently.

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Parker231 · 19/03/2020 16:59

Perhaps work on a rota in the schools?

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