Worried About Coronavirus- thread 37

[TheStarryNight]

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It seems different schools are being told different things as our high school have been told to prepare for this to carry in into September. What we definitely know is that nobody knows for sure

As usual, teacher safety seems to be completely irrelevant in terms of re-opening schools.

Mine are grown now, but I wouldnt be sending them back in May at this stage.

There seems to be no understanding that we need to PROTECT people like teachers, healthcare workers, care home staff, retail workers etc etc in order for the economy to be able to reopen at all.

You cant just magic up any of those people overnight.

I've not been told explicitly, but judging by what instructions I've been given for what to prepare, it seems the secondary school I teach at is looking to reopen after the may half term.
I'm also in school on the rota already.
I'm not happy. I think we should have masks but I've been told not to wear one (would have to be a home made cloth one anyway!)

“Whynotme” - they’ve told you not to wear a home made cloth mask? That’s not fair.

France had a horrendous day today. It is very worrying.

No apparently standing at a distance from the students is sufficient and masks are "against guidance and may worry students".
Emerald - oh dear - I've not looked - do you think it might be a bank holiday admin thing?

This documentary on Channel 4 is terrifying.

@yoloPenguinsEatfish

I agree with you. A lot of thought needs to be put into opening schools before it happens. I've been suffering from what's almost certainly COVID-19, and I caught it from my DD2 (8), who caught it at either her half term gymnastics club or school. I now go down with every infection going round, as my immunity has completely broken down.

Everyone appears to be obsessed with the idea that children are at very low risk. But that isn't the point. Playgrounds are jammed with teachers, children and parents at home time, and I really don't see how social distancing can happen.

I would love schools to be able to open as my DD1 in particular is suffering from not being into school and she's due to start high school in September. But a lot of thought needs to go into protecting not only children but also teachers and parents, and I don't see how it can be done. Maybe staggering home times?

I can also see that teachers will be at risk and they need to feel safe when going to work.

@HeIenaDove Thank you, I'm watching that documentary now. There's so much that's terrifying about what we're facing now.

Whynotme every time a student leaves their home, they’ll see people in masks

What a crazy argument. I’d speak to your union.

I'm not sure it may be the overlap from the BH. France lost 1438 today.

@WhyNotMe40 That is awful. I'd wear a fill face perspex visor to work.
2 more hospital workers died in Ireland today, a cleaning lady & a male carer they worked right up until it took hold.
More blood on the government's hands not ordering PPE in time for all hospital staff not just ICU.
What were they waiting for? Now they want to infect teachers too.

Actually the Perspex visor thing is better protection for teachers isn’t it

Are students allowed to wear masks?

There are many DIY facial visors on YouTube. I might make one for the supermarket trip.

www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/15/jacinda-ardern-and-ministers-take-20-pay-cut-in-solidarity-with-those-hit-by-covid-19?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Tweet

If our ministers did the same as their counterparts in New Zealand we could buy some more PPE for our frontline staff. The lack of protection is a disgrace.

I read Denmark started reopening schools but lots of parents are refusing to send their kids in. They're saying they refuse to let them be guinea pigs. I don't know the figures for Denmark re number of cases and deaths.

The French figures are sad and worrying. Their lockdown is much stricter than ours isn't it?

Can you imagine nursery and reception children sticking to social distancing?! There's no way mine will be back in unless things are very different.

Is France reporting deaths differently than we are? Maybe including deaths outside hospital?

That would make sense WhoWants2Know

Found the Danish figures. They're doing way better than us. Total cases: 6681, total number of deaths: 309. I'm not liking the way our media's reporting on them reopening schools. I think it's an attempt to encourage us to support the same here. We're in a completely different (worse) situation. They were one of the first in Europe to lockdown, which might explain their low number of cases. Well funded healthcare system too.

I think the UK is behind France, rather than the figures counted differently.
I think the UK death toll next week will be catastrophic.
Ireland will have many death's too in terms of population. The HSE our equivalent of the NHS has 500 ventilators. Now they're refusing to honour a prior agreement to buy some.
www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/high-court/hse-not-proceeding-with-deal-to-buy-350-medical-ventilators-high-court-told-1.4228565

The news item about the nurse Mary who gave birth before she died has just broke me.

Also a 21 year old died after going in for a liver transplant

A paramedic’s account from the Midlands:

“Lots more people are dying at home and being discovered dead at home. Some of them are people who tested positive for Covid-19 and were sent home as there was no clinical benefit in helping them; they are more elderly people. People are being sent home, essentially, to die there.

“We are going to people in their late 60s and have been told before we get there that they have tested positive for Covid and have a DNR, do not resuscitate[order], that’s been put in place by a doctor, so they are not for resuscitation. We arrive and they have oxygen levels of 85% or below and they are not going to recover.”

www.theguardian.com/society/2020/apr/15/its-heartbreaking-people-dying-at-home-help-denied-them

The French are now counting nursing home deaths in their official stats, which is part of why they’re higher than ours. We should be too — these people are precious and count.

Does anyone know if it is safe to use an oxygen mask at home if covid positive struggling to breath. My DM has a portable oxygen tank if anyone here gets it could I borrow it the hospital is to big a risk and won't take you till your half dead anyway.

No clinical benefit in helping them? What about pain relief, palliative care? I seriously hope they weren't sent home with nothing. If they are, that's sickening. As is the care homes scandal. As you say EmMac7 their lives are absolutely valuable.