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Covid

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Risk to under 20’s

324 replies

Alex50 · 25/04/2020 08:10

So five people have died from Covid who are under 20 so far in the UK, 3 of those had under lying health issues, so only 2 with unknown health issue have died. There are over 4 million school age children in the UK. Do you think children are at risk if they return to school? Children are the least at risk category, surely a strategy should be put in place so they can return to school?

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Alex50 · 25/04/2020 11:05

Yes we need to look at other countries but we need to start in this country too.

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lamplamplamo · 25/04/2020 11:06

In fa t that limited study showed that school closures reduced icu admissions by up to 23 percent and thats taking into account limited data.

If pubs just closed alone they would not have much impact either. The study has been misinterpreted

terrigrey · 25/04/2020 11:07

A fair number of teacher have died (there's this thing called google - try it out).

If schools go back, that's social distancing out of the window.
Teachers will need to be provided PPE - there's not enough for the nurses/doctors/carers.
What about the buses/trains that a lot of children use to get to school.

I am in favour of select year groups eg reception, year 6, 10 & 12 to return to school. 2 year groups per school (& key workers & vunerable) that way they can be taught in smaller groups using the whole school. Staggered break times - eg if each class has 6/8 pupils they stay together all day and do not mix with the other groups of 6/pupils at all.
However that will take a lot of teaching staff, and a lot of PPE, plus cleaning staff to clean communal areas like toilets.

When families get ill, pupils in the same 6/8 group (and their teacher) all need to stay off school for 14 days.

Not sure how you would control pick up time (this could be staggered) and the parents mixing together?

I'm not sure it's worth the hassle to be honest.
If families are really struggling having their children at home, they should be able to formally apply to the school to allow their child to be classed as vulnerable or EDHC so they can join the small numbers of key worker children.

lamplamplamo · 25/04/2020 11:07

It takes so many adults to run a school people forget that.

middleager · 25/04/2020 11:08

I'd like to see some statistics for asthma, to see how well those with asthma fared after contracting CV compared to those without the disease.

I realise that's a blunt tool, but I haven't seen any research (if anyone can share some I'd genuinely like to read it in a non goady way).

middleager · 25/04/2020 11:09

Those without asthma, the condition, not disease!

CantStartAFire · 25/04/2020 11:09

‘The risk is higher to over 60’s maybe offer early retirement to this group’

I love how dismissive you are of these individuals and their preferences/needs - as long as you and yours are okay though eh?

Alex50 · 25/04/2020 11:12

@terrigrey I have googled it I can’t find the specific number, please can you add details, a fair few is not enough detail?

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lamplamplamo · 25/04/2020 11:12

love how dismissive you are of these individuals and their preferences/needs - as long as you and yours are okay though eh?

That's all these threads are people suiting their own narrative for their own selfish gains. Veiled concerns for others that they didn't care about before.

Pieceofpurplesky · 25/04/2020 11:14

A teacher in a school local to me has died of Corona virus. She was young and has left behind two young children. That's one too many

BogRollBOGOF · 25/04/2020 11:14

The biggest issue with schools is that they are social hubs able to spread the virus through society, particularly at primary where parents deliver children to the school gates.

Normally, the vast majority of my social interactions are through my children; school (inc volunteering) and their social activities (more volunteering). There will be many parents shielding or more vulnerable. Maybe schools will be more encouraging of children travelling independently (if roads are quieter, that will help)

Schools and childcare are essential parts of increasing the active workforce (and their productivity) This was recognised with the key workers provision being made avaliable. Teachers still having to go into school makes it easier for the profession to return to something closer to normal.

You can reduce numbers in school with phased timetabling and split classes, but it's not viable to keep social distancing of individuals, just reduce group size for mixing. Reduced numbers would help with reduced staffing from shielding.

What you don't want is a perception that schools go back, things are normal and that undermines other social controls and distancing measures.

The government has been clear about infection rates, and aiming to prevent them from rising exponentially again. Schools returning has to fit with that, both directly and indirectly.

As a parent with two children, one with high functioning SNs, my priority is stability. Is it ideal for them to be home educationally? Not really, we are muddling by. The one with SNs is probably happier for adjusting to being home now. He was certainly very anxious through March. What he needs is a predictable pattern of whatever balance of home/ school. What he doesn't need is short notice instability with frequent inpredictable changes. Some children will be much better off in school (and most socially vulnerable children eligible have not been in school) but again, they need stability.

Schools are important, but they need to be planned in as part of the bigger picture.

Alex50 · 25/04/2020 11:14

@CantStartAFire not dismissive, it’s a fact, just offering one solution, maybe state pension age should be brought back to 60 again for everyone so it’s easier for this group not to work.?

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Onebabyandamadcat · 25/04/2020 11:15

As a teacher I'm desperate to get back to school and see my kids but only if it is safe for them, me and the wider community. To be honest numbers on how many teachers have died aren't particularly relevant - I'd like to think we aren't using that as a bar on how dangerous a situation might be. My aim is for something slightly better than just "not dead". That's not how you measure success!

JoJothesquirrel · 25/04/2020 11:15

There’s a long way from dead of corona and absolutely unaffected. How sick is it ok for children to get? In hospital needing oxygen but not ventilated? 3 weeks at home in pain and distress? What about if their parents? Ok if 1 dies? Or maybe if 1 lives with the lifelong damage caused by ventilation.

And I keep saying this. You don’t know your 8 year old doesn’t have any underlying conditions. You assume they don’t. Corona virus would be a hell of a way to find out.

Pieceofpurplesky · 25/04/2020 11:16

And a quick google shows 3 more. So four teachers OP, that we know of

lamplamplamo · 25/04/2020 11:17

I'd like to think we aren't using that as a bar on how dangerous a situation might be. My aim is for something slightly better than just "not dead". That's not how you measure success!

Absolutely so many other things to consider

terrigrey · 25/04/2020 11:18

There has been talk of how asthma is not such a major comorbidity as was previously expected. There has been talk about how smokers are fairly better than non-smokers. There has been talk of injected ourselves with disinfectant to wash any the virus.

In short, we need to trust the scientists and hope they are trying to protect as many people as possible. (And hope the government listens to the world community of scientists- not just the ones who will say anything to curry favour with the gov).

The rest of the world is watching the UK with horror- I have a few friends/family scattered around the globe, the UKs approach and government is being heavily criticised as it have lead to one of the biggest number of deaths per country.

I don't want us to be guinea pigs for the rest of the world to learn from.
I want us to follow Germany's approach, I wish we had AM as a prime minister - I think it of lives could have been saved. We are only just at the beginning of the number of deaths from C-19, this is a marathon not a sprint. Life isn't going back to normal for a longtime. If they lift lockdown too soon the hospitals/morgues will not be able to cope, which do you prefer? Bodies stacked in the streets or a lockdown of sorts?

Alex50 · 25/04/2020 11:20

@JoJothesquirrelthw statistics are very low for children even going into hospital for coronvirus, I would be more worried about my child getting cancer than coronvirus

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Branster · 25/04/2020 11:24

Japan started off impressively well then numbers started to rise after a time. Schools in Japan where closed at the time of the pandemic for the holiday before starting the new year. The time when their case numbers started to go up was after schools reopened.
It’s not exact by the day but that is the overall picture there.
Of course the children can’t go to school on their own so there would be more adult movement and interaction once children go back to school.
No idea if below a certain age children simply don’t catch it or they are asymptomatic
I wish there was more data about children. They are seen as being safe but we simply don’t know if or how this affects them. And what are the risks based on age as a 15 year old is very different than a 3 year old. I wish there was more information available.
Anyone under 20 needs to mix up with their peers, their age group, they are missing out in the social interaction aspect. Spending time with family is very valuable, but they need to be out there with their own groups. Education is also important but not as important as health.
I really don’t know what is the best and safest thing to do.
And they’ll be the ones paying for this extra expenditures governments are making right now all over the world. I want them to be safe but I also want them to be free. I want them to have a healthy future.

JoJothesquirrel · 25/04/2020 11:25

@Alex50 definitely unlikely your child will go to hospital with corona or cancer. What would you like to bet on that? And yourself and anyone else in the household?

Do you know your child’s lung function? Their heart physiology?

Alex50 · 25/04/2020 11:25

@terrigrey i’m not saying end lockdown but start putting a plan together to get children back to school, even just thinking about children going back to school terrifies mumsnetters.

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CantStartAFire · 25/04/2020 11:28

@Alex50
Maybe those age 60+ don’t want to retire, maybe they want to work. Maybe they want to do what they want to do.
I realise this isn’t convenient for you but it’s not all about you is it?

Alex50 · 25/04/2020 11:28

@JoJothesquirrel You are being a bit over dramatic, if you are that worried keep your children at home.

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Alex50 · 25/04/2020 11:30

@CantStartAFire they don’t have to retire it’s just a suggestion if they needed to there would be a financial back up available

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lamplamplamo · 25/04/2020 11:31

Well said Branster