I'm really scared. Not allowed to wear a mask at work

[LavenderLilacTree]

It's just to vent really as I know there is no way round it.

I am really scared. I am a TA and when all the pupils are back in school we aren't allowed to wear face masks or any PPE. Social distancing is not going to happen.

The government have said only go back to work if it's safe and you can ensure social distancing, well it's not going to be safe for me. Government say to wear face coverings in enclosed spaces but teachers and TAs are not allowed to.

I am scared. I am in my 40s and have 3 children in Yr 8, Yr 7 and Yr 5 . I know it's a 3% chance of dying but to me that's not an insignificant risk. I would never take part in any activity that had a 3% chance of dying.

I just feel like the government doesn't value my life. This is a deadly virus that KILLS, i want to wear a mask. My life matters to me, my husband and my children.

It's scary at work at the moment but we only have 4- 7 kids in. When we have a full school it's going to be impossible to stay 2 meters apart so therefore you feel I should at least be able to wear a mask.

I love my job and the children at school but I don't want to give my life for it. I just think I should be able to have some form of protection. It's like my life doesn't matter.

You dont have a 3% chance of dying, dont be ridiculous. You actually have a 100% chance of dying, but not from CV.

OP: I know it's a 3% chance of dying but to me that's not an insignificant risk. I would never take part in any activity that had a 3% chance of dying. That might be the average death rate (different studies disagree as there are still oh so many unknown variables) but the chance of getting it is currently very low, as very few people have it. Please try to keep perspective in this. Getting covid isn't great, but going to work, even in a school, is unlikely to lead to you getting it.

@Growingboys DFE say (paraphrased, but actual link is on page 2 of this thread) "it is not necessary for school staff to wear any PPE that they would not normally wear" - this is going to lead to many school leaders saying PPE should not be worn.

Yeah make a mask ,

Talk to your union rep. You cannot be forced to work in an unsafe environment.

DfE also say classes should be halved. Well that's going to be 16 15 year olds to an overheated classroom then, when year 10 go back.

The most recent research I have seen shows that children are just as likely to get the virus as adults and are more likely to be asymptomatic while having a high viral load. The virus is very likely to spread easily between small children in schools.

I think the plans are ridiculous. They've clearly picked the early years because they are hardest for parents to have at home and work rather than for any good educational or safety reason. 4 year olds will struggle with distancing and also any toys or equipment that cannot be easily cleaned will neede to be removed. What kind of reception lessons will they be getting? Doesn't sound conducive to any actual learning at that age. Before the lockdown, my poor kids hands were red raw with all the hand washing, this will probably be worse.

I agree with those saying kids are not bothered by masks by age 3 or 4. Mine found them funny! However, masks protect everyone else so to work, all the kids would need to wear them.

DH is a primary teacher and in the leadership team and they are scrambling to try to work out how this is really going to happen in the school.

Hands up everyone in a job where they are likely to be in close proximity to someone sneezing in their face, or sneezing into their hands and then smearing an adult.
Or having someone coughing intentionally into their face?
The police get upset when it happens, and they’re allowed to wear PPE.

There are plenty of activities that have a higher than 3% chance of dying that I’m willing to bet you do willingly on a regular basis! Including crashing a car or even falling over. Not to mention choking from eating, or numerous diseases you could get from smoking, alcohol, or contact with man made products and junk food.

@TiredMummyXYZ
It’s absolutely unfair of the government to be risking the health of children

Children on the whole are not at risk from coronavirus. 2 children in the uk have been killed in their own home due to issues exacerbated by the lockdown.
The lockdown does not protect children and is not good for children in any way.

Unless you’ve got any serious underlying conditions you’ve not mentioned, as a 40 year old woman your chance of dying is far, far, far lower than 3%.

There’s no consensus on the death rate, but it’s unlikely to be much above 1%, and it’s quite likely to be below that... but that 1% includes the elderly and those with serious underlying conditions. A study I saw recently had ‘just’ 25 out 6,800 deaths of people who were under 45 and didn’t have underlying health conditions. As a 40-something woman, your actual risk (assuming no health conditions) is more like 1 in 10,000... and that’s even if you catch it. To put it into context, a 45 year old woman has a 0.31% chance of dying in the next year.

So even though it’s about 10 times more deadly than the flu for the general population, your personal risk is very low indeed.

I don’t know where you are getting the je children not being spreaders thing from. Just listening to Angela Merkel saying the opposite - that children are as likely to spread the virus as adults.

Angela Merkel did not say the opposite. Just as likely as adults. Not more likely. Therefore not superspreaders. Just spreaders like any other person regardless of age.

There is new evidence coming out that they may in fact spread less than adults as if infected they are more likely to be asymptomatic so not coughing. Sir Patrick touched on this tonight during the press conference, saying that children did not spread the virus more than adults, with evidence still coming in that they possibly could be less infectious than adults, and that was taking into account childrens behaviours regarding social distancing and personal hygiene etc as well. At the moment they pose the same risk of spreading as adults, not a greater one. Possibly a lesser one but that's still to be determined and cannot be guaranteed or 5taken as fact.

A 0.3% chance is 1 in 330 teachers. There are 500,000 full time teachers in the UK. I don't know how many of them are over 40, but if we consider that the median age and go with that 0.3 chance, and if 60% of them caught it, we'd be talking about 900 teachers.

Only a thousand dead teachers, what are you all worried about?

It would be very hard to effectively teach children while wearing a mask.

Children need to see your mouth and your facial expressions.

@nellodee yes but 100% of teachers woukd have to catch it for that to be correct!

Nope, that was 500,000 x 0.6 x 0.03

60%, in line with herd immunity best case figures. 100% would be 1500.

There are plenty of activities that have a higher than 3% chance of dying that I’m willing to bet you do willingly on a regular basis! Including crashing a car or even falling over. Not to mention choking from eating, or numerous diseases you could get from smoking, alcohol, or contact with man made products and junk food.

Where do you get the idea that you have a greater than 3% chance of dying from crashing your car or falling over?

@nellodee sorry I see you're calculating 60% of teachers would get it. Where are you getting that number from?

• I would never take part in any activity that had a 3% chance of dying.

I just feel like the government doesn't value my life. This is a deadly virus that KILLS,*
Are you actually a TA ? Because I'd assume you have some intelligence.
The virus can kill but do you know how many recover ? No
Go and look at the statistics, go and get your facts instead of looking on mumsnet and carrying on with the scaremongering.
Nobody has told you not to wear a mask .
3 more weeks till the 1st June and that's if the cases don't go up .
Schools have been open all through lockdown so Im sorry I'm very sceptical of TA's and teachers that are that terrified of working in 3 weeks time.

0.003 sorry

If it's any help, teachers in Germany are teaching half size classes and not wearing masks. Nor are the children.

Masks are effective at capturing droplets, which is a main transmission route of coronavirus so still worth wearing.

You go in a car and cross roads don't you. So you take risks everyday

OP as others have mentioned, it’s not a 3% risk of dying. Also, in case this is of comfort to you, my DC’s school had confirmed cases in the weeks running up to lockdown. The school remained open throughout. No staff members or pupils died. In fact, other than the confirmed cases, very few parents or pupils have reported symptoms.

60% is the herd immunity best case figure. They'd probably shut schools before it got to that point. Maybe after the first 100 teacher deaths or so. What do we think is acceptable figure?

Nighttimefreedom - I disagree. Children are dying and getting sick and increasingly so due to complications with Kawasaki. Home education may not be ideal but it’s safer for the majority. As a teacher I know exactly who our vulnerable and at dusk kids are and most of them are still attending school. Let’s also not forget the many adults in school communities who are more at risk.