Schools Reopening?

[ClimbDad]

A major, peer reviewed study into transmission in South Korea has established that tweens and teenagers spread the SARSCOV2 virus more than any other age group.

The study involved more than 65,000 people and used South Korea’s exceptionally effective contact tracing system to look at who brought the virus into households. Tweens and teenagers were the highest index case age group. Younger children transmitted at the same rate as 20-somethings.

This is a large scale, rigorous piece of research that proves children are effective at transmitting the virus. It was conducted in a country that implements strict social distancing and mask wearing among children. The authors say the rate of transmission would have been higher if children weren’t subjected to those measures.

Plans to reopen schools more or less as normal in September will place many lives at risk, and increase the likelihood schools will have to close again. The government needs to acknowledge schools will be highly efficient vectors of viral transmission and change its reopening plans.

Published Paper:
wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/26/10/20-1315_article

Article on the paper:

www.bloombergquint.com/business/covid-19-spread-fastest-by-teens-and-tweens-korea-study-finds

[quote openplankitchen]@mumsneedwine when I was at school children weren't allowed to go to toilet during class. And I can't remember teachers just upping and leaving the class unsupervised 10 minutes into a lesson.

I guess things are different now?[/quote]
@openplankitchen You have just proven my point. I can not just ‘up and leave’, so the only time I can go to the toilet is between 12.40 -1 from 8-4. I have to hope whatever san pro I wear can last between 8-12.40.

No, but back in your day you can bet there was an hour long lunch break , too, and maybe even two other shorter ones.

I also don't recall teachers doing duties.

This is all pretty much off topic though.

@openplankitchen not quite sure of your point. But am interested in your profession that is totally back to normal during a global pandemic.

@pennylane83

I spoke to a GP friend this morning and he said DS would need two face covering for one school day, changing halfway through the day. If the government are to make this mandatory they need to do it now to give parents a chance to stock up and to identify children/families who may not be able to afford them.

And do you really think that every parent of a school aged child is going to be putting their kids face mask on a 60 degree boil wash every single evening because thats also what will need to be happening. Unless everyone in the country adopts the use of disposable facemasks that is in which case I shudder to think of the environmental impact of that one (a new facemask tax, just like the plastic bag one, will be heading our way before you know it) not to mention the healthrisk posed by all of these casually discarded facemasks. Theres a reason hospitals incinerate everything.

They’ll be okay on a 40 degree wash, get enough for two days and they can go in the wash each evening.

Thanks. Surgeon was the first occupation that I thought of when going to the loo would be difficult.

Has anyone worked out how to do changeovers ? I'm struggling to see how I leave one classroom and get to the other pod without leaving the kids alone. We have INSETs this week so hopefully will be one clearer but wondered if anyone had any good ideas.

@mumsneedwine a surgeon needing the toilet would take at least 15 minutes. They would also need assistance getting descrubbed and rescrubbed. Requiring at least 1 extra staff. If this happened regularly less operations would be carried out per day.

There are many many jobs where you can't just pop to the loo.

I'm sure someone will pop on to say we should just catheterise ourselves before morning registration.
No sure about the bleeding though. Oh, compulsory birth control pills would stop that!
What was the OP about again? Oh yes the report saying that teenagers pass the virus on in a big way.

I think ignoring the unemployed poster is best for me. They are fascinated by our jobs but won't tell us there's so I think they can't have one. I imagine being unemployed is the only role that hasn't changed.

openplankitchen you know this was quite a constructive and intelligent discussion thread before you got involved.

But hey, there's always one in every classroom as well... good job we're used to it!

Openplankitchen - what is this job that's gone back to normal but not working at home?

Oh good! openplan is an expert in being a surgeon!

(I mean, I’ve watched loads of Grey’s anatomy so maybe I should start spouting nonsense about teams of surgeons working together, thus enabling breaks during particularly long and complex surgeries 🤷🏻‍♀️)

First rule of mumsnet. Never challenge teachers who are convinced they have the hardest jobs in the world. I have a pretty tough job but I'm aware there are many many worse off than me.

So back to the grown ups conversation. Changeovers and carrying of resources are my main concerns. Anyone fit a good shopping trolley like thing ?

open love, you’re not “challenging” in any meaningful way. You’re needling and trying to get a reaction.

Off you pop to your tricky job.

@SmileEachDay oh me too. I always tell DD that's she's becoming a doctor so she can disappear into storage cupboards and snog other doctors. They do that a lot in Grey's.
@openplankitchen what is the v tough job that you do ? Very interested.

I’ve ordered wheely trollies for my dept mums so we can move resources and sets of texts if we’re in different classrooms.

And if it's useful to anyone I use 4 masks a day - change every lesson. Take them home and wash and dry them in dryer. Repeat the next day. I made them as was also making scrubs for a bit (badly !). Love the Noah fabric if anyone has seen it

@SmileEachDay could you let me which ones ? Might suggest it to my HOD next week 😊

Reading some of the "oh just get on with it" responses on here is quite depressing.

During the First World War we kept sending young men into harm's way, pushing them over the top and marching them slowly towards German machine guns because the generals in charge lacked the imagination to do anything different. People learned the hard way - millions of dead - before they could bring themselves to admit the nature of warfare had changed.

A similar lack of imagination is going to lead Britain to learn another hard lesson. The choice isn't between just shutting up and getting on with it, or closing schools. The solution lies in finding the right balance of infection controls and investing and working really hard to open schools safely.

Pretending we can go back to normal will see schools open for about 6-8 weeks before the next wave of mass closures. This virus isn't interested in how inconvenient you find it. It will keep multiplying at an exponential rate given the opportunity.

@ClimbDad well said.

Have been told we can’t afford trolleys even for the heavily pregnant or people with mobility issues.

Similar to these

Although the HoScience reckons he can get cheaper ones so we might go with a different brand. 😂

@SmileEachDay thanks so much. They look perfect. If you're science have you seen the RSC grants for schools needing new stuff because of Covid ? We gave all our goggles to NHS and they will hopefully find us to get new ones. But might try them for these too.
Are you going to try demos in other rooms? We are trying to figure out if we can safely take some equipment with us.