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

@Letseatgrandma there will be procedures in place as set out by the government. But as someone else said. We are stuck with teacher numbers, school facilities and pupil numbers.

Face coverings don't constitute PPE and obviously can't be worn at school by teachers or pupils.

So this is where we are

It's sad as a country we didn't vote for more investment in schools, better buildings, smaller class sizes etc. But we didn't. And we can't change that now

@openplankitchen

But that's the point isn't it *@motherrunner*

I may get covid. I may die from covid. It's a risk like any other. Life is full of risks. But when we get used to risks we learn to live with them. It's what humans do.

I can guarantee there will continue to be cases of covid in schools. Imagine if there's 1 case a month. The first case everyone will feel worried. By the tenth case it will just be a normal part of life.

The quicker teachers get back to normal and stop their panicking the better!

@openplankitchen

Actually I’m more concerned my children will face a mother who may have a breakdown due to the fact I’ll be working 8am-4pm with a 20 minute break due to extra duties I now face to keep other people’s children protected. At this point catching COVID doesn’t concern me. The worry I only being able to go to the toilet, eat, drink in one 20 minute period a day is concerning me.

Someone needs to talk this thru with me in small words. I see this Table 2. It's saying that about 18% of HH contacts of persons age 10-19, 60-69 or 70-79 got the Rona. So those index pts (age 10-19, 60-69, & 70-79) were the most infectious to others. I am guessing that's because persons age 10-19 have a huge number of social contacts, and persons age 60-79 have lots of social contact (retired) while also being quite vulnerable. Most people have most of their social contact with persons about their same age. So the most dangerous persons to give it to others age age 60+, since they are giving it to their also quite vulnerable peers. I'm ignoring out of household transmission bc it's super small (unless you're age 60-79).

Meanwhile, kids age 0-9 gave Rona to about 5.3% of their HH contacts, and people age 20-29 gave Rona to about 7% of their HH contacts. The very lowest transmission %s in the table. Those age groups are barely passing it on at all.

Maybe I can't see the whole article? It seems short. I don't understand why OP is saying kids are super infectious from that Table 2.

Also the stop date was 27 March. I wonder what social distancing measures were implemented in South Korea by then. Do they have a 'new normal' too.

The quicker teachers get back to normal and stop their panicking the better!

Thus spake the goady fucker.

Go away, dear, and take your shitty stick with you.

@ohthegoats

Most of us who are working as normal have realised its really ok.

Oh fuck off troll.

That's rich coming from a PBP @ohthegoats ! Plus you're breaking guidance by accusing me of trolling. You should instead report my post if you believe that I am.

Are you sure you're a teacher?

Face coverings don't constitute PPE and obviously can't be worn at school by teachers or pupils.

Why can they ‘obviously’ not be worn?

Plenty of other countries are managing it.

Most of us who are working as normal have realised its really ok.

What job are you doing? Unless it's on the lines of caring or working in prisons with no ppe I bet you're not in a poorly ventilated and overcrowded room with 30+ other people and jostling down corridors with 1000+ others on the hour.

If you're in a well ventilated office at your own desk all day then you are being a goady fucker.

@ohthegoats it's the 198th case that will make everyone feel better then!

@motherrunner you can't be serious?

You're worried you'll have a breakdown working 8-4 with a 20 minute break?!

I'm sure you'll survive...

@openplankitchen 😂😂😂😂😂😂 I'd love to be working normally. That's a dream. I work all day IN school and then come home and make lessons to go on line for the next day for students not in school. And mark the work produced and provide feedback. Normal it is not. You are so lucky to be doing normal.

Yeoldttrout it says older kids are at 18% which is among the highest, I'm not sure what you mean by saying kids aren't "super infectious"
So to be clear, all the plans for next year are predicated on the idea that young people don't really get the virus seriously and also don't pass it on. If this study is true at least one of those points is very wrong. So the plans for next year would be changed, surely.

@mumsneedwine you need a job at @motherrunner school!

As a family we have one washable face covering each and I have no objection to DS wearing his for school.
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.

@openplankitchen And it is v possible to wear a mask and a visor and teach. I know this because I've been doing it for 4 weeks.

It's not the norm to work for 8 hours with only one toilet break, no.

Face masks don't have to be expensive, lots of online tutorials about making them from a t shirt for example.

Of course teenagers spread it. The virus doesn't reach a 15 year olds nose and go, oh no can't enter that. It then nestled in nose and comes out like it would from any other human. The reason it looks like spread is low in children is because schools have been closed.

@Mistressiggi to be fair I often go 6 hours without a loo break on a normal day. Kidney stones are v v common in teachers for a reason.

openplankitchen you still haven't answered the question about what work you do?
Mind you, you could say anything on a forum anyway in the name of being a complete CF

@openplankitchen just out of interest what job do you do that is back to normal ? Just that I don't know anyone doing normal except the careers at my mums home. Even doctors and nurses are not back to normal, just interested.

A 20 minute rest break is a standard allowance across many sectors. I'm now curious how long teachers normally expect!

Plus as NHS staff have been working 12-24 shifts throughout. It's a big much to complain about a 20 minute rest break

@mumsneedwine I can’t go 6 hours without the toilet as a menopausal woman. I need time to change myself, I worry about flooding in front of a class.

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.

OpenPlay the breaks matter as teachers can't just take a toilet break as many, many professions would have no problem doing. Nip to the loo before your next client comes in? No bother. No one will get hurt while you're out of the room.