Is anyone going from quite chilled about schools reopening to being nervous/frightened?

[Nosebogey]

My ds has been at school throughout lockdown in a small bubble. It took a lot for me to send him because I was scared but his mh was suffering badly so I put that first even though I found it very hard. He was in a bubble of around ten kids and the bubbles were kept really separated (apart from drop off and pick up which was a bit close for comfort).

Now though, I’m starting to get very frightened about September. Our school is doing what they can with having class bubbles and one way systems (including an exit route that is also been designated an entrance for some children so not such a one way system) but I’m still scared.

Pubs round here are packed. These adults will go home and be around their children. Their children will be crammed into classrooms with other children. Parks are absolutely chock full of families atm all playing together etc. So adults are mixing and children are mixing outside of school but magically social distancing inside school will stop infection? Parents send sick kids in all the time. Why would they suddenly stop doing that for coronavirus symptoms? Won’t they just decide “it’s just a cold” and send them in anyway?

I don’t know. I just feel like the closer September comes, the more scared I get. Is anyone feeling the same?

@CoffeeRunner out of interest, who should be panicking?

Not too worried atm. I'd be more concerned if either if mine were at high school where bubbles are much larger.
It all still seems slightly surreal. Both mine were lucky enough to have several weeks back at school before the summer hols and all of us were so much happier for it.
If the risks turn out to be high then I guess the plan will change or there will be another lockdown or parents will be hooking their kids out of school right, left and centre.
I cant imagine a winter without some sort of lockdown at some point.

Who are the wrong people panicking?

I’m perfectly chilled about it, as are most of us who have worked out of the home throughout, commuting on public transport and so on. It does give you a perspective. I’ve had worse colds than covid, as will most people with no underlying health problems. My only fear is if poor DD has to spend any more time on her own at home, getting disillusioned. She will be year 11 so it’s crucial this year goes ahead normally. I work in a London hospital and those unwell enough to be admitted were mostly over 70 and still a great many survived. The number aged under 60 admitted was pretty small. We have better treatments now and importantly the ability to test people early.

A lot of people seem to think small rural primaries are super safe. They are not. We have LESS room, more often have larger classes, smaller, outdated classrooms, tiny dining halls, narrow corridors and about 2 loos. Moreover, kids are bussed in from outlying farms and hamlets and cannot be kept apart. Most have large, mixed yeargroups. My "bubble" (aka "sieve") is two yeargroups and 3 classes. We do have a playing field though.

My kids in the secondary they go to may as well not be in bubbles either. They'll bus in on large mixed yeargroup coaches just like normal. It's ridiculous.

More anxious, especially as we are over 50 with some risks. But I’m more concerned about my 14 yo’s mental health- he has been isolated since March in an internet bubble. He desperately needs his peer group and a chance to socialise and be socialised.

What do you mean by ‘be socialised’ Aramox?

Not at all. Look at the statistics, there is very little to fear.

I'm vulnerable to Covid and completely terrified if I'm honest. I'm fairly convinced I'll die if I get Covid but keeping my DC's at home will be no life for them. We live in a village with no car and nothing to do.
Think I'm just going to have to take my chances .

My only concern is that they might not go back tbh. They need their education, their social lives, their outside influences.
Also getting up again and doing the school run will be a shock to the system!
Seriously, this disease is not a huge threat to children. I read an article in the times that said more children have killed themselves during lockdown than have died of COVID

I'm more scared that they won't reopen. The kids need to be back in school. We need to stop letting this virus dominate everything so disproportionately.

I'm nervous about it, I just don't like the unknown. I'm also starting a new job in childcare so know that puts us at higher risk of it coming into the house too

Sorry, I should add, if you are personally in a vulnerable category I totally understand your fears and anxiety about it though

Fully reopening colleges and universities could see the R-rate increase by half, Professor Neil Ferguson has warned.
..“seeing case numbers slowly increase across the country”.

...the main worry would be teenagers and older children, rather than primary schools, with the R rate potentially increasing by a half.
"The concern is with secondary schools, teenagers and further education colleges, universities where the evidence is still not certain but it looks like older teenagers can transmit just as well as adults.

“So the risk then is that big schools, comprehensives universities, colleges, link lots of households together, reconnect the social network which social distancing measures have deliberately disconnected and that poses a real risk of amplification of transmission of case numbers going up quite sharply,” from The Today Programme. quoted by the Telegraph

Not so much fears and anxiety as dispassionate analysis of the available data. But thanks.

Not scared about kids going back but I’ve concerns. My kids primary is as safe as it can be, lots of outside and smallish classes. Wary of some of the classmates families.
Very glad I’ve no one in secondary though!

I’m ok about primary going back.

Terrified of Secondary though.

Fully reopening colleges and universities could see the R-rate increase by half, Professor Neil Ferguson has warned.

"or by as little as .2 or .3"

"When asked if he could quantify the risk Prof Ferguson said: “In terms of the reproduction number the R value, opening high schools could increase it by as much as a half or by as little as .2 or .3 but it will go up." ...

"He said: “It’s essential that children do go back to school but whether in high schools or colleges it’s necessary for children to go back 100 per cent or whether we can have other alternative means of provision where children are in one week and out another week therefore reducing contact in school and outside school."

“Or whether we go back on the relaxation of restrictions on the rest of the society to allow schools to be fully open.That really is a policy decision but in my view it is likely that some form of those measures will be necessary to maintain control of transmission.” ...

“I’m reasonably confident that as long as there is the political will in place to control transmission then we can do it.We have good enough surveillance now to know what’s going on but it will be challenging" ...

"the Children’s Commissioner Anne Longfield said that if lockdown restrictions need to be reimposed because of local flare ups in infection rates, schools must only be closed to bring transmission down as a last resort once all other options have been exhausted."

I’m really nervous.

My Dd will be going into year 2. The school was open to all year groups anyway, mainly as it’s in a very deprived area. Dd stayed at home. I could carry on with home Ed - I home educated my eldest until secondary so I’m fine with it. We had no help from the school re work anyway as Dd hadn’t actually stated there yet as we moved Here a few weeks Before lockdown.

Ds more complicated. Year 13 in a FE college which is huge. They are saying everyone back first week of sept. He travels an hour to get there on a packed coach. No option for keeping him off other than he’ll lose his place.

I’m due a baby first week of sept who will need NICU care. If one of my children test positive/pass it on to me and I test positive I’ll be separated from the baby.

I’m terrified and I don’t know what to do for the best.

Chilled more worried about the mental health we have to live with this virus now

Not at all. Look at the statistics, there is very little to fear.
I saw a post the other day about malaria and TB. There are diseases out there with far greater mortality than this -we are just cocooned in this country and the irrational fear engendered by a panicking Gvt has just given purchase to those afraid of their own shadow. And as well as the lack of understanding of basic stats, they are hypocritical. I feel so sorry for the children of those wanting to cower under the duvet and expecting the rest of the world to go out there, invent vaccines, keep the water, electricity sewerage and food production going while they obsess at home about their own 'safety'.
Very dispiriting to see the snowflakery and entitlement of the coronaphobes.

Dreading it. I work in the office at DDs school and September is hellish enough without the impact of the virus so far and potential risks going forward (open plan, through route from staff room and just 3 hanging panels of perspex separating us from visitors).

I was shielding at the beginning as caring for elderly parents, but when we opened for Yr 10 I had to let DD go back due to potential impact on her GCSEs and as a result was not allowed to continue WFH as if she wasn't shielding then I couldn't be either.

I have just joined the union.

www.theguardian.com/education/2020/aug/04/dear-gavin-williamson-are-you-sure-schools-will-be-safe-in-september

Article by Michael Rosen (who is recovering from covid) on schools returning

This can be filed under 'obvious' in my opinion, it doesn't help me cheer up about the STUPID idea that secondaries should go back full time with no distancing.

I'm getting more and more that the government just cba to think this through.

Ferguson told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that the evidence, although not certain, suggested older teenagers could transmit the disease as effectively as adults.

He said: “The risk then is that big schools, comprehensives, universities, FE colleges, link lots of households together, reconnect the social network which social distancing measures have deliberately disconnected. And that poses a real risk of amplification of transmission, of case numbers going up quite sharply.

He added: “In terms of the reproduction value, the R value, opening high schools could increase it by as much as a half, but by as little as 0.2 or 0.3, but it will go up … (and) lead to quite rapid growth of the epidemic.”

Very dispiriting to see the snowflakery and entitlement of the coronaphobes

for this knobbish remark, I think children with vulnerable parents are 'entitled' for them to avoid ICU.

I've said on another thread, the phrase 'coronaphobe' is so cringe-y, do you not understand how stupid you sound saying this? Are you a coronaphile?