I'm a teacher and I'm scared.

[NebularNerd]

I don't feel safe going back to work in September. When I became a teacher I did not anticipate doing so during a pandemic. I, like many others in secondary schools, will be facing up to 150 students a day, indoors, with no protection.
I am over 40 but not otherwise in a high risk category, although my husband is and we have elderly parents who will be exposed if I'm infected, as well as young children who will also be in school and potentially exposed.
I'm not disputing the need for children to return to school at all. I'm just starting to fear returning.
Anyone else feel this way?

@canigooutyet

What puts Vet nurses at 15/359 and in terms of closeness to other people 9/359?

Whereas nurses closeness to others is 23/359, well excluding dental nurses!

No idea. Unless you work in the vets you're not actually allowed in, all pets have to be handed over at the door. I'm sure they have to get pretty close to colleagues during the working day when treating animals, but their position at 9 / 359 is a mystery to me.

@ohthegoats

I'm mostly worried that in my school, majority of staff are over 50 and BAME. My TA is a 56 year old Pakistani woman who is overweight. She is one-one for a boy who spits, licks faces, picks his nose and wipes it on you etc etc. I'm worried about her more than me, although I also get all the 'stuff' he does.

Recommendations for when working with children who spit do state a RA and use of appropriate PPE as you would without covid. So I'd suggest face mask and shield of her.

Those who have been at home were / are there because they were unable to do their job. Not because the government has decided they are more worthy of saving.

@bigglewiggle, many are protected because they've been told to work from home and their employers have no intention of reopening offices for the foreseeable future.

Please don't just talk about being worried about older/Bame/vulnerable family members at home. Worry about all staff. I am mid forties, white, slim, very healthy and very fit and I got Covid mildly. I am 4 months post Covid and just feeling better. I am improving and will be OK but it's been a long stressful time so Covid is not to be taken lightly.

@Kitcat122

Please don't just talk about being worried about older/Bame/vulnerable family members at home. Worry about all staff. I am mid forties, white, slim, very healthy and very fit and I got Covid mildly. I am 4 months post Covid and just feeling better. I am improving and will be OK but it's been a long stressful time so Covid is not to be taken lightly.

I always thank everyone who shares these stories - big myth about covid is it is death or fine.

wishing you a full recovery

Sorry to hear that @Kitcat47. Hope you fully recover.
Would you have had to be off work teaching all that time if schools had remained fully open?

I found this interesting

@SaltyAndFresh many are protected because they've been told to work from home and their employers have no intention of reopening offices for the foreseeable future.

Office workers who can work from anywhere. It's not because they are more valued, it's simply not possible for many people to do their work from home. What do you suggest can be done about that fact?

@Cloudburstagain I have been working. But I have had terrible chest pain and shortness of breath just walking up stairs. I am usually a runner. Thank you I am very much better now but it has taken 4 months. I am still a little way off running but am walking my running route with no symptoms.

@labyrinthloafer thanks I feel quite strongly that Covid is not to be messed with or dismissed.

As far as worrying about loved ones at home who are vunerable my DD comes home, undresses in porch clothes straight in bag straight into washing machine shower fresh clothes she has had to do this since March every day and sometimes twice a day as she dies split shifts. Advise you do same. She even does it when she shops. My Dgd would blred to death if she caught Covid and so far she has been safe. 200 carers plus have died since start of pandemic. So far no teachers have died including those who worked all through pandemic looking after keyworkers dc who worked on Frontline. It is possible with good ppe and precautions to be even safer than my DD.

So far no teachers have died including those who worked all through pandemic looking after keyworkers dc who worked on Frontline.

That's not true.

It is possible with good ppe and precautions to be even safer than my DD.

Good thing school staff will be able to wear PPE, and the precautions will be well thought out and helpful in reducing / minimizing the spread of Covid.... Oh wait

[quote Kitcat122]@labyrinthloafer thanks I feel quite strongly that Covid is not to be messed with or dismissed.[/quote]
Yes I agree.

Unfortunately right now many people don't want to hear it and it is tough to be a 'truth-teller' when people are not ready to listen. But we need the truth out there!

so far no teachers have died including those who worked all through pandemic looking after keyworkers dc who worked on Frontline.

Why do people keep saying this? several hundred teachers and other school staff have died, many of whom caught the virus at school.

So far no teachers have died including those who worked all through pandemic looking after keyworkers dc

Really... your source for that snippet is...?

@Sostenueto

As far as worrying about loved ones at home who are vunerable my DD comes home, undresses in porch clothes straight in bag straight into washing machine shower fresh clothes she has had to do this since March every day and sometimes twice a day as she dies split shifts. Advise you do same. She even does it when she shops. My Dgd would blred to death if she caught Covid and so far she has been safe. 200 carers plus have died since start of pandemic. So far no teachers have died including those who worked all through pandemic looking after keyworkers dc who worked on Frontline. It is possible with good ppe and precautions to be even safer than my DD.

schoolsweek.co.uk/ons-figures-reveal-65-covid-related-deaths-in-education/

www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/western-cape/cape-town-primary-school-teacher-dies-after-contracting-covid-19-50014934

edition.cnn.com/2020/07/12/us/arizona-teachers-coronavirus/index.html

Would you like more links about teacher deaths?

I think we all know the schools need PPE, it's just trying to get the government to listen and change their advice and fund schools properly.

How many billion was put into the eat out scheme?
How much was put into education? I will save you the search Zero.

so far no teachers have died including those who worked all through pandemic looking after keyworkers dc who worked on Frontline

Do people think that teachers have some kind of immunity to the virus. Many school staff have died due to COVID. Why do people think people in other professions die but not teachers or other school staff? It’s odd.

65 teachers and school staff have died - there is a link up thread. One very near to me, a young teacher with no health conditions.

That 65 is since lockdown I believe (from source up thread) when schools were on a fraction of capacity.

That was to @Sostenueto by the way.

canigooutyet

Your first link was from April so the actual numbers would be much higher now.

For those who agree that students and staff would be safer wearing a mask, a petition already exists:

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/331468

Office workers who can work from anywhere. It's not because they are more valued, it's simply not possible for many people to do their work from home. What do you suggest can be done about that fact?

Well I think we've seen clear evidence that teachers are very much less valued, given that they're expected to work in crowded buildings with no PPE.

This petition is actually worded better and has far more support:

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/330227

@Sunrise234
yea I know. Funnily enough since then haven't been able to find anything else especially for the UK. Loads and loads of local newspapers running stories about beloved teacher funeral, and how they will be missed since that was published.

But chances are if figures were published they would be dismissed and people would be saying, see, see I told you so. Fucking nothing to worry about. Forgetting schools weren't even half open.

Even one death during those closures should be a wake up call and that's when the poor bastards did have a bit of protection with social distancing and reduced classrooms.

Any staff related deaths over these holidays will be minimised and other areas of catching it to blame instead. Even if those left behind could proof the person went too and from school, their only interaction nature and school.

Look at some of the comments already, how dare teachers post pictures of them doing what the guidelines say. They are going to pubs, they are having a life. Cannot stop people from doing this.

And those saying children don't die, did you not see the headlines this week?