Going back to school-from a teacher who has Covid

[minxthemanx]

I worked flat out for 17 weeks, through Easter holidays etc, running key worker/vulnerable group at our primary. The kids had an absolute blast- we were outdoors pretty much all day every day, and scrupulous about hand washing & hygiene. First week of the summer break I had what I thought was sinusitis: the pain in my face and head was excruciating and several times I nearly called an ambulance. My own teenage DS were worried about me. Eventually it cleared up with a week of anti biotics, but my stuffed up nose and lack of smell continued so I went for a test, and am positive for Covid. No normal symptoms, had no idea. My younger DS has also tested positive and we are isolating.
By the time we finish isolating I'll have one week, then be back in school. This time not outdoors all day but squashed in a room with 30 year 6 kids, v little space between us. I haven't admitted this to anyone, but I'm shit scared. If I managed to contract Covid in a mostly outdoor small group setting, how much more prevalent will it be in September?
I'm lucky. I'm otherwise very fit and healthy. Yet that week of illness was like nothing I've experienced before, and I suffer from sinus problems every summer. I really don't want to go through it again.
I don't know what the answer is. We need to get our children back, I want to be back teaching, but I am now very very wary.
Just thought it might be interesting to hear my perspective; this virus is horrid.

mmm... I would say most commentators (in UK and outside UK) are saying that Sweden got it wrong. I don't perceive that "this country" supports the Swedish model at all. Obviously I do like Swedish model, but I reckon I'm in a very small minority of outside-Sweden supporters.

I like hearing about Swedish schools with covid cases & illness because those schools did not close.

I just found summaries of the Dutch response which apparently is explicitly about herd immunity, too. Dutch closed schools but got them back open in early June. Also worth a read and learning more about. Danish are praised, too, for getting schools successfully back open.

Apparently Germany is reopening schools, so will be interesting to see how they get on. Seems like Hong Kong can't even manage to keep summer schools open. Frustrating.

I'm in Germany

A few schools have had to close in the first couple of weeks, but that's out of thousands that opened

Schools were prioritised here already - they opened pt on 4 May, weeks before the non-essential shops, restaurants etc
and senior students even sat their exams in April
So I'd expect Merkel to keep them open ft even if it means closing down other things

Probably in all countries we'll have a number of rolling school closures, but hopefully only a tiny minority at any time and they'll resume in a week or so.

btw, I'm not a fan of the Sweden model - for the UK - because Sweden's death / millions figure although "acceptable" is 5-12 x than their Scandi neighbours with similar low population density and culture,
with similar forecast for 2020 GDP drop

The UK deaths curves have been following Italy's curves, not Scandi and multiples of the current UK total would have been unacceptable

We need to see the occupational hazard rates for teachers, I reckon. That's the clincher data. It's hard to dispute that youth/kids are rarely bad affected, the real impact to worry about is about how kids may be part of chains of transmission. Human beings should be clever enough to figure this one out, though, how to reduce the risks.

What kind of protection would teachers want? Smaller classes? Continuation of remote learning? Ppe in classrooms? Just curious how teachers would ideally like to go back to feel safe?

@Ilovegreentomatoes

are you talking if we could have anything
or with what we have at the moment?

If you could have anything.

Pretty much what we have already been asking for
Track and trace
ppe
Real bubbles
some chance at SD
robust measures for those that break the rules.
A government that doesn't say that school in England will remain open no matter what.
Simple stuff that could be implemented.

If we can have anything I would
Test all children and staff in the next two weeks
ensure quarantine for those that are positive or not giving a true reading.
Tracking regular testing from when schools open.
The ability to exclude (fixed term or permanent) for pupils that put children at risk by not sticking to the rules.

Weekly testing. Masks for all over 10. Temp checking on the way in. Individual devices for paper free learning. Much more cleaning in schools. More sinks so not just endless hand san. Lots of fresh air.

All of the above seem reasonable the only thing I would say is difficult is the mask wearing for over 10 yr olds. Having a mask on for a full school day is a big ask for children after wearing one for an hour on public transport I feel claustrophobic and have to take it of. How can teachers put these proposals forward? Through their unions?

None of the list I posted is guaranteed where I teach (in Scotland). None of it. It's too late.
I agree re extended mask wearing - fresh air breaks would be good! I'd be happier even if everyone over 15 wore one, or even just the other staff.

Well I am a teacher in Scotland. It has become perfectly clear that basically the government are expecting teachers to get it in Scotland. Its just damage limitation. I say this because in our school and across the authority that I teach in:
Teachers are to keep a 2 metre distance from pupils. That is the ONLY protection teachers can have. We can use face masks if we spend more that 15 minutes if we cant SD.
Apart from that the whole school is set up so that if a teacher gets it or a child, they can just isolate that class. Children do not need to SD from each other. However, their bubble is the class. They come in at staggered times and for break and lunch. In the playground, their is a designated space for each class to play.
This is damage limitation basically because if a child/teacher gets the virus, they only need to isolate those in that class. Since it is set up to keep the children out of contact with other classes, the plan is that it will take two children to transmit the virus in order for it to be serious enough to close the school. If the teacher/pupil gets it, the plan is a deep clean of the class.
In Scotland they have employed extra teaching staff who will be on stand by. They make it sound as if it is to help in class and support the return of children. Nope. This is to cope with teacher shortages down to teachers catching covid.
In Scotland now we can get a test even if we don't have symptoms.
Basically they are expecting a rise in cases in schools. It makes me deeply frustrated. I feel we are just being shoved in the class and the reality is we are likely to catch it. It says it on the risk assessment.
The only mitigations are really ventilation, washing hands, distancing from the teacher and mask use that really is only one sided as no child has to wear it.
That is the reality.

@Ilovegreentomatoes

All of the above seem reasonable the only thing I would say is difficult is the mask wearing for over 10 yr olds. Having a mask on for a full school day is a big ask for children after wearing one for an hour on public transport I feel claustrophobic and have to take it of. How can teachers put these proposals forward? Through their unions?

Children would get used to it. They wear it in different countries.

@Mistressiggi

None of the list I posted is guaranteed where I teach (in Scotland). None of it. It's too late. I agree re extended mask wearing - fresh air breaks would be good! I'd be happier even if everyone over 15 wore one, or even just the other staff.

Me too. Not one of the staff is wearing a mask. Many don't even bother SD from me. When I go back in on Monday I am going to move back from them. Its so hard.

What they really needed to do was ensure social distancing and small classes. That would have made a huge difference. I am in a class of 30 plus, crammed into a classroom. It just feels like business as usual. It shouldn't.

Neveradull just wear your mask. I think people just feel odd when no one else is. You'd think we'd be too old for peer pressure, but we're not! Wear one and see if it influences some others to join. And if you're in a place that feels unsafe due to others not SD (staff) just walk out.

Well the mask thing only works if the children are wearing one. No child will wear on of their own accord. The premise is that children don't spread the virus to each other. The jury is out if they spread it to adults. Is there any point in me wearing a mask as it protects them, not me?

Yes, don't worry. I will walk out if I don't feel safe and I do agree if other teachers wear masks more will follow.

Well the cluster near Glasgow would show they can spread it certainly. I think I've a lot of risk from colleagues, if mask wearing become the norm I do think it would help. You might be surprised about some pupils wanting to as well. What can we do but try?

neveradullmoment99

The jury is out if they spread it to adults.

It really isn't, it is either being reduced by language used to describe it or ignored completely.

Look at what the government did to the soon to be published PHE document and how many of the mainstream press has taken it up.

The way it is I am worried for my own children at school. [ 2 in high school] teachers wear masks in corridors but not in class, so I am told. Cleansing of hands is done rigorously so they have told me. They are not allowed to leave the class until its done.
My other dd at primary school also does the same. The teacher has drawn a line on the class floor as her bubble from the children.

But it just doesn't seem enough. Wish they had kept with blended learning. In school some days, home other days.
The more the numbers increase, the more worried I will become.

For myself and my children and the fact I could catch it from them as well as in school!

The jury is out if they spread it to adults

So all the adults gave it to the children and the virus is clever enough to know it’s in a child so stops there?

@IceCreamAndCandyfloss

The jury is out if they spread it to adults

So all the adults gave it to the children and the virus is clever enough to know it’s in a child so stops there?

Well exactly! Also, it acts differently to all other viruses.

@IceCreamAndCandyfloss

The jury is out if they spread it to adults

So all the adults gave it to the children and the virus is clever enough to know it’s in a child so stops there?

It knows this is a 5ft 5”, size 10, 14 year old so a Technically a child as apposed to the teacher who is a 5ft 5”, size 10, 34 year old who can be infected