Berlin schools report infections

[KetoPenguin]

www.theguardian.com/world/2020/aug/21/coronavirus-iurope-dozens-schools-report-infections-berlin-germany-spain some news on infections in schools increasing in Berlin. I want to see schools going back myself, my dd has just been through the GCSE exam grade chaos and wants to get on with her A levels. It's not as straightforward as the government are making out though. I hope they are taking this seriously behind the scenes and have a good plan B for students. I also work in a school and am a bit concerned.

In Berlin...

“Children are obliged to wear face coverings in the hallways, during breaks and when they enter the classroom, but they can take them off once they sit in their places and classes begin.”

Good luck to those in secondaries here...

There are currently 41 schools out of 825 that reported positive test / cases leading to partial quarantines of teachers and / or pupils.
The main reason seem to be people returnig from holidays or family visits - we started back on the 10th.
DS school - apart from having a hygiene plan (masks compulsory in corridors etc. voluntary but recommended in class, SD, hand hygiene, airing of rooms, one way system etc.) also mailed two instructions: one for complete online lessons and one for hybrid lessons (we - teachers / parent ass. are working to make sure every pupil has access to the necessary equipment - luckily most of them have already.)
We'll see ...

Sounds like you have a sensible school setup, Prokup with good precautions to give ft your best shot
plus Plans B & C in case ft doesn't work out

@Prokupatuscrakedatus this is my concern with our schools for whatever reason they seem intent on crossing their fingers and just getting on with it and dealing with it after a positive test.

I work in a school 😕 there are multiple plans and risk assessments but no plans for masks or change in layouts/ staggered learning

I was wondering how many schools there must be in Berlin.

According to the Guardian article there are 825 schools in Berlin. So almost one in twenty schools affected already in a country that has done much better than the UK in dealing with the virus. Doesn't bode well for school reopening here.

What's wrong with infections spreading in a group of people almost totally unlikely to end up hospitalized or dying from it?

How could there NOT be infections in the schools? 825 schools is probably in the neighborhood of 500,000 students at minimum, does anyone think the infection rate in general is less than 1 in every 500,000 people?

Focusing on case numbers with no denominator is a great way to stir up anxiety and a bad way to deal with an epidemic.

It's the lack of funding for plans A, B and C in this country that is a huge problem, and the fact that Plan A isn't particularly great so we will be needing Plan B quite quickly.

What's wrong with infections spreading in a group of people almost totally unlikely to end up hospitalized or dying from it?
Well for one thing we dont know the long term impact of covid. What if in 20 years time they find out that even asymptomatic people who had it have lung issues (I am getting over covid and now regularly have breathing issues and chest pains). Or what if children are in fact superspreaders? It's what we dont know that is as dangerous, we only test symptomatic people so that's all we have information on.

@WombOfOnesOwn

Because they will also take it home and spread it there, and there maybe family members who will need hospitalisation.

There are quite a few vulnerable (health wise) children and adults in school

What's wrong with infections spreading in a group of people almost totally unlikely to end up hospitalized or dying from it?
Yep, that's the great thing about this virus. It knows only to infect young, healthy children and not their teachers or their teachers' families (particularly if they have health conditions) or vulnerable members of the children's families. School children in Berlin are all completely isolated from the rest of society, so if they catch the virus it will have no wider consequences whatsoever.

What's wrong with infections spreading in a group of people almost totally unlikely to end up hospitalized or dying from it?

In the Uk they want to force kids from shielding families and shielding teachers into the melee. That is what is wrong.

It's a virus that lives in the throat. If a pupils breath is coming your way with covid in it, no amount of hand-washing will save you.
The hand-washing seems to have swayed thoughts away from where covid actually comes from, the mouth, coughs, sneezes... Talking, breath...

It doesn't emit from hands.

It lives in the throat.
I cannot understand why visors can't be worn in class by everyone and masks in corridors etc.

Doesn't it live in the nose too? Hence the nasal swab.

What's wrong with infections spreading in a group of people almost totally unlikely to end up hospitalized or dying from it?

FFS if this were Twitter I’d assume you were a bot. They pass it on to families and teachers who are much more likely to end up hospitalized or dying from it. Happened in all three of our local schools in March, it’s BS that schools are safe.

I cannot understand why visors can't be worn in class by everyone and masks in corridors etc.

I completely agree, it’s almost like they want it to spread. If they were serious they’d wear them.

My biggest worry is the complete lack of consideration for a decent plan B, I think the problem here will be greater simply because schools without one will have no choice but to stay open. They don’t need govt advice to make one and any school that isn’t able to deliver continuous education this year no matter whether they’re open or closed should be held accountable. They’ve had long enough to prepare for the academic year ahead in full knowledge CV won’t just go away.

@Hollyhobbi. Nasal swab is to get to back of throat through the nose

@ConiferGate it will be money that will stop an effective continuous education provision. Best way of doing it is through technology, not every school has sufficient/adequate technology and not every family does either.

In my local area that will be a problem. The Primaries were photocopying packs for families who didn’t have access to the internet etc, but their photocopying budget has been slashed this year, along with everything else, so won’t be able to afford to this term.

@ineedaholidaynow I don’t think photocopying budget is an adequate excuse for not delivering home learning. If we can’t overcome a problem with a photocopying budget to make sure kids get an education then we are in even more trouble than we think.

@ConiferGate but surely the simple answer is that the Government fund a Plan B

Yes but they need to actually have a plan B first... that’s my worry. Schools will he kept open because there isn’t one

Schools are relatively controlled environments. Pubs are definitely not. With many people also travelling by plane and ferry one would expect some increase in cases - one can say they are in a school, but the kids/teachers are also on planes, stores, pubs, restaurants etc. Who knows where they got it.

@ConiferGate blended learning would be a good Plan B, for Secondary schools, but that really can't be achieved without spending money. Schools don't have the money, so there is no point them making a plan for blended learning if they can't afford to support it.

So what, they’re just going to do nothing?? Given the amount of money spent by govt on other aspects of the crisis I’m pretty certain that there would be a budget for schools if it was thought necessary. There is every point schools making a plan, it’s their job! Honestly it’s too easy just blame the govt, blame the funding, blame someone else. They’ve had 6 months to get their act in order and put forward proposals if more funding is needed.

@ConiferGate I assume you are not in education. Schools have been crying out for more funding for years, way before COVID. The Government guidance explicitly states that schools should not be making plans that require extra funding.