Back to school & elderly relatives

[Chewbecca]

DS back to school in yr 12, so, effectively is in a bubble with at least 150 others.

I'm starting to wonder if it is irresponsible to see his elderly GPs now, has anyone any thoughts or stats about this?

The area we live in has an infection rate of about 10 per 100,000 (and rising) so neither very high, nor very low.

[quote Porcupineinwaiting]@KnobChops because early indications show it's at least possible, especially if you had it mildly. What we dont know if not if, but how likely you are to get it again. And 3 out of the 4 grandparents are shielding (and the 4th cares for the 3rd) so it's not exactly as if its low risk.[/quote]
Then you can be certain they won’t get it (in the unlikely scenario you are all re-infected within months of the first infection) by maintaining social distancing and wearing masks.

If the elderly people being discussed have capacity, and the way in which the visit is conducted is permitted within the current local guidance, then it should be their own decision as to whether they wish to take the risk of being exposed to people outside their household.

They would need to know what that risk might be, i.e. how many others everyone has been in contact with, local infection rates and what their own medical practitioners have advised, so they can make an informed decision.

In the same way, you would choose not to meet someone or visit somewhere if you were concerned about the risk of catching, rather than transmitting, an infection (COVID or otherwise).

DD is back in Y5, Sister is back in Y3.
Both in class bubbles of 30ish but then at breaktime UKS2 play out together which is 120 children.
LKS2 play out at a different time but again 120 outside.
I think lunch time is the UKS2 sitting and play out and the same for LKS2.
Both girls are back at activities this week. Nine year old Is at gymnastics 3 times a week in a smaller squad than previously due to having to distance. Youngest is back at dance in classes of 15 due to distancing.
With the distancing in place at these two activities I feel the risk of catching anything would be very low however with absolutely no distancing between pupils at school I do worry.
Grandad lives alone so he is in our bubble but he picks every illness going up so now don't know what to do regarding twice a week visits. Without the visits he will be lonely and we take meals/shopping round on the twice visits. He lives in a very small flat that is difficult to distance in if we wanted to distance going forward. We have a large garden and patio doors that we could open wide so if we feel he still needs company think it may be better for him to come to ours.
Grandma and grandad live together and myself and sister (predominately sister because she has no children) have been visiting throughout dropping food etc. Grandma has dementia and Grandad is struggling so the last few weeks we have been visiting to help out as well and provide grandad much needed company and girls to see grandma because she doesn't talk much especially not on the phone.
I don't want my sister to have to up her visits and feel like she is struggling alone but worry about the risk we may take to them if we continue to visit. It's getting colder now so we wont be able to sit outside as much.
I honestly don't know what to do, part of me says they all need our companionship and help but part of me says DD is at school not distancing so we should aim to stay away!

Meeting in groups of greater than 6 from multiple house holds is against national guidance in England, so that's why I'm not doing it - nothing to do with the capacity of risk assessment of the elderly people involved! Why is everyone ignoring these rules? And reliable social distancing isn't possible with 3 kids under 7 and GPs who don't try very hard at it anyway. I'm so cross with them for putting me in the situation where I have to say no.

@KnobChops my dad has dementia (he's also profoundly deaf). He doesnt understand or do social distancing and cant lip read if we wear masks.

MiL is hard of hearing. At a distance of more than 2 metres and wearing masks she cant hear what we say either! Far better for the kids to chat to her on the phone/zoom.

Sometimes things arent that straight forward.

I will be visiting my parents (both over 80) with social distancing, but won't be taking the (teenage) kids back for a while until we see how things pan out.

My mum has a habit of sneaking in to hug people, and the kids don't feel able to ask her to distance.

I understand the argument that it should be up to the GPs to assess the risk and decide for themselves, but personally I don't think it is as simple as that. If one of the GPs caught covid and died, my kids would blame themselves and I don't want them to have to live with that.

We'll probably go for some walks with them all together, but not visiting in the house.

My parents live with us. My children are at a large secondary school, year 11 and year 10. We can't avoid the grandparents because they live with us.