Matt Hancock finally starts telling the truth

[jomartin281271]

This is an extract from an interview Matt Hancock gave on Radio 1 this morning, when he was reacting to the sharp increase in reported cases.

The health secretary stressed how serious coronavirus can be for young people, even though they are less likely to die or get seriously ill.
"Long Covid is really serious. And people can be in a bad way for months and months and months," he says.
"The second really important message is that younger people spread the disease, even if they don't have symptoms.
"Don't kill your gran by catching coronavirus and then passing it on. And you can pass it on before you've had any symptoms at all."

And now that schools have opened the number of cases has rocketed and children are unwittingly bringing the virus back into their homes, possibly infecting older members of their family. Isn't it about time we had some joined up thinking from this government. It's only a week ago that Gavin Williamson and Boris Johnson were telling us that young people were almost immune.

What would the joined up thinking be?

I've said a lot I think MH has been the most honest.

He has trotted our party line at times but he never looked comfortable.

He was the only one who ever looked stressed and harrowed over this and if he genuinely got the situation and cared.

He wasn't trotted out over Cummings either which I always thought was telling.

Let's hope he gets the message across. We have done well, we were doing well - but need to stick to the measures to keep doing well.

I thought it was interesting that Long Covid was mentioned and that it isn’t all about dying.

I felt this was a marked change in tone.

Also said some young people can be very seriously ill. Again a change in tone.

So why are we sending them all back to school then, in schools of 1,000 plus?

Protecting the vulnerable would be joined up thinking. So if vulnerable families can and want to home educate, let them.

looking at ways used by other countries to follow the science and distance. So, use halls, disused office buildings etc. for improved social distancing in schools.

2 weeks on 2 weeks off schooling may be

blended learning

I’ve had chest pain, tightness and fluid on my lungs since March, previously very fit, so it’s good to see him acknowledge longer term health issues.

The SAGE guidance said that people would need to feel personally threatened to comply with restrictions. The reality is that young people almost certainly won't die of COVID. Death therefore isn't much of a personal threat to the young.

There may be long term consequences for some although by no means all or even most (I'm not suggesting that long COVID doesn't exist but we don't yet know how widespread it is nor how long it lasts) but that message might be more "personally threatening" to that group and encourage compliance. I would suggest that is the motivation behind any change in tone.

That’s interesting after months of the government implying that children don’t get it or spread it.

@Boredbumhead because kids need to go back for their education, their welfare, their mental health.
Parents need to get back into work properly to pay bills and put food on the table.
Yes it's a risk but it's a risk many of us have to and want to take.

So give us a choice? people who want (or need) to take the risk do. People who don't or can't , don't.

Pluses and minuses both ways

@Boredbumhead

So why are we sending them all back to school then, in schools of 1,000 plus?

Because we can't look ourselves away forever on the off chance we might catch a virus that probably won't do the majority of people any harm.

@herecomesthsun you can take the choice. You can de-register your children from school and home school until you feel safe to send them back. Then you apply for a school place for this to happen.

Instead of deregistering give remote learning option

At least now concerns of parents should be heard and fines should be stopped

@Howslifenow

Instead of deregistering give remote learning option

NOT deregistering no, bugger that,

Thank you howslifenow, how do we give remote learning option? Do we say, we have 6 degrees and 9 A levels and university teaching experience and have organised our lives so we have the time? would that do?

If it makes you ill long-term seems like mental health and productivity would nosedive anyway?

Surely this cant be true though....weve had thread after thread of mumsnetters insisting children cant get it and are virtually immune and trotting out stats showing only one child ever has died of it etc...

MH was referring to "young people" aged 17-21 if I remember correctly so you g adults, not children.

Well thank God that bollocks has stopped

sorry agreeing @DoubleDolphin

But how is it fair that the teachers have to teach the children in school and provide remote learning. They'd basically have to be doing two jobs, i doubt the majority have the time.
You already have 3 choices,
Send your children to school
Keep them off and pay the fine
Or deregister and home school.

It makes sense to talk about young not passing it on to old.

Atm it’s what we can do to keep children in school. Keep them separated. No issue with him saying this.

I am AMAZED that it has taken so long for this to be the official message in the UK.

Remote learning is there via Oak Academy still.

I’m for dc going back to school but online resources are there if not. Not sure what older years are like but younger years.