Why is Covid affecting schools?

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Latest updates are there have now been 421 outbreaks in UK schools. How is this possible? From what the government was implying throughout August was that schools would be safe environments which Covid would be unable to affect. How we was told that children don’t spread the virus.

You could understand the odd case here and there but that seems very high when most schools have only been back for one week. I suspect this number is much higher due to the lag in testing and results and indeed the amount of people unable to even get a test. Also we’ve not had enough time to really see the effect of spreading within schools from asymptotic carriers, just what has been taken in from being caught elsewhere.

We are still officially in summer, what will the situation be once the weather turns colder? Once the community transmission increases with the R rate now above 1?

This doesn't surprise me atall. Lockdown was eased and everyone allowed to mingle, go on holiday and eat out. Now they've gone back to school. Bubbles are too large, they don't have to SD in bubbles. 'Kids don't get or transmit the virus' was a myth perpetrated by the government as justification to send them back. Anyone who has been following the pandemic in any detail knows children can get it, they are human after all! If they can get it, they can transmit it. Usually children do have milder cases, but some do get complications and on rare occasions, they can die. They're not wearing masks and sitting in classrooms where a lot of speaking goes on, if someone is infectious, chances are, others will pick it up. School opposite my dcs school has a Yr group self isolating due to 3 pupils and 2 teachers testing positive, and we are in an area with supposedly a 'low' number of cases.

Still beyond me why people thought secondary age teenagers / young adults could not catch it or spread it.

Any school with a sixth form attached probably has a higher risk of a bubble being sent home. Two thirds of my year 13 A level lesson I taught this afternoon are over 5ft 10!

The R is clearly well above 1.

Opening schools will only work if the virus is well suppressed in the general population. It clearly is not.

So, the virus gets in the school. And circulates among the kids, causing mild (if any) illness.

And then comes home with the kids and spread to parents, causing mild-ish illness hopefully.

And then kills grandad.

@StatisticalSense

I have to applaud these children that have somehow managed to infect their teachers with a virus before the start of term...

They haven't. Yet.

I sent home a child today from my class who was displaying symptoms. Parent had brought a clearly unwell child into school.

So now I wait. Either for a negative result so child comes back in, a positive which means my whole class is off for 14 days or until I or another child start displaying symptoms as well. Fucking great. Rock / hard place.

When teachers explained on MN back in July/August that this was bollocks / bubbles were pointless / distancing impossible, we weren't just being negative or moaning. We saw this shitstorm coming a mile off.

Feels like it's the shittest lottery of 'who's going to get it first?'

I'm resigned to getting it at some point. I just hope I don't pass it to my vulnerable parents so am not seeing them for a while.

That's exactly it @PaddyF0dder.

Schools haven't been open long enough to be the driver of the increase, but if it's in the community it'll be in the schools.

Everything needs to close before schools.

Some schools have been back a couple of weeks now (different areas) most have been back over a week. Incubation period is 3-14 days.
Schools could well be contributing a bit now, but obviously we will know more in a couple of weeks.

Potential for a long half term

During lockdown down vulnerable and key worker children were allowed in. In my secondary school we had 22 students. They were kept 2 metres apart at all times and toilets/desks/chairs were cleaned after each use. That is why children weren’t catching it.

We are now back to school with 100 staff and 980 students. There isn’t the time or the funding to be cleaning everything after each use apart from the computers. Classes are full and there is no possible way of social distancing in a cramped classroom that has windows that only open 2 inches. My school has put so many procedures in place for one way systems, different breaks and lunches, lessons ending at different times so classes don’t crossover in the corridors. It’s amazing. BUT what we can’t do is stop children walking to and from school with each other, socialising our of school, public transport and so on. My head teacher admitted that we can have everything in place at school to keep them as safe as possible but it’s only from 8.30-3. When the bell goes at 3 it all goes out of the window. You also have the problem of teachers breaking bubbles as they teach different year groups.

So many of my students are so happy to be back and it’s fantastic to see. Mental health is a big issue in the younger generation and there is not the funds to help. Currently CAHMS has a 18 month waiting list in my area. They need to be back at school but I worry at what cost. Teachers are happy to be back too but everyone is nervous and feel like we are waiting to catch it. It’s not a nice feeling.

@mintpeonies

It has been proven here in England that it is not a horrible prospect. A whole host of leading independent schools did it brilliantly. Like private hospitals supporting NHS, the government could have used these last 6 months to make sure Secondary online Live learning was world-beating. 100s of experienced experts here in England And it’s also going very well in some US schools if the Min of Ed does not want to look to Asia.

Social aspects = online I’m afraid for most teens. Did you not realise? This is 2020 not 1980.
And school venues could still be used for fortnightly meet-ups for home room/form time.

Not good enough. Kids need to be in school and with other people, no matter what you say. Mine are so much happier now schools are back.

Or at least my kids do.

If solely online school is good enough for our young people, how come Nicola Sturgeon said they were going back because it was essential to young people’s well-being and happiness, as well as for education ?

I'm an early years teacher.. I heard a year 6 teacher tell a child to place a book in the tray fit "48 hours quarantine" yesterday..,

Meanwhile in nursery I've had 3 year olds sneeze and cough in my face, held their hands, given cuddles when needed and wiped tears away...

🤷‍♀️

this virus will mutate so they can be affected badly, and they certainly will be in bubbles of 300!

Oh it WILL mutate, will it?

My child’s class has a miserable cold rampaging through it. Because being horrendously snotty isn’t a symptom, the first child was fine to go in. For at least half the class whose children are the kind to get temperatures when they catch a cold, we’re all now stuck at home self isolating waiting for tests. Along with the siblings from other classes, who will presumably go on to catch it next week and we’ll have to start it all over again We’ve had a week of school and are now off. One local primary school has already shut completely and many more are teetering on the edge. The next 6 months are going to be interesting but wtf happened to closing the pubs so we could keep schools open

@Ethelfleda

this virus will mutate so they can be affected badly, and they certainly will be in bubbles of 300!

Oh it WILL mutate, will it?

Are you a virlogist? epidimiologist?

@Averyslover

During lockdown down vulnerable and key worker children were allowed in. In my secondary school we had 22 students. They were kept 2 metres apart at all times and toilets/desks/chairs were cleaned after each use. That is why children weren’t catching it.

We are now back to school with 100 staff and 980 students. There isn’t the time or the funding to be cleaning everything after each use apart from the computers. Classes are full and there is no possible way of social distancing in a cramped classroom that has windows that only open 2 inches. My school has put so many procedures in place for one way systems, different breaks and lunches, lessons ending at different times so classes don’t crossover in the corridors. It’s amazing. BUT what we can’t do is stop children walking to and from school with each other, socialising our of school, public transport and so on. My head teacher admitted that we can have everything in place at school to keep them as safe as possible but it’s only from 8.30-3. When the bell goes at 3 it all goes out of the window. You also have the problem of teachers breaking bubbles as they teach different year groups.

So many of my students are so happy to be back and it’s fantastic to see. Mental health is a big issue in the younger generation and there is not the funds to help. Currently CAHMS has a 18 month waiting list in my area. They need to be back at school but I worry at what cost. Teachers are happy to be back too but everyone is nervous and feel like we are waiting to catch it. It’s not a nice feeling.

So true. There a a good number of schools around me that have cases. I feel its destined to catch it now

Are you a virlogist? epidimiologist?

Nope. Are you??

I’m not saying to definitely won’t... because I accept that I am not an expert... but you are saying it definitely WILL. And I presume that you’re not an expert either?!

Sorry, I'm.
I have children in my face all the time.
Children don't understand the work and need help so I feel the need to go over to help them.
I could be seriously ill with this. It isn't just a cold. Children are going home with this and spreading it to their family. The Government had a chance in the 5 months the kids were out of school to make the situation in schools sustainable but they havent. Its going to be a shit show of the care homes all over.
It will stop when teachers or family members die or when children fall seriously ill with it.

@Ethelfleda

Are you a virlogist? epidimiologist?

Nope. Are you??

I’m not saying to definitely won’t... because I accept that I am not an expert... but you are saying it definitely WILL. And I presume that you’re not an expert either?!

NO, but i'm not making the claim! You are!

@WhyNotMe40 a significant chunk went back this week, most have been back up to a week (excl Scotland). Average virus incubation time is 5 days. Add on testing time.

Community transmission is and will drive school transmission. We needed to have low community transmission, we don't. We do need kids to be in school. Online learning only works for kids with significant resources (time or money).

Sorry @Ethelfleda - I was commenting on the original one, not on yours. I was actually agreeing with you!

@Hello “ Online learning only works for kids with significant resources (time or money).”

Wifi + device + pencil + paper + caculator does not = significant resources. In fact it is a great leveller without amazing labs / cricket pitches / spectacular theatres and swimming pools. Plus, it leaves proper space in secondary schools for the poor without tech or vulnerable to attend for the computer and wifi.

All these vociferous critics against Live Secondary teaching I wonder if they actually experienced this from March to July ?!?! Do you know from concrete experience or are you guessing ?

@mintpeonies

All these vociferous critics against Live Secondary teaching I wonder if they actually experienced this from March to July ?!?! Do you know from concrete experience or are you guessing ?

We had it yes. Although you’ll have to describe more what you mean as we had audio rather than visual of teacher for example.

Teen much better off back at school, he responds well to peers and learning in school.

@mintpeonies significant resource are for a parent not needing to work.