Are schools the reason for the surge?

[NebularNerd]

Thousands of people mixing daily with no social distancing.

Children pass the virus on, as BJ has said recently (despite previously saying otherwise).

Surely even if other measures are put in place, the numbers will continue to rise?

Are schools behind the surge?

So if you're not infectious when incubating the virus and asymptomatic spreading is rare, then most infections must occur by people being out and about socialising when they're ill with the virus.

Yes, or just before they become ill, which is probably the biggest problem. The guy in Bolton became symptomatic a couple of days after he went on a pub crawl, when he had just come back from Greece.

I think it is more to do with people socialising in small spaces, people not wearing masks and following the guidelines and people who have returned from other countries and not isolated. Also the surge seems to be affecting more inland places and cities than coastal and less urbanised.

Schools only been back two/three weeks, so think it started before then when pubs and restaurants opened and people were told to go into work - it was a slower start and people really started to venture out around mid-August. Schools will contribute to a rise though. Already had a cold since DC went back.

The surge does not coincide with schools opening it was rising before the schools went back and has continued to rise. Of course school is going to play a part in a rise in infections that's inevitable. Surely people would never have expected there not to be a rise once society starts opening up? I completely understand people's concern and blaming schools opening for the surge but honestly what is the answer?? Even if we lockdown again, close schools, close pubs etc it's not going away and we can't live like that forever. Figures will just rise again once things open up and we are back to same position. To be honest the best approach is live your life but follow the rules and stop reading the papers.

Lol so schools then.
Hands face space is it?
Lots of that in school and obviously never touching things other people touch. Zero 'hot desking'
Not like its a pub crawl. ?
And worst that each person represents a whole family so minimum of 2 other people

I don't think so I'm not sure mine have gone back to school, took them out for a week for seaside holiday, they've been out to numerous restaurants, parks and shopping centres and we are all fine however that's a lot of places to mix. Me on my own or my husband have gone to work, shopping, to see friends and relatives pubs etc everywhere really. There's so many opportunities to pick up this virus I can't see it solely being on school children.
A lot of kids at my children's school also have bad colds at the moment they've been tested but it is just colds.

Eat out to help out and lots of international travel has driven the increase in community cases, coupled with people mixing socially in homes and pubs. Schools being back hasn't driven the surge in cases yet.

There have been many super spreader events that have contributed to spikes, mainly house parties and people returning from abroad not isolating. A 23 year old from Bolton went on a pub crawl following his return from holiday then tested positive. This has been attributed partly to the increase there. I suspect this situation has happened all over.
www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-england-manchester-54205353

@pinkpetal2 you took your children out of school for a holiday?

Surely people would never have expected there not to be a rise once society starts opening up?

It appears that even our own government were surprised by this.

Wow pinkpetal you're really doing your bit for society aren't you?

Yes I did take them out of school for a holiday this year sucks. The school was fine about it as they are small and they aren't issuing fines at the moment due to everything that has happened this year. My kids had a great time and so did I.

@Hangingbasketofdoom What else am I meant to be doing? Why is it an issue to do any of these things?

This virus probably will never go away. If things are open I can't see why you shouldn't go to them.

My son goes to a high school with over 2000 kids none have had a positive vas's as yet, not sure if it's a matter of time

By this year, do you mean since early September?

Had they been in school in the summer term @pinkpetal2?

@pinkpetal2

This virus probably will never go away. If things are open I can't see why you shouldn't go to them.

No problem with that at all, as long as you're following the rules, maintaining 2m social distancing, washing your hands, wearing masks indoors where required, etc etc.

Trouble is too many people have seen places opening up again and forgot about the rules/restrictions/precautions.

There is definitely a connection. Socialising in pubs has been going on from July. More than 160 schools in Manchester impacted by Covid. Tests not available, so we may never know true number. I don't think these facts can be denied now.

@Howslifenow

There is definitely a connection. Socialising in pubs has been going on from July. More than 160 schools in Manchester impacted by Covid. Tests not available, so we may never know true number. I don't think these facts can be denied now.

But the whole point of exponential growth is that it starts slowly. Back in July, if few (if any) people were infectious when going to the pub, it wouldn't spread much (if at all). We'd just come out of lockdown, so the number of infected people was tiny.

A few weeks of people going to the pub would mean that there'd have been some infectious people, and it would start to spread slowly as those people who caught it in the pub last week passed it on the following week, and so it goes on. You soon end up with more infectious people going to the pub and therefore passing it on to ever increasing numbers of other people, who do the same.

There's no way schools "caused" the current spike, it's far too soon.

Even if schools are not the cause of this current surge, in a few weeks when numbers get way higher, it will be the schools that would of caused it. There's no way schools being fully open are not going to increase numbers in a significant way.

Yes they went back during lockdown we'll one did others are not in school ones just gone to nursery, they went back on the 3rd of September and we've just come back been away since this Monday and stayed in the UK was lovely.

@user1497207191 Yeah we do all of that kids have their masks if they want to wear them, I'm used to wearing mine now so I don't mind it and tbh there's not really a reason to be closer to anyone to even get within a metre. I can't stand the feeling of dirty hands so we've always sanitised and washed hands.

When things started reopening in June/July people were cautious. So much so that the government was encouraging people out with the eat out scheme. That tempted some and then when the numbers didn't immediately jump more and more were tempted.

I'm in a local lockdown area. The difference in care I saw people take in June/early July compared to what l've seen in late July/Aug is huge. People got fed up and complacent. It's been rising in the community since late summer. From what I've seen I suspect it's traced to holidays, people giving up on distancing, people taking masks off as soon as they walk past security in stores etc.

We have school cases here but all were in the first week and as such the kids were likely infected when they returned to school.

In England our issues are people don't give a shit, people don't respect BJ or the government as they have shown themselves time and time again to care only for their own and our track and trace is not fit for
purpose.

Scotland has its own track and trace that works I believe. Also many secondary schools have created their own to monitor who kids are in contact with based on set places in classes etc. From what I've seen this is helping keep school transmissions low so far.

Imo inconsistent messages from government combined with incompetence and them breaking guidelines themselves means no one respects them or the rules. This is why England is worse. Scotland and Wales sent clearer messages and their leaders respect the rules themselves.

The time taken to get tested and get results is also a huge huge issue. Many parents simply can't afford to stay home any longer when they've been out of work for months.

We have a child with symptoms. It took 4 days to get a negative result and that was with being able to secure a test the next day. Many have to wait much longer.

Don't blame schools. Blame the incompetent government.