We were doing ok until we opened all the schools....

[Bbq1]

After lockdown was lifted pre September and pubs, restaurants etc were opened we seemed to have a handle on Covid with cases, hospital admissions and deaths all declining fairly steadily. Since we released millions of school aged children and thousands of teachers etc back into the classroom- boom, cases and consequently deaths, are now growing very rapidly again. It didn't take a rocket scientist to work out that this would happen. I work in a school and I have a 15 year old starting his gcse's so I 100% don't want the schools to close but surely there must be a more workable solution? Couldn't schools be one week, one week off for different bubbles or alternate days? Nobody wants schools to shut but surely in the long term if we don't get something safer in place and just continue sending kids and adults in day after day, then eventually they will close again?

The surge isn’t because of schools. It’s too quick for that, and the people most affected are those in their 20s and 30s. It’s most likely from pubs, restaurants and crowded beaches.

Totally agree with @Goingdooolally
Seek advice.

@Jeremyironseverything

I'm at home recovering from the covid that I caught at school. I've passed it on to my dh and dc. I'm not the only one from my school.

I hope you’re ok. Was it a pupil you caught it from or a colleague?

(I should point out that I cannot SD at school, I cannot wear a mask, and the nearest student is well under a metre from me. Ventilation is poor, and blows akll breath from students towards me. the vast majority have 'cold' symptoms. I am with them except for 15 minutes a day, from 8.30 - 3.15, and the rest of my day involves inevitable - but luckily SD - interaction with other school adults.)

@kerrymucklowe2020

More tests = more cases - is it just a coincidence?

No positivity rates are up which shows it not just more testing

It is difficult because, for example, I have probably seen my mother - who is developing dementia - face to face for the last time until next summer.

@TheClitterati

Schools are back in my part of England and our rate is currently very low at 1.8 cases per 100k pop.

So I think perhaps it isn't necessarily about schools.

Schools will play a part where transmission is occurring. They can’t spread what isn’t there yet.

@Bluelinings
Should of said, that report was from Saturday so quite up to date.

@cantkeepawayforever

I used the same government website for my own analysis. I cannot find the data you refer to that shows the percentage of positive tests of tests taken going up (unless you direct me to it). Clearly I having 2 positive results out of 10 tests is much more scary than 20 positive results out of 100k tests.

I stand by my earlier comment:
More testing will mean more positive results.

@cantkeepawayforever

(I should point out that I cannot SD at school, I cannot wear a mask, and the nearest student is well under a metre from me. Ventilation is poor, and blows akll breath from students towards me. the vast majority have 'cold' symptoms. I am with them except for 15 minutes a day, from 8.30 - 3.15, and the rest of my day involves inevitable - but luckily SD - interaction with other school adults.)

Doesn’t sound great. Are you a primary teacher? Or additional needs? I understand you wanting to limit your overall risk but if you have no health issues, isolation seems like an overreaction to me. I suppose it depends how much of a sacrifice it is! Some people I’d quite like an excuse to isolate from

[quote 1dayatatime]@cantkeepawayforever

I used the same government website for my own analysis. I cannot find the data you refer to that shows the percentage of positive tests of tests taken going up (unless you direct me to it). Clearly I having 2 positive results out of 10 tests is much more scary than 20 positive results out of 100k tests.

I stand by my earlier comment:
More testing will mean more positive results.[/quote]
The CMO went into detail about the stats surrounding positivity rates going up

@Bluelinings

kerrymucklowe2020
More tests = more cases - is it just a coincidence?
No positivity rates are up which shows it not just more testing

Do you have a source to show this rise in positivity rates of tests taken?

@cantkeepawayforever

It is difficult because, for example, I have probably seen my mother - who is developing dementia - face to face for the last time until next summer.

October holidays/Christmas? You sound low with it. 💗

going

I don't know who I caught it from, as there are both staff and students off with it too.

I was really surprised they all went back together, I thought they would be going in on alternate days, or half days. They could have done that at least for older years, who are more infectious and where childcare isn't such an issue for parents who work.

Primary.

I see each day as a 'sum of risks'. if I wfh, then obviously some social interaction etc would only introduce a small amount of risk into my life and be reasonable. If I worked somewhere where SD was possible, then again there would be some 'risk budget' available for social interactions. However, as I work in a risky environment with no mitigation possible, I accept that risk BUT have no wish to increase it or expose others to it second hand.

@Jeremyironseverything

going

I don't know who I caught it from, as there are both staff and students off with it too.

Get well soon! How’s it been?

@cantkeepawayforever

Primary.

I see each day as a 'sum of risks'. if I wfh, then obviously some social interaction etc would only introduce a small amount of risk into my life and be reasonable. If I worked somewhere where SD was possible, then again there would be some 'risk budget' available for social interactions. However, as I work in a risky environment with no mitigation possible, I accept that risk BUT have no wish to increase it or expose others to it second hand.

Fair enough and absolutely your choice. I couldn’t live that way. I hope this doesn’t sound patronising but do watch out for your mental health.

October holidays/Christmas? You sound low with it.

They aren't long enough to allow 'quarantine'. My parents live too far away for me to visit without staying. So i would need to allow 14 days for any symptoms to develop in me from any infection caught at the end of term before visiting them. I did this after the second half of the summer term - which I was in school for - but unless I go for the final weekend of the Christmas holidays, there isn't long enough.

@emilybrontescorsett

at my 12 year old's school, they are bubbling entire year groups, so 90 in each bubble. It doesn't make any difference if they're all in close proximity all day.

I couldn’t live that way.

It is, unfortunately, the way many of us have to live in a pandemic, to keep us all safe. I know very few colleagues who socialise at all, for exactly the same reasons.

@cantkeepawayforever

October holidays/Christmas? You sound low with it.

They aren't long enough to allow 'quarantine'. My parents live too far away for me to visit without staying. So i would need to allow 14 days for any symptoms to develop in me from any infection caught at the end of term before visiting them. I did this after the second half of the summer term - which I was in school for - but unless I go for the final weekend of the Christmas holidays, there isn't long enough.

Yes I see. Could you go and stay elsewhere and go for walks/chat outside? I still do this with my dad as he was shielding and so is high risk. I used to have an hour long chat with him at the garden gate! We’ve never moved to inside visits! Although he is local. Tough with your mum having dementia.

I do, of course, keep in touch with others via Zoom etc.

[It's also tricky as they are in Wales and tend therefore to be under stricter rules]

@cantkeepawayforever

I couldn’t live that way.

It is, unfortunately, the way many of us have to live in a pandemic, to keep us all safe. I know very few colleagues who socialise at all, for exactly the same reasons.

None of my teacher friends or my colleagues are doing this. My city currently has 23 cases per 100,000! I think you and your colleagues are being overly paranoid in terms of isolating outside of work!