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Original poster

School staff........

20 replies

OpheliasCrayon · 02/10/2020 20:25

How many colds / virus's / bugs have we all caught so far this year ?

Is it in line with September's gone by before covid?

If it's the same amount of stuff then in my head that tells me that the measures we're taking aren't really much.

Obviously I know all of us in schools are doing the best we can. I don't think there's much more we could be doing.....that wouldn't be stupidly disruptive beyond what's acceptable....

I feel like I've caught the same amount of things that I would have done by this time in usual years. So I'm just wondering really.

I work in two schools (+ few others every so often.) In one I cover my face all day and there are pretty strict cleaning / hand washing measures in place for everyone .... In the other and all the ones I go to here and there there's not much other than hand washing.

Hopefully we all have a good year with minimum disruption, I'm just wondering how it's going for curiosity's sake really

Keep up the good work people!BrewCakeWine

OP posts:
IHateCoronavirus · 02/10/2020 20:27

DH and I were talking about this. How much impact are the extra measures having if we are still picking up as many colds?

Bluewavescrashing · 02/10/2020 20:31

I'm on my 2ns cold already. Headlice are rife, letters have gone out.

It's not possible really to mitigate spread of illness in overcrowded classrooms. Schools are shockingly underfunded and buildings are not for for purpose. Classrooms need to be twice the size, with half the number of children and withuch more efficient ventilation. Extra handwashing sinks and toilet blocks installed. More staff. But this costs £££££ so won't happen.

Original poster
OpheliasCrayon · 02/10/2020 20:37

@Bluewavescrashing

I'm on my 2ns cold already. Headlice are rife, letters have gone out.

It's not possible really to mitigate spread of illness in overcrowded classrooms. Schools are shockingly underfunded and buildings are not for for purpose. Classrooms need to be twice the size, with half the number of children and withuch more efficient ventilation. Extra handwashing sinks and toilet blocks installed. More staff. But this costs £££££ so won't happen.

If all the windows are open and the kids are shivering they can't really learn.

I had my windows open today but I had to shut a fair few by the end of the day as it was tipping it down and everyone was frozen solid.

OP posts:
DipSwimSwoosh · 02/10/2020 20:45

I have been teaching 13 years and have only once caught a cold bad enough to warrant 2 days off sick.
I did have a break from work for 6 months once and in that time caught flu which floored me for months.

manicinsomniac · 02/10/2020 20:46

No colds. Had a horrible headache and nausea thing all day but I don't think it's a bug. Hope not anyway, I'm in school.

Original poster
OpheliasCrayon · 02/10/2020 20:46

@DipSwimSwoosh

I have been teaching 13 years and have only once caught a cold bad enough to warrant 2 days off sick. I did have a break from work for 6 months once and in that time caught flu which floored me for months.
Solid record!!!!!!
OP posts:
gluteustothemaximus · 02/10/2020 20:52

Work in a school. Am on 3rd or 4th bug now. Hard to tell they are all merging together and feel ill all the time.

Getting sick of feeling shit. Bugs are flying around everywhere despite measures for covid.

Randomschoolworker19 · 02/10/2020 21:28

Lots of colds and bugs per the norm.

Doesn't matter that the children sit in rows and that they don't share equipment or that we clean the toilets every hour. We're all still breathing the same air in the same cramped poorly ventilated room.

I've already been sent home once because I had a temperature (later turned out to be normal flu as my test came back negative), and we have lots of children off waiting for tests.

Most recently, we learned one of the parents of one of the children in our bubble tested positive, so we're just waiting for the test to come back for the child. If positive that's our bubble shut for 2 weeks.

GinWithASplashOfTonic · 02/10/2020 21:34

Touch wood I haven't yet . Although I tend to succumb at the start of November not October.

A couple of colllegues have had sniffles but not the usual domino effect.

Will be interesting after half term in the run up to Christmas, that's when my department all starts dropping like flies

uglyface · 02/10/2020 21:39

One cold and one minor sick bug so far. No idea how, as the amount of cleaning going on in school right now is nuts.

Hercwasonaroll · 02/10/2020 21:39

The difference is that everyone's been apart for months. So no low level immunity to stuff has passed round. So it makes sense we've all been getting ill. The kids are the same. Think how bad it would be without all the new measures.

DrMadelineMaxwell · 02/10/2020 21:41

I've been working 23 years at the last count. I blame that for my rock-solid constitution! I never get an upset stomach, and have had about 5 days off in total for heavy colds in all that time. :) Some others aren't so lucky and have a day or two off every winter.

This year I've already had to have a day off while waiting for a cv test for one of my DC.

Dotinthecity · 02/10/2020 21:44

Two of us staff have had colds in our school but no other staff or children have been I'll with anything. It's been ok so far.

SourMilkGhyll · 02/10/2020 21:49

Staff - 1 cold
Children - only a couple of minor colds

Cleaning and handwashing seems to be working.

Tyranttoddler · 02/10/2020 21:59

We have 6 staff with covid and currently 1 child in each year group 👍 forget the colds 🙈

flumposie · 02/10/2020 22:13

I've felt ill with something every week so far. Ranging from stomach pains, nausea. Now it's a sore throat and cough .

gluteustothemaximus · 02/10/2020 22:16

There's tonne of sick bugs as well. Half of that is down to kids being sent in ill though. You wouldn't believe how many kids attempt to come to school (sent in by parents) and throw up on public transport, or throw up at school.

gluteustothemaximus · 02/10/2020 22:17

Doesn't matter that the children sit in rows and that they don't share equipment or that we clean the toilets every hour. We're all still breathing the same air in the same cramped poorly ventilated room.

Exactly this.

RoseCider · 02/10/2020 22:27

I’ve not caught anything but windows are fully open and will remain open though winter. If the kids need to wear jackets and gloves then that’s fine but my windows WILL stay open as well as my door. I’m very lucky in that one of the walls in my class is glass and the windows all open halfway down the glass so we have plenty of fresh air.

We also have a strict cleaning regime in place, desks sanitised every half hour as well as hands. I work in primary though, it must be more difficult in high schools.

LasagneQueen · 02/10/2020 22:41

I've worked in schools for 12 years and XH was in schools during our marriage for 9 years prior to that.

I think November and February will be the real test. So far it's not too bad at my secondary school, but this week has seen more staff absence so will see how it goes...

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