Would you let your child go swimming with school?

[Jj2431]

As the title says really..I don't feel comfortable with it but prepared to be told I'm being over the top. They reckon they are cleaning water before the kids get there and that changing rooms will be clean. They also can't share books etc at school but can share water that their body's and spit etc has probably been in..

Chlorine kills germs. My child goes to swim club twice a week.

@borageforager

Char2015 Swimming IS on the National Curriculum.

Yes you are right. But it doesn't have to be taught yearly. It can be covered during KS1 or KS2. So delaying this sport, until next year/key stage and learning another sport IMO would have been much more sensible.

@FourPlasticRings

All children should learn, yes. But in the middle of a pandemic, no.

The vaccine is designed for children, hence why they are currently trialling it on them here in the UK. I wouldn't read false news articles.

From the Oxford Vaccine Group themselves which states this type of vaccine is designed with children's safety in mind:

A chimpanzee adenovirus vaccine vector (ChAdOx1), developed at Oxford’s Jenner Institute, was chosen as the most suitable vaccine technology for a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine as it can generate a strong immune response from one dose and it is not a replicating virus, so it cannot cause an ongoing infection in the vaccinated individual. This also makes it safer to give to children, the elderly and anyone with a pre-existing condition such as diabetes. Chimpanzee adenoviral vectors are a very well-studied vaccine type, having been used safely in thousands of subjects, from 1 week to 90 years of age, in vaccines targeting over 10 different diseases.

[quote Char2015]@FourPlasticRings

All children should learn, yes. But in the middle of a pandemic, no.

The vaccine is designed for children, hence why they are currently trialling it on them here in the UK. I wouldn't read false news articles.

From the Oxford Vaccine Group themselves which states this type of vaccine is designed with children's safety in mind:

A chimpanzee adenovirus vaccine vector (ChAdOx1), developed at Oxford’s Jenner Institute, was chosen as the most suitable vaccine technology for a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine as it can generate a strong immune response from one dose and it is not a replicating virus, so it cannot cause an ongoing infection in the vaccinated individual. This also makes it safer to give to children, the elderly and anyone with a pre-existing condition such as diabetes. Chimpanzee adenoviral vectors are a very well-studied vaccine type, having been used safely in thousands of subjects, from 1 week to 90 years of age, in vaccines targeting over 10 different diseases.[/quote]
@Char2015

Didn't realise the financial times was given to publishing fake news:
www.ft.com/content/d2e00128-7889-4d5d-84a3-43e51355a751

Or sky news:
www.google.com/amp/s/news.sky.com/story/amp/coronavirus-vaccine-head-less-than-half-of-the-uk-population-could-get-vaccinated-12090472

Or the independent:
www.google.com/amp/s/www.independent.co.uk/news/health/coronavirus-vaccine-when-uk-population-age-b791949.html%3famp

Or ITV:
www.itv.com/news/2020-10-05/robert-peston-why-is-the-government-rejecting-covid-19-vaccine-herd-immunity

Or the BBC:
www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.com/news/amp/blogs-the-papers-54413543

'The head of the immunisation programme added: "People keep talking about 'time to vaccinate the whole population' but that is misguided. There is going to be no vaccination of people under 18.

"It's an adult-only vaccine for people over 50 focusing on health workers and care home workers and the vulnerable." '

Fourplastic is correct, the vaccine is not for children. It doesn’t matter whether it’s suitable for them, the scientists do not run the vaccination programme and a vaccine that only reduces symptoms is not going to be given to children who have mild symptoms anyway. It will be aimed at those most at risk, whether through age or job or health issues.

@FourPlasticRings

You do know the same news agencies you have referred to have reported on children being trialled in the Oxford Vaccine. A simple Google search will do.

The FT article doesn't make sense and the other news agencies are only repeating what FT has reported. It actually goes against the Government Vaccine documents published by her own taskforce. Either she was misquoted or she doesn't know what her own taskforce's guidance states.

Even the sentence 'It's an adult-only vaccine for people over 50 focusing on health workers and care home workers and the vulnerable' is way off what her and her team have published and on the Government website.

@Theluggage15

Fourplastic is correct, the vaccine is not for children. It doesn’t matter whether it’s suitable for them, the scientists do not run the vaccination programme and a vaccine that only reduces symptoms is not going to be given to children who have mild symptoms anyway. It will be aimed at those most at risk, whether through age or job or health issues.

Not for children? They are currently being given it in trials. I would argue it is for them. Children are last on the list. Have you people not read the official documents rather than a false article?

Are the changing rooms and method of getting to the pool less 'Covid-safe' than the classroom?

Yes its fine.
Why do people fret over "wet hair"?
Wet hair and drafts have nothing to do with virology!

@SirSamuelVimes

I just think swimming is higher risk than the classroom, somehow.

I don't wish to be unkind, but if the only thing keeping your child from accessing swimming lessons is a this level of vague concern, your own anxiety / inability to assess risk is the problem, and it would be wrong to prevent your child from accessing swimming lessons because of that.

If you have concerns, ask about the safety measures, ask to see the risk assessment. But don't just assume it's dangerous "somehow".

My child is going to swimming lessons and I don't have anxiety but thanks for your kind concern.

I find school swimming a bit gross normally due to the oversized groups they take and the cramped space. It's got to be more germy than the average classroom, just due to the manky damp floor, sweaty stale air etc.

'dangerous' was a melodramatic word. Germy is what I really mean.

Not sure how being in umpteen thousand litres of mild bleach with the same 30 other children that he's with 30 hours a week is that much of a problem for virus spread...

OK, there's the two extra instructors, but they're at least 2m away. 2.9 seconds passing the bus driver on and off the bus...
Buses have been avaliable since May? June?

Absolutelty nothing about it is contraindicated.

My DCs go to lessons in another city anyway and we spend 2+ hours doing a hokey cokey in and out of the leisure centre. It's a faff, but it's worth the effort.

Fortunately DS1 completed his year of school lessons at Feb half term. While his lessons are very much focused on technique, school got him covering more on stamina and he made rapid progress despite his dyspraxia and could swim 400m in half an hour only a few months after his first length. I'll be gutted if DS2's class miss out from February. I haven't seen signs of the class between my two going. They only got 3 lessons before lockdown and there were more weaker swimmers in that cohort to benefit from it.

Tonight DS1 swam his first length since 16tb March and I could feel my eyes welling with pride seeing him achieving that again.

I would let mine. Surely a good dunking in chlorine will be the best thing for them! 😃
Mine are back at their weekly lessons with children who aren't in their school bubbles since I wouldn't be bothered about them doing it within their bubbles.

Yes because kids will miss out if they don’t it’s good for kids to join in with their friends not be apart if school are going their risk assessment will have picked up the risk of changing rooms etc what’s the alternative pick n choose bits of school you agree with

@Char2015

Not for children? They are currently being given it in trials. I would argue it is for them. Children are last on the list. Have you people not read the official documents rather than a false article?

Care to provide a link?

[quote FourPlasticRings]@Char2015

Not for children? They are currently being given it in trials. I would argue it is for them. Children are last on the list. Have you people not read the official documents rather than a false article?

Care to provide a link?[/quote]
Sigh. Forgot to bold the quote. Nevermind.

Mine are having their school lessons, minibus there and back, one bubble only in the building at one time. Changing rooms cleaned between each group. I'm not worried about their swimming although I wouldn't go as a family group just yet.

The risk is also them getting to the destination. To have a whole class trotting along the street together is selfish IMO

how is it selfish? There is minimal evidence that the virus transmits outdoors, especially just passing someone in the street. The kids would have to cough all over someone they passed.

Will MNers stop calling everything selfish that they don't agree with. Come up with a sensible argument instead.

I dont agree about the being cold wont make you ill. Yes it's the virus but they have shown having a cold nose makes a difference.
Also note that your body raises it's temp (fever) to fight things off.
Ive got a low body temp (and my fever was still below normal body temps ).
Anyway whether of not you do get ill it is very unpleasant to have a cold wet head in winter.

Our school doubled in size and only has 1/2 term so up to 7 lessons in a school year so that is what 8yo had with school in total . May have had another 7 this year.
14 lessons is nowhere near enough to actually learn.
My youngest did preschool lessons and could swim within a few weeks but of course stopped in march.
However i think lots of swimming on holidays is most effective and cost effective. Plus obviously time. As we were driving 1hr round trip weekly then an hour in pool.
I think we will restart eventually as it's good to move up the levels. Having rather non compliant kids though getting there and changed and then every so often dc1 getting in trouble. And not progressing etc

Anyway whether of not you do get ill it is very unpleasant to have a cold wet head in winter.

Swim caps are usually required in the pool, aren't they? Just instruct DC to keep them on until after showering (if showering at all- our pool has closed both changing rooms and showers) and give them a wooly hat for after.

It is so tiring even thinking about it. A minibus seems a bad idea, that is far more crowded than the classroom.

I think some schools are trying to do the most they can re. covid, others trying to do as much 'normal' as possible without breaking any hard rules.

practisingperson also different areas of the country actually have different risk. There were 13 cases per 100,000 in my area last week, tbh I don’t see why that should mean my kids can’t have a swimming lesson & I would be happy if our school started them again.

Happy for my DC to swim at lessons to keep fit & continue learning a life skill. Low cases in our area which influences my decision. Would also be more worried about them getting a cold & not drying hair.

Yes. I doubt they're any more likely to catch Coronavirus swimming than in a classroom tbh.

@borageforager

practisingperson also different areas of the country actually have different risk. There were 13 cases per 100,000 in my area last week, tbh I don’t see why that should mean my kids can’t have a swimming lesson & I would be happy if our school started them again.

That's good then, I guess we are all in different areas, with different schools, and different views.