Coronavirus outbreaks in England spreading mostly in schools

[herecomesthsun]

Link here

I know it is what many of us have been predicting for some months, so an all too familiar topic.

However, I thought some of you, maybe especially teachers or those from vulnerable families, might be interested in having the article flaaged up.

Ah I see personal sauna

I presume she must be very vulnerable. She's a very good teacher to be fair. Biology!

TwinningIt:
"And last week Chris Whitty was quite clear that transmission is not increasing in schools, and cases in schools are arising from transmission in homes"

How would he know if there is no efficient tracing and given that it is likely for many children be asymptomatic but infectious? And children don't just mix in school, they use public transport to get there potentially infecting everyone around.

Chris Whitty, while claiming that transmission is not occurring in schools, was very careful to not show the graph of rocketing cases in 10-19 year olds. Instead he showed a graph of test positivity rate for that age range which doesn't demonstrate anything.

We have staggered breaks x 2. Got just over 1000 pupils. No cases.

That's just luck, sorry.

Masks in all areas except lessons. Teachers can have visors, masks even if they want/need.

Visors are pointless.

We had one positive test in our secondary school of 2200 a month ago and none since

Lucky you.

if the teacher is turning up to work in an actual hazmat suit as you describe she should be firmly asked to change by the head

She should wear what she likes.

@forgodssake2020

My Year 9 also says she wants school to close (as do all her friends apparently). Not because they are remotely scared of Covid but because she fancies more of a lie in and they didn't get homework in the last lockdown!

But schools are so important for mental health though...

@VillageGreenTree

Can you think of any examples where societies in the past put sick and elderly people ahead of children? I can't.

We should of course be doing everything in our power to protect the vulnerable. That's obvious. My point is that it goes against nature to make children pay to protect adults. By that I don't merely mean elderly or vulnerable people, but all adults. I would jump into a fast-flowing river and endanger my life if I saw a toddler who had fallen in, and most people would, I think, do the same. I wouldn't do this on rational reflection, but on instinct. I would only jump in to save an adult if I knew them and cared very deeply about them (or if the risk was very low).

Not only do children benefit much less than other people from lockdown, the cost to them is much higher. Are they willing to pay it? We aren't asking them. And they don't have votes. Is it fair to make decisions on their behalf that they will pay for for the rest of their lives?

Keep schools open but make them safer! I’m a teacher and a parent. Let’s see more funding for full-time on-site cleaning staff. Let’s see more funding for additional teaching staff so that at least some classes can be made smaller. Let’s see funding for additional sinks, soap and sanitiser. Let’s see parents wearing masks to drop off and collect. Let’s see parents NOT organising birthday parties and play dates! Let’s see funding to replace vulnerable staff temporarily so that the vulnerable ones can work on home learning.

@hopsalong but jumping into a torrent to save a child isn't comparable. It really isn't. I would do anything in my power to get a child to safety in that circumstance but to be honest I don't want to take risks with my health and safety at work looking after and educating other people's children. These children aren't generally at risk (although who really knows) but we adults are and we have children of our own. Sorry if that's selfish but Christ at the end of the day, it's just a job, not a rescue of a stricken child.

"We have staggered breaks x 2. Got just over 1000 pupils. No cases."

"I do not wear my seatbelt but look, I am fine"

"Let’s see funding for additional sinks, soap and sanitiser"

Seriously? Sinks and soap to fight an airborne virus?
Not convinced.

@NotQuiteHere

"Let’s see funding for additional sinks, soap and sanitiser"

Seriously? Sinks and soap to fight an airborne virus?
Not convinced.

I know, if it’s airborne then extra cleaners or handwashing isn’t going to help at all. Maybe not putting high numbers in one room with no PPE would be better than soap.

If handwashing won’t help then, morally, why are we standing by and watching while this is the ONLY protection offered to children and school staff - some of whom are vulnerable??

It isn't properly airborne. It can linger in the air without proper ventilation. And the chance of catching it from surfaces is negligible. People seem to catch it through respiratory transmission. Washing hands is important.

@Janevaljane
The huge problem is going to come when it is too cold to keep the windows and doors open. What happens then in terms of ventilation?

I agree with a pp thst there is something really disturbing about ruining kids lives to protect adults.

Visas are required not pointless!

They are very useful, they stop spit going directly into your face, they disperse the virus if someone is talking right at you! And if someone coughs or sneezes again, it will reduce the direct virus load literally hitting your eyes, and face.

It's airborne, as Merkel said, open windows, turn heating up, warm clothes! Air rooms.

Chris witty could not possibly say what's happening in schools yet because conditions in school have been usual due to an Indian summer.
Also there is no proper tracking. Testing

It's never really too cold to keep a door open.

Many teachers don't like the doors open for many reasons.

@Janevaljane I mean external doors.

6 cases in my school in 5 weeks. Staff and pupils are not expected to wear masks on corridors. Ridiculous.

There have been cases in DCs secondary school but no evidence that these cases were contracted in school. The cases were early September and mainly linked to travel abroad prior to returning to school. There were no further cases in the bubbles that self isolated. A school age child testing positive does not = child contracted the virus at school.

The idea of closing schools nationally is ridiculous to me. There are scarcely any cases where we are (and no schools affected). Of course this could change, but why on earth would it make sense to have blanket closures if there are large parts of the country operating fairly normally?

Also, I absolutely think schools should not close unless it's a full lockdown again. Education is a priority, and I will be very angry if my children are sent home, but I can take them to a shopping centre, cinema, leisure centre, restaurant etc etc.

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