The rate of infections in schools is being suppressed from public knowledge

[noblegiraffe]

...claims Karam Bales of the NEU.

I’m pretty sure I agree. When the newspapers are going mad about university cases and 13,000 kids and 700 teachers being off school in Birmingham doesn’t make national headlines, then something dodgy is going on.

This twitter thread collates all the evidence and is pretty damning twitter.com/karamballes/status/1315067136394625032?s=21

My own thoughts:
Why are the government ignoring the WHO recommendations on masks?
Why have they stopped PHE deciding who is sent home when there are cases in schools setting up their own helpline instead which sends home far fewer kids?
Why are the figures not being presented in a way that makes it clear which cases are in schools and not universities?
Why did Chris Whitty use a graph of test positivity rates instead of actual infection numbers in his briefing when it came to claiming that schools aren’t an issue?
Why are they insisting that children only get a test if they exhibit one of the three main adult symptoms, ignoring that the majority of children who test positive don’t have any of them?
Why are they insisting on vulnerable children being sent in with the threat of fines for non-attendance?
Why did they spend the summer pretending that unions were blocking the re-opening of schools and then paying social media influencers to say schools are safe, without taking any steps to ensure that they are?
Why did they announce a Plan B of rotas for schools in tiers of lockdown and then never actually use it?
Why did they say that an effective test and trace system was vital to opening schools and then also say they were surprised when demand increased when schools opened?
Why do they keep saying schools are a priority and that be the only thing they say about keeping them open?

And where the fuck is Gavin Williamson?

@IloveJKRowling

Nellodee

- what is your school management doing about this? Did you share with them your excellent statistics - IIRC probability if school only reflecting community infection levels, that you'd see so many cases. I thought it was some fairly compelling maths.

I am glad you are well. Hope you're bearing up and your colleagues too - it must be hard even in terms of knowing whether to stick to lesson plans or not, with so many students missing.

We are doing a pretty good job of keeping the separate year groups separate. I think our SLT is just hoping we can make it through to half term with some of the years still open.

There is no point passing my analysis on to SLT - they have been telling concerned staff that we would expect to see such a high amount of cases because we are such a big school. I don't think they will want me raising the prospect that we are a plague ship, infecting the local area. We tend to be very PR focused.

The school letter said that it's a single case but eight staff are self isolating? Does that sound right?
I suppose I knew it was inevitable and still decided to send her back. I wanted to do what was best for her and her education. I really don't know whether to send her back or not. I know there is no guarantee she will catch it or a definite death sentence if I do catch it, but it's horrendous I'm not even being allowed to choose given the risk. I just can't believe it. Do I wait until half term and pray the government see sense? Deregister her from a fantastic school? Lie about symptoms to buy time? I just don't know anymore. How can they put vulnerable parents and teachers in this position, how can they do it to us .

@Beebityboo

The school letter said that it's a single case but eight staff are self isolating? Does that sound right? I suppose I knew it was inevitable and still decided to send her back. I wanted to do what was best for her and her education. I really don't know whether to send her back or not. I know there is no guarantee she will catch it or a definite death sentence if I do catch it, but it's horrendous I'm not even being allowed to choose given the risk. I just can't believe it. Do I wait until half term and pray the government see sense? Deregister her from a fantastic school? Lie about symptoms to buy time? I just don't know anymore. How can they put vulnerable parents and teachers in this position, how can they do it to us .

I think the government will have to do a circuit breaker in a few weeks. My children finish tomorrow for a 2 week half term but if they didn’t I wouldn’t be taking them in next week - they’d have a cough’. There’s so much Covid around now, especially if it’s in your school. I should just play for time. I think things will be very different after half term.

I don't know how to play for time without lying. Especially as he let me keep her off unt the start of October. It's just a mess. If I say I or she has a cough won't they demand I get a test? I just don't know. In such a panic about it. Feels very close to home tonight.

At this point you need to look after you. The government aren’t looking after vulnerable people. I would have no hesitation in lying.

@Beebityboo

I don't know how to play for time without lying. Especially as he let me keep her off unt the start of October. It's just a mess. If I say I or she has a cough won't they demand I get a test? I just don't know. In such a panic about it. Feels very close to home tonight.

I wouldn't worry about lying. You could say she has a gastric bug and leave it at that. Has she been accessing learning at home? Honestly another week is not going to matter and if it gives you some piece of mind it's worth it. If she was begging to go in I'd think differently. Do you remember back in March lots of parents were in a similar position and worrying about fines etc and how important school attendance was? With a click of the finger schools shut and it was suddenly acceptable. We know and value our children's education but in these weird times some perspective is called for.

@middleager

I'm also concerned about other infections. My son and half his year group did not have standard Y9 vaccinations because of Covid. We don't even know when they will be given - they are y10 now and no sign of these routine vaccinations.

I asked my GP about this as my Y9 Dd has ASD and was given no warning about the 1st of 2 injections and hated it and declared she 'didn't want the 2nd one'. Covid intervened. So for both those reasons I asked my very nice sympathetic GP and he said that the injection can only be completed in School due to funding.

I would also keep her at home @Beebityboo. We have parents keeping their kids at home because they are worried. If they did go after you attendance wise nothing would happen in any case because of your vulnerability.

Look after yourself and please don’t worry. The situation will change for the better and until then stay safe .

@Beebityboo
In my ds's primary school the 1 case (in his bubble unfortunately) has led to 14 members of staff being off...as there are so many TAs in the bubble, and 3 teachers, plus several extremely vulnerable children (ds included). It is a nightmare.

@Beebityboo

Her heal already let her stay home until last week so I can't ask him for more time because anything else would be unauthorised. She has to get a public bus too. Currently hiding in the bedroom having a big cry. No idea what I'm supposed to do.

@Beebityboo

I'm sorry you feel so stressed about it.
I am too but slightly different situation.
My ds Y10 was off for 1st 4 weeks of school for medical reasons.
week 5 and 6 off because he was on 14 days isolation (had been with his Dad who'd had symptoms, couldn't access a test, so ds off for 14 days at school insistence) 7 days into the 14 I get a Letter saying his attendance is 0% and he is on level 3 re attendance and this can be used as evidence in Court. Eh?
He has ASD and Anxiety, I am a single parent with sleep apnea breathing difficulties and mobility difficulties and a 2nd child with ASD too. I was for sending him in as he needs assessment in case he cant take exams (its a crap Academy and they've not assessed him for 12m!) so its a big mess.
I too have had a good few cries and not much sleep. xxx

@mrshoho
Schools are now reporting cases to Department of Education who then liaise with NHS Public health but schools are saying when they have reported they've been told public health are not getting involved so are these cases going to be included in school data? I don't know but I find it concerning that the procedures for school cases has been changed within weeks of returning. I started a thread a few weeks back about the change in reporting

It's worse than that now. When contacted, the DfE have started telling headteachers not to bother contacting them after the first case and just to deal with it themselves. The only stipulation is to send home as few people as possible.

Beebityboo I'm really concerned about random people on mumsnet advising you to keep your dc off school.

If I remember correctly you've been advised that your disability doesn't put you at any more risk of coronavirus.

There are a lot of posters on here same names all the time that are bordering hysterical, and will only feed your anxieties.

If you're concerned speak to your GP, the school, a medical professional.

People on mumsnet are not qualified to offer anyone advice on their health or their children's education.

We tend to be very PR focused.

I sort of feel this is the problem with the entire country. PR instead of truth.

Remember when WHO at the start of all this was saying that transparency and openness was really important for managing an epidemic such as this?

I know the US in general isn't doing well, but I really like Dr Fauci. He is just so calm and has such clear, consistent messages. This video from 1.52 - he says you have to do 5 things, universal wearing of masks, keep your distance, avoid crowds and congregate settings, trying to do things outdoors and washing your hands frequently. So, in schools in the UK we're doing 1 of those. My friend's kid in the US in school half time, mask wearing except when eating, at individual desks with distance between all children (he's 5, he's fine with his mask). I'm betting he ends up with a better school experience this year than my kids.

www.cbsnews.com/news/fauci-covid-19-surge-travel-thanksgiving-trump-recovery/

It's worse than that now. When contacted, the DfE have started telling headteachers not to bother contacting them after the first case and just to deal with it themselves. The only stipulation is to send home as few people as possible.

How can this be allowed to happen ? Since when have headteachers been experts in pandemics. It’s an absolute disgrace.
Schools here are closing as they just don’t have the staff or are sending so many children home. Out of 30 children in dd1 y11 class there was 7 today.
Just seems one or two newspapers are trying to keep on top of school closures one being the Manchester evening news.
This is certainly becoming a cover up and the elephant in the room

Notselfish, I have a blood clotting disorder and the guidance for me hasn't been changed since Covid was found to be a vascular disease. There are lots of people with my condition all confused at the guidance we have been given and having to name our own risk assessment. It's a horrible situation to be in. To be honest there is nothing "hysterical" about not wanting to send children to school during a pandemic anyway, healthy or not. We know hardly anything about this virus and the government have lost control.

Beebityboo I did not say that you were hysterical. I said there are some posters who are and will feed on your anxieties.

It is of course a matter of opinion and personal circumstances as to whether you believe children should be in school.

I'm simply saying that people on this thread aren't qualified to give you advice on the matter.

The positivity rate in 10-19 year olds this week is at 17% of tests. WHO expresses concern at anything over 5%...

Some Italian schools have now closed as they have found that there is a high transmission between school related families. Source, acquaintance who teaches in Italy.

[quote Iamnotthe1]@mrshoho
Schools are now reporting cases to Department of Education who then liaise with NHS Public health but schools are saying when they have reported they've been told public health are not getting involved so are these cases going to be included in school data? I don't know but I find it concerning that the procedures for school cases has been changed within weeks of returning. I started a thread a few weeks back about the change in reporting

It's worse than that now. When contacted, the DfE have started telling headteachers not to bother contacting them after the first case and just to deal with it themselves. The only stipulation is to send home as few people as possible.[/quote]
No words really. Yet more responsibility falling on to heads and schools.

What’s going on with the great spike in the grey 10-19 line?!

My guess would be freshers testing positive - remember they did a lot of pro-active testing of asymptomatic students which would distort the data.

But as piggy just posted, there's also massive under testing going on in that age group so who knows what the actual line should look like, and how much of it is school kids versus uni students.

It's a drop in tests resulting in a rise in positivity : the two things are linked...

When contacted, the DfE have started telling headteachers not to bother contacting them after the first case

...which would mean an under-reporting of outbreaks as they need 2+ cases.

Genuinely think the lack of transparency around the data involving school-aged children is deliberate.