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

999 replies

noblegiraffe · 11/10/2020 23:28

...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?

OP posts:
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IceCreamSummer20 · 19/10/2020 17:07

Yes and the thing about a pandemic is that there’s no time. If schools need better protection with better evidence we should respond quickly and calmly. It’s sooo slow!

NeurotrashWarrior · 19/10/2020 17:49

My neighbour told me that Newcastle city council have said spread is not now currently in bars etc but students, in workplaces and schools.

I'll have to dig the article out to see what it says.

We've had the no meeting others in bars or restaurants for a good 3 weeks now, or in others' homes or gardens (@Shitfuckoh ? When did it start?) so we are left with workplaces, schools and students as main drivers apparently.

NeurotrashWarrior · 19/10/2020 17:51

This has not been reported anywhere. Primary SEN school. We're tier 2. The school are hoping to return after half term but we shall see.

I've been looking as I'm nosy. No it's not been reported.

NeurotrashWarrior · 19/10/2020 18:50

This is what my neighbour had seen:

www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/coronavirus-infections-homes-not-pubs-19127837

Eight times as many people were infected in educational settings than in pubs, bars and restaurants in England, NHS Test and Trace data showed.

And nearly seven times as many people became infected in workplaces, despite the government's campaign for people to work from home if possible.

They also show how many 'linked cases' were traced back to an original infection, showing how the virus is spreading.

The report said: "The overall number of acute respiratory infection incidents reported to PHE Health Protection Teams increased from 885 in the previous week to 1140 in week 41 in England."

It continued: "Educational settings still account for the highest proportion of reported incidents.

"Increases were seen in incidents reported in care homes, hospitals, educational settings, workplace settings, food outlet/restaurants and other settings."

•	Educational settings: 336 incidents were from educational settings where 279 had at least one linked case.
IloveJKRowling · 20/10/2020 10:22

The TES seem to be starting to report on the lies

www.tes.com/news/covid-teachers-condemn-safety-ads-small-class-sizes-claim

To be specific most scientific advice says no class sizes over 15 (Indie Sage say this) when cases high.

We have over double that in the same space as the average.

Beebityboo · 20/10/2020 10:41

Only one year group currently in my DD's secondary of 950 pupils is still at school, not been reported anywhere, not even in the local paper which until a few weeks ago was being fairly good at reporting closures. I just don't see how this can be sustainable, wtaf is the plan here? Just carry on as normal until every teenager in the country has caught it? Until vulnerable teachers and parents (like me) start to die in high enough numbers that can't hide it anymore?

Keepdistance · 20/10/2020 10:58

I agree and it's even worse (if possible) because the kids and us parents can keep catching it. So we may have had it 4 times etc before a vax turns up.

IloveJKRowling · 20/10/2020 12:18

Only one year group currently in my DD's secondary of 950 pupils is still at school, not been reported anywhere, not even in the local paper which until a few weeks ago was being fairly good at reporting closures. I just don't see how this can be sustainable, wtaf is the plan here? Just carry on as normal until every teenager in the country has caught it? Until vulnerable teachers and parents (like me) start to die in high enough numbers that can't hide it anymore?

I think this is the plan, sadly. The people making decisions simply don't care, their kids are in small class sizes at Eton and the like (where they also have private testing of all not just those with a narrow group of 3 symptoms) .

I don't understand why teachers aren't striking.

I think there's this sense of disbelief about it - much like March. People couldn't quite believe it was really happening, there were newspaper articles about 'scaremongering' even as the hospitals in northern Italy filled up.

There's certainly no-one following the science or best practice as far as schools in the UK are concerned.

herecomesthsun · 20/10/2020 12:31

I want to go and picket somewhere. Not sure how, as I am ecv...

WhyNotMe40 · 20/10/2020 12:35

Teachers aren't striking as we will get absolutely pilloried for it.

snowspider · 20/10/2020 12:41

North Leamington School closed, it's a big school

www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/local-news/school-close-two-weeks-due-19126595

Venicelover · 20/10/2020 12:48

My son's school sent 120 home yesterday.

actiongirl1978 · 20/10/2020 12:51

@IloveJKRowling where did you see the info that Eton are testing all their pupils?

snowspider · 20/10/2020 13:01

North leamington School has in the region of 1500 students, it became unmanageable

herecomesthsun · 20/10/2020 13:04

I have read in any places on the press that ETON are testing privately (£120 per test apparently). they are supposed to have tested before term started and are repeating testing. They are said to have sent year 12 home (including some families taking in overseas boarders).

express.co.uk/news/uk/1343353/Eton-coronavirus-outbreak-year-12-self-isolate-coronavirus-test-result-Eton-college-news

IloveJKRowling · 20/10/2020 13:13

here I'd go for you if there were any pickets...

Going to an outdoor protest with masks and social distancing is far lower risk than sending my kids to school (with neither, indoors, 6 hours a day), after all.

Shitfuckoh · 20/10/2020 13:25

@NeurotrashWarrior

My neighbour told me that Newcastle city council have said spread is not now currently in bars etc but students, in workplaces and schools.

I'll have to dig the article out to see what it says.

We've had the no meeting others in bars or restaurants for a good 3 weeks now, or in others' homes or gardens (@Shitfuckoh ? When did it start?) so we are left with workplaces, schools and students as main drivers apparently.

The restrictions came in to force Friday 18th September if I recall correctly? Obviously before the Tier system came in to force.
NeurotrashWarrior · 20/10/2020 15:53

Thanks shit.

That article I've just realised includes university cases.

I do wish you could extrapolate the key stages!

2X4B523P · 20/10/2020 16:11

Just heard on the wireless that 46% of secondary schools in the UK have one or more pupils self isolating after coming into contact with a confirmed case. Primary schools @ 16%.

WhyNotMe40 · 20/10/2020 16:14

I'm surprised it's not nearer 90% tbh

Shitfuckoh · 20/10/2020 16:14

@NeurotrashWarrior

Thanks shit.

That article I've just realised includes university cases.

I do wish you could extrapolate the key stages!

I get the feeling there's a reason why they haven't seperated them & it's not because it's easier to keep all years together!
WhoWants2Know · 21/10/2020 22:51

https://www.tes.com/news/schools-told-not-bother-dfe-covid-cases

Confirmation that DFE has been yelling heads not to bother reporting further cases.

Wearethechampionsmyfriend · 21/10/2020 23:13

In the school I'm in a teacher tested positive but no students were sent home, he's a tutor and a very busy teacher. I work closely with him and my head said they had reported the case and I'd be contacted by the health authorities if I needed to isolate, but I don't think they even gave them my name, with one teacher off they didn't want another off. I don't trust my school I think they want to keep it open at all costs. Students are being tested all the time as are teachers, but we're never told anything as the head says it's a private matter and it's never reported in the local paper.

TheHouseonHauntedHill · 21/10/2020 23:28

We are, yes this suppression is what concerns me.
Where I am no, where primary is no, they are taking precautions, but the secondary, I don't trust them.. The person who passes on the mixing information has to be very on it to ask the right questions to cover every base...