Risk of coronavirus in schools

[Kaylasmum49]

I have a daughter in s6 (Scotland) I'm starting to get really worried about the risks of transmission in schools. I have severe health anxiety and have been struggling massively to cope. I'm 54 and overweight so worry that I am higher risk.

I know that most people will disagree with me but I think schools should close until the numbers start to fall again.

Yeah, shut an individual school if their cases are high. Leave the other ones open

@Trevortrilby

It's so annoying when people use the fact that cases are low in THEIR schools to suggest that of course schools don't need to close. In my DC school there were 12 cases just this week. It seems likely some of this transmission IS happening in school, despite all best efforts and it is very stressful. A blended model surely has to take over at somr point.

Of course transmission is happening in schools. It's happening in universities, factories, pubs....essentially anywhere people gather in larger numbers. That's what a virus does. However, it is a valid point to highlight that not all schools are seeing huge numbers of positive cases. A blanket approach to closing schools would see those that have had low numbers ( or zero in some cases) close too which is unnecessary.

@dementedpixie

Yeah, shut an individual school if their cases are high. Leave the other ones open

That's what's happening already isn't it?

But some people here are calling for all schools to close. I personally don't know of any schools that have closed in my area of Scotland. We don't really have a bubble system so it's only close contact being sent home if there is a positive case

Its more unsafe, mental health wise, socially, educationally for children to not be in school. Enough damage has been done.

I agree. My kids have exams next year and they've really suffered from the earlier closure of schools. We don't have much space at home so remote learning is very difficult.

By all means parents should be allowed to remove their kids from school without penalties.

But please please let the rest of them get on with their education!

Of course transmission is happening in schools.
It's happening in universities, factories, pubs....essentially anywhere people gather in larger numbers. That's what a virus does.

Exactly. And for the vast majority the virus causes no problem!

Op we have only had a small taste of what's to come. It's not proper winter yet and cases were ramping up right before half term.

I think it's a great shame this time wasn't used for a mini lock down, 3 weeks so anyone who caught it before leaving school could work it through, get tested etc or their contacts.

Try and start again on a fresh page with new measures!

Cases among 11-20 year olds are coming down, despite (or maybe because) schools having been open for over a month.

I really hope that those who want to keep their dc in no matter what are making sure it's not their dc Moaning and giving teachers a hard time over cold classrooms.

OP is in Scotland and we have been having a lockdown of sorts. We had our October break already plus a large part of Scotland has restaurants and pubs closed with cafés only allowed to be open until 6pm. I can't go to my gym classes and everything is a bit shit. The only bit of normality is that the kids are at school

I'd much rather my kids are in cold classrooms getting an education than being stuck at home without proper resources or space to work!

In Scotland schools have been open since mid August.

What we need to do is figure out where the tipping point is for school closures.

Is there a certain amount of cases, that when you get to it, you're just playing for time and are going to end up shut in a fortnight anyway? Can we figure out what that number is, based on the profile of the school and experimental probability, and then shut the school when it gets to that number, rather than just letting cases run wild for an extra two weeks.

I'm really worried that at my school, we now have so many cases that we're not going to be able to get any kind of continuity for any students for months. If we'd been able to act sooner and more decisively, we might not be in that position.

restaurants and pubs closed with cafés only allowed to be open until 6pm. I can't go to my gym classes and everything is a bit shit. The only bit of normality is that the kids are at school

I think that's the right priority. Do you?

Sunflower this past month has had good weather, dc able to get outside my primary dc has been eating in tents on the field etc.

Out for lunch, not huddled in the same room. Out for breaks, even body movement helping to disperse air!
We will only know what's happening come Xmas. If they say then.. It's not rising... Under proper winter conditions, I will believe the stats.

The only bit bothering me is the gym classes tbh. I'm having to make do with doing them in my living room instead

Nellodee good point.

I'm really worried that at my school, we now have so many cases that we're not going to be able to get any kind of continuity for any students for months

Maybe all these kids will have some immunity? Maybe that's a positive result of having lots of cases at once.

I think that's why cases among the older teen age group are starting to fall - they've all had it and are developing herd immunity.

There has been 7 cases at my dd's school in the past week, 4 kids and 3 teachers. My dd has said that her classes are missing large numbers of pupils due to isolating. When I drop my dd off in the morning there's only about half the amount of kids in the playground than usual. My dd is very stressed about catching the virus and would like the schools to close, her friends feel the same way.

Schools need to be open.

But schools do need to be safer.

Right now most schools are not covid secure, not in any meaningful way. The level of standard for school covid secure is far less than for most workplaces. The difference between mine (school) and dh's (solicitors office) work places is massive.

I caught covid most likely from a symptom free young child at my school. Its the only place I have close prolonged contact with anyone, other than DH, certainly within the time frame before catching it. It sis the only place my T&T information could lead me to.

I am now on my 5th week of absence and I am still struggling. I have days where I am shattered. Some days are much better this week. My blood pressure was sky high and is now starting to reduce but only because of medication which I will need to take ongoing, possibly for good.

Within a month we had 11+ staff, several parents and some children test positive at my infant school Parents and staff do not come into close contact. Staff are in different bubbles and don't mix. Not many children were tested - many children at the time had cold like symptoms but not testable symptoms. The odd one who got tested were coming back positive.

I hadn't been within 2-3m of another school adult at all since September. I was being super careful and with extra cleaning as I am clinically vulnerable.I have no choice but to have close contact with the children, usually in an overcrowded classroom with not enough ventilation possible.

I hope to return to work soon. I just hope I have picked up some immunity because I not want this again.

We need something more in schools. What we have now isn't enough.

Some of us want our children in school. Why do you want schools closed to all? How about allowing parents who want to keep their children home to do so instead?

Aragog sorry to hear that you are unwell and hope you recover well. What do you think can be done to make schools safer? I just can't see how that is possible with so many people in one place.

Waxonwaxoff0 I want schools to close as they really aren't safe places to be atm. My dd is s6 and won't stay home of her own accord as she hates being absent, she said to me that she wishes the schools would close as she doesn't feel safe in that environment, her friends feel the same way.

Kaylasmum49

Thank you. I am gradually getting there although my blood pressure and heart rate aren't yet stable enough so the GP has signed me off for at leas another week. Really miss going into work. Only been back 6 weeks since March, and now due to start my 6th week of sick leave :(

I don't really know the answers for schools.
Social distancing isn't possible.
Schools are cold right now - January will possibly be horrid - with all the windows open. Its not sustainable really, especially if we get a cold harsh winter.
Parents just wouldn't support masks in classrooms for staff, let alone long children.
There's only so much cleaning you can do in a classroom and as it appears to be mainly airborne then its not overly effective anyway.
We are already spending a lot of time on washing hands and we are applying anti bac all the time.
We know that children can indeed catch Covid and that, of course, they can spread it.
We know that children often have different symptoms to adults and often no symptoms at all.

The trouble is many of the things we ned to do outride of school to reduce the risk of transmission don't work within a school.

So maybe we should be testing school staff and children more. Regular fast return tests.

We need to look at the symptoms children who are found to be positive actually have, and be testing and/or isolating for those, focusing more on the child and their close contacts - though in lower primary seating plans don't necessarily work so well either.

CEV and CV class-based staff, regardless of age, should be offered the vaccine as soon as is logistically possible.

School staff should be prioritised above the general public for the vaccine too, in order to reduce school/class closures.

The Government should be putting more funding into schools to make being Covid secure more of a possibility in schools.

I work across school, teaching all classes. In Covid times that shouldn't be happening. It shouldn't be happening for any staff, let alone those who are CV.

CV and CEV children should be offered the opportunity to be educated remotely from home.

I know noble giraffe has posted a number of concerns and suggestions on other threads that are a lot of sense too.

All the parents are wearing masks at pick up and teachers too to give younger kids back. I dont think parents would kick off at our school about teachers wearing them in class.

I am glad they wouldn't even in your school. I'd like to think most wouldn't at my school but I really don't know.

Unfortunately the very many MN threads and the YouGov daily surveys shows that many would. There are at least 2 or 3 threads recently complaining about having to wear masks for pick up, let alone teachers wearing them in their classrooms,.