WHERE are people catching Covid?

[Summerfreeze]

I don't mean where in the country, I mean what settings? I know they lie a lot about it not spreading in schools but is there any data about where they are at least purporting that it's spreading?

[Signalbox]

I work in a college in a Tier 3 area and it’s rife. People who have been in contact with a positive case are no longer being told to isolate

This isn’t true. I’m a contact tracer and everybody who is considered to be a “contact” is asked to isolate. There are several reasons why someone may not be considered to be a contact but working is a college isn’t one of them.

[NoSquirrels]

@Faybian

There is overwhelming evidence that it is being spread predominantly in universities and schools. It is pathetic to close and ruin all the businesses that have spent money becoming 'covid secure' if the schools are staying open. The government seem to just want to be seen to be taking action but it's not going to have any effect except ruining more people.

The can’t shut universities - all those infected young people travelling back to vastly different communities.

If they shut primary school parents can’t go to work in all those businesses remaining open.

If they shut secondary school they’ll have to do something about exams - which they seem reluctant to figure out.

None of it is simple. I don’t want schools to shut - selfishly, my DC primary at very low risk and another bout of homeschool would be awful right now. My older DC at secondary is at more risk - but I think blended learning or partial shutdown or a reduced timetable or whatever would be doable.

I’m sorry for all the teachers. None of the solutions are perfect.

[JinglingHellsBells]

Because several staff members and some children caught it, including the other adult in my classroom. We know who it originated from.

So did that adult not stay away if they had symptoms?
Or were you all not social distancing, washing hands, not sharing equipment like pens, cleaning surfaces etc, wearing masks?

[Ilovemypantry]

@PaperMonster

I work in a college in a Tier 3 area and it’s rife. People who have been in contact with a positive case are no longer being told to isolate. We have students going into work placements - including care home settings - and so the risk of spreading it is increased. We are doing very little remote learning. I’m surprised I’ve not already caught it.

I find this quite shocking.

Who is telling people not to isolate after being in contact with someone who has tested positive? I’ve not heard of this.

Why are students being sent into care homes on work placements? This is madness! I’m not saying that what you have said is not true but I can’t believe this is actually happening.

[Jeremyironseverything]

Teachers should be able to avoid it if they practise the measures.

Sorry. Bollocks to that. If it's in the air, which it is, as as its aerosol transmitted, then no amount of cleaning will eliminate risk. Social distancing is impossible due to the vast numbers and limited space.

I caught it at school and we were cleaning hands and tables like mad. I was even cleaning the toilets/ door handles etc as well as extra cleaning from the cleaners. I still caught it.

[Jeremyironseverything]

@JinglingHellsBells

Because several staff members and some children caught it, including the other adult in my classroom. We know who it originated from.

So did that adult not stay away if they had symptoms?
Or were you all not social distancing, washing hands, not sharing equipment like pens, cleaning surfaces etc, wearing masks?

Yes as soon as they had symptoms they isolated. But it was too late by then. As I said in a previous post, we were cleaning like mad. Not sharing equipment, one way system etc.

Schools are definitely not covid safe. How can they be with 30 pupils and a teacher and ta stuck in one small classroom and teachers moving between classrooms - sharing air? It's impossible.

[Signalbox]

I find this quite shocking

Who is telling people not to isolate after being in contact with someone who has tested positive?

Nobody is. Everyone who is considered a contact is told to isolate. There is no exemption for colleges in Tier 3 areas.

[Ilovemypantry]

@GCAcademic

It’s rife in universities, and many students have not been self-isolating when they are supposed to. This includes using public transport, going to pubs and cafes, lots of house parties, etc.

Probably best the university students stay where they are then, at least it will be contained. Close the universities and send the students home and it will spread even further.

[Belladonna12]

A lot of it will be schools. I'm not convinced universities are causing the spread into the wider community. Unlike the rest of the country cases have gone down a lot in universities and students don't tend to mix much with other people. I don't believe the pie charts showing that there is a low risk of spread in pubs restaurants etc. The track and tracing is so pitiful it's bound to be a total underestimate.

[AmmoniteMum]

Anecdotal but the two cases I know of in October were, a dad picking it up at the pub and bringing it home to the family and a 15 year old child who caught it at school and brought it home.

My two friends who are hcp, caught it at work over the summer.

[NoSquirrels]

[quote JinglingHellsBells]@Jeremyironseverything But how do you know you caught it at school? How can you prove that? presumably you travel, use shops, talk to other people outside of work?[/quote]
Do you understand how it’s primarily spread, Jingling? It’s through the air, the longer you’re in an under-ventilated enclosed space the more at risk you are. If you’re sharing that air with many asymptomatic carriers (which a high proportion of children are), day after day, your ‘viral load’ is increased meaning you’re more likely to succumb to infection. Teachers are MUCH MUCH more likely to catch it at school than elsewhere. There’s not much point arguing otherwise.

[CaptainMyCaptain]

Teachers should be able to avoid it if they practise the measures.

Not all teachers stand at the front talking to a class 2m away. My daughter is an Early Years teacher it is impossible to distance from 3 and 4 year olds in that setting.

[walksen]

"Teachers should be able to avoid it if they practise the measures."

As a pp said that is bollocks. The school I am at has masks in corridors, we are allowed to wear masks or face shields in lesson if we are circulating etc.

We spend lunch with kids as there is not enough indoor spaces for the bubbles to sit down to eat etc. We still have 30% staff absence and multiple cases amongst pupils at school every say

Meanwhile, community prevalence is 3%.

[JinglingHellsBells]

Schools are definitely not covid safe. How can they be with 30 pupils and a teacher and ta stuck in one small classroom and teachers moving between classrooms - sharing air?

I am a former teacher.

I can see how it can spread. I can also see how more care be taken so it doesn't. Some schools are not allowing classroom changes - only the teachers move between lessons.

It MAY be in the air BUT you can wear masks which help a bit. You can improve ventilation, you can keep 2 meters apart which includes staff rooms.

[GnomeDePlume]

@Youtubeaddicts I think there is a lot of truth in what you wrote. Perhaps also people want to believe that they didnt catch it from their family but from a stranger?

Look at how other viruses spread eg Norovirus. They spread at family gatherings, parties, hospitality venues.

Special events (Christmas, weddings, birthdays, whatever) are always going to be a problem. The event is fixed in the calendar so people will go even if they arent feeling 100%. People dont distance at special events, they hug, kiss, shake hands, stand close and chat. Children run around, they climb on people's knees, they touch food, faces etc.

We will see a Covid spike after Christmas.

[JinglingHellsBells]

@walksen None of what you have posted proves it was caught in school.

Teachers have families, use transport and mix outside of work.

[Stellaris22]

Source: hospitality union

Hospitality has the lowest cases on that chart. Wouldn't trust that source.

[CaptainMyCaptain]

It MAY be in the air BUT you can wear masks which help a bit. You can improve ventilation, you can keep 2 meters apart which includes staff rooms.
In Secondary maybe but not in Early Years and Primary. Also the younger the children the more contact teachers have to have with their parents.

[JinglingHellsBells]

Also the younger the children the more contact teachers have to have with their parents.

But surely they need to practise social distancing?

These can be in controlled settings.

If schools wanted to, they could check the temperature of parents coming in for meetings, they could do a lot more than they are doing.

[Fortherosesjoni70]

@Iggly

We need track and trace and faster/testing. Then it would be easier to trace covid.

Other countries managed it. We’ve spent £12bn.

Where the fuck has that money gone.

Billions of pounds given to the Tory party supporters.

[Iggly]

Billions of pounds given to the Tory party supporters

I know and it’s disgusting. These are the same Tory supporters who begrudge feeding hungry children for a fraction of the cost.

[madcatladyforever]

Maybe the many thousands I saw on the beach this summer all crowded next to each other. The town was packed solid all summer too.

[walksen]

@walksen None of what you have posted proves it was caught in school.

Teachers have families, use transport and mix outside of work.

I live album be and drive to work also alone. I've already said I cut all contacts with my support bubble when cases exploded. I d not seen family for 2weeks.

What is most likely

A. I caught it at the place where I spend 50 hours a week.
I caught it at the supermarket 7 days before during my 40 minutes there.

Hint one of those places has a prevalence rate of at least 20%.

I cannot definitively prove that is where I caught it but I know which is overwhelmingly the likely source.

[Iggly]

Maybe the many thousands I saw on the beach this summer all crowded next to each other. The town was packed solid all summer too

Everything I’ve read has suggested sustained indoor contact is how it is most likely to be spread. Not sitting on a beach.

[Sewsosew]

The issue I think now is people aren’t following the rules or they have reinterpreted it for their own benefit. I know lots of people who are in and out of each other’s houses and many of them work in high risk places like hospitals and care homes. I actually see if they close schools then kids will be in and out of each other’s houses anyway.