Has lockdown really worked? 66 new cases this week in son's school- post lockdown (in lowish infection area)!

[Annie1919]

We are in tier 2 and school is taking all govt recommended measures yet still had 66 positive test results this week! (throughout every year group). DD's football also cancelled this week due to another positive case (not linked to school and from surrounding borough). Seems to me cases are soaring!?

Yes some schools seem to have a lot of cases but many don't. Who knows why that is.

Because outbreaks will appear in clusters and covid cases shouldn’t be expected to be evenly distributed through the population. Because some people (and we don’t know why) spread covid a lot and some don’t pass it to anyone. Because where some schools have cases the parents did the right thing and isolated their child when they were a close contact and other parents will send their kid to school for a week after they had a test that’s then positive. Because some parents send their kids in with symptoms. Because some schools will be lucky.

Those talking about teens with poor social distancing outside of school, what the fuck do you think they’re doing inside school?

And blaming socialising outside of school instead of transmission in school doesn’t explain the clear drop in infection rate in teens when schools closed for half term. That strongly suggests school transmission is a major factor for that group.

My DC's school has had 19 cases since 7/11. 1500 pupils.

The other side of the road is another catchment and school and their rates have been awful, year groups are constantly being sent home, but it seems the cases are amongst staff, so there is a lack of teaching staff.

I wouldn't be surprised though if half of them were off with stress, it certainly is a school that gives that impression. It is lovely for the parents that they get regular phone calls and little post cards sent saying how wonderful their child is, but bloody hell talk about adding a whole level of unnecessary work on the teachers.

I wouldn't be surprised though if half of them were off with stress
Judging by the advice regularly doled out to anyone having a tough day to ‘go off with stress’ you might be right.

That's absolutely crazy. Our school has had no new cases this week in a tier 3 area.

DD's secondary school have been extremely lucky. 2 children and 2 teachers have had positive tests since September. A lot of parents work at the local Uni or are medics, so we didn't have much confidence that face to face teaching would continue after half term. Most weeks her class has children isolating at home when parents have been ill.

The school is large enough for year groups to be divided into subgroups with parallel timetables, so there is very little mixing.

Teachers are already stressing the need to minimise the amount of mixing over the Xmas holidays.

@MrsMiaWallis

Smallsteps88 you aren't allowed to say transmission is occurring more outside schools than inside. It makes some people on here really angry.

Yes I've noticed this. When I scanned the usernames in this thread I got my packet of biscuits out. I wonder when these "experts" get anything else done as they seem glued to their screens.

Don't worry - there's another spare 55 hours in the week for me to get my school work done. Is that enough for you, or do you think I should be working longer?

nellodee who was that last comment aimed at?

I think people get cross when posters try and say transmission is occurring outside school, because it feels like some people will do/say anything to deny what is happening within our schools at the moment.

When you’re in school and you’re worried for yourself; your family and the children you teach and people to keep insinuating you’ve got nothing to worry about IN school, it feels like they are willing to put your life at risk, just to keep schools open.

I personally think transmission is gaining traction both in and out of schools for secondary age group.

My son (year 11) is isolating at the moment after his year group bubble burst. Since being off I have told him ‘no’ to three parties, 2 sleepovers, 4 visits to his girlfriends house and countless ‘ can I meet them in town’ requests. My son’s year group appear to be making the most of this time off.

MrsMiggins, and her query about when "experts" got anything done, given the amount of time they spend on Mumsnet - though I think anyone who is on enough to recognise usernames probably spends a large chunk of time on here. I have no idea which army of experts she was taking aim at, to be honest.

I'm in a bit of pain today and obviously need to dial down my snark, sorry.

Oh it’ll be me, Nellodee, it’s always me, they just never have the bottle to name names. I’ll be an ‘expert’ because I post graphs and know what I’m talking about or something.

Any idea why primary has seen such a big decrease during lockdown but secondary not?

Just my own thoughts whirring around but ...

Primary school aged children most commonly don't show the testable 3 symptoms. Many are only tested when T&T are involved due to parents testing positive, and are picked up that way. That's been the case in my own school for a number of cases.

If their parents are in lockdown and wfh, etc. Then the parents are less likely to get it, less likely to test positive, less likely to have T&T offer tests to the whole household. Therefore the number of asymptotic children being tested reduced as a result.

I also expect to see a drop in cases in the next couple of weeks before Christmas, especially after the 11th. People won't want to risk being in SI on Christmas Day so will avoid testing, especially in 'it's just a cold/niggle in the throat' cases.

you aren't allowed to say transmission is occurring more outside schools than inside. It makes some people on here really angry

Because this is what the government lies were all about, making out that schools were safe and children wouldn't spread it, along with their totally unrealistic photographs to go alongside their articles.

Transmission DOES happen in schools, between children of all ages. That's very clear to anyone who works in a school

And to pretend it doesn't, which the Government and the DfE tried and many parents are still clinging in to, is potentially dangerous.

Therefore the number of asymptotic children being tested reduced as a result.

It’s not cases though, it’s the modelled infection rate from random testing so will pick up asymptomatic cases.

There are clear differences between what is going on in primary and in secondary. There was a clear dip in infection rates related to half term in secondary, in primary it was more like a pause. Primary is also much less badly affected by covid in terms of schools affected and absences than secondary.

It’s got to be related to the number of close contacts that secondary kids have in school that don’t count as close contacts. The herding in the corridors, the congregating at unstructured time, the jumbo ‘bubbles’. I’m also suspicious about the idea that the kids stay in zones and the teachers move. It means there are significant amounts of time in school that the pupils are indoors and totally unsupervised.

And nothing to do with the fact that secondary schools have sets for English, maths and sometimes other subjects at KS4, and then different option subjects at KS4 (so lots of mixing within a year group), not to mention the complete social mixing at break times within a year group "bubble" of 300 odd students??
No it must be the public transport (masked up) or the walking to school (outiside), and nothing to do with the indoor long exposure no masks mixing?

But the discussion was around why primary age saw a massive reduction during lockdown and secondary didn't, not why there might be more cases in secondary to start with?

@Susanwouldntlikeit

I wouldn't be surprised though if half of them were off with stress Judging by the advice regularly doled out to anyone having a tough day to ‘go off with stress’ you might be right.

That is really unfair. I have posted quite a few times lately about this, but teachers in English schools have among the lowest rates of absences of any public sector occupations in the whole of the UK. I am not saying that hasn't changed recently, but why would they suddenly all be staying off after a 'tough day' when that was never the case before? Pretty sure they have been having 'tough days' for years. Really nasty comment

I wonder when these "experts" get anything else done as they seem glued to their screens.

But surely you are too, or how do you know so much about peoples posting habits?

Yes some schools seem to have a lot of cases but many don't. Who knows why that is

I think it is just the nature of a pandemic. In the rural area I live in, cases are pretty low. None of my immediate/extended family knew anyone who had had the virus (until I did). I work in a city about 10 miles away where it is rife. I kept saying to my family I felt like it was closing in on me, we had so many positive patients in work. Our schools had been shut for 2 weeks at half term and my dd asked could she have a school friend over for a sleepover at the weekend as I hadn't let them out to socialise the whole time. I would have maybe considered it before but I immediately said no, because of the 'closing in' thing. I tested positive that weekend.

My family and friends were shocked as like I say, they didn't/still don't know of anyone else with it. Many work in huge departments/not WFH but nope, no cases.

It can vary so much, even just with a few miles between clusters. I know loads of people in work who have had it, lots of people know no one who has had it.

When you’re in school and you’re worried for yourself; your family and the children you teach and people to keep insinuating you’ve got nothing to worry about IN school, it feels like they are willing to put your life at risk, just to keep schools open

Do you really think parents think this? That they would be happy for teachers to die as long as schools stay open?

Parents have no other options in most cases other than to send their kids to school. It's not fair to say they are happy to risk teacher's lives.

@Nellodee. Not on much but you'd have to be blind not to notice!

@Aragog

Any idea why primary has seen such a big decrease during lockdown but secondary not?

Just my own thoughts whirring around but ...

Primary school aged children most commonly don't show the testable 3 symptoms. Many are only tested when T&T are involved due to parents testing positive, and are picked up that way. That's been the case in my own school for a number of cases.

If their parents are in lockdown and wfh, etc. Then the parents are less likely to get it, less likely to test positive, less likely to have T&T offer tests to the whole household. Therefore the number of asymptotic children being tested reduced as a result.

I also expect to see a drop in cases in the next couple of weeks before Christmas, especially after the 11th. People won't want to risk being in SI on Christmas Day so will avoid testing, especially in 'it's just a cold/niggle in the throat' cases.

The test is not something easy to do with young primary. Here's a truth: many children in my class have been tested once. Not one has been tested twice! They just stay off for a day and then return. I have my own thoughts about why!

Same here 66 pupils 14 teachers, only half of yr 7 and year 10 are at school. My son is one of only 3 in his form group not isolating.

Since lockdown started the cases have gone from a few scattered cases since September to loads being sent home daily. School have been advised they must still stay open despite the number of year groups affected.

@noblegiraffe

Oh it’ll be me, Nellodee, it’s always me, they just never have the bottle to name names. I’ll be an ‘expert’ because I post graphs and know what I’m talking about or something.

You're quite right, Noblegiraffe. I was put off by the plural, but no, it was especially for you.

And why exactly are you not working on a Sunday? tsk tsk.

The plural was intended, and mind reading isn't your speciality.

Do you really think parents think this? That they would be happy for teachers to die as long as schools stay open?

Yes, it feels that way sometimes. Especially when language is used including ‘schools must stay open whatever the cost’, which I have read on MN many, many times.

I do understand how challenging this is for parents who work, also being a parent who works.