Kids more likely to get new strain...

[Ohbabybab]

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUKKBN28V2EV

Do you think this will mean school closures?

(And right back at you)

I think everyone is more likely to catch this new strain. Purely anecdotal, my sister is a mw in a SW London hospital, everyone arriving in the maternity unit is routinely screened for coronavirus. One woman tested positive Monday last week, she was asymptomatic. 12 members of staff have since tested positive, all traced back to this one woman. All members of staff were in full PPE. This is completely different to March/April when they had a lot of Covid in the hospital, dedicated Covid maternity ward but relatively few staff members caught the disease.

And for the record, I meant pp, not portmanteau. Thank you, autocorrect.

[quote JesusInTheCabbageVan]@Fortherosesjoni70 my point is just that most kids will be OK. That really is all. I was responding to the portmanteau who seemed to be implying that school closures were preferable to kids catching it. I disagree with that (as do most people, I imagine).[/quote]
Its not just about the kids though, is it? Its spreading it far and wide.
This has HUGE implications if this is the case. Schools will not be able to run as all teachers will have it. Parents and families will catch it and so on.....

@Popcornriver

starfish4

I agree with you. I think teachers should have had that from the start and they should be high up on the list for a vaccine.

However, if the new strain is more contagious to children then schools open as they are now are going to cause serious issues when they take it home and infect their family members. The government either needs to put in place actual safety measures such as masks in classrooms and a rota system to allow for social distancing or close schools to all those who are able to distance learn.

Again, how high up? Who should be bumped in favour of teachers?

It never needed to be fully open with little mitigation or closed! Ever!
As noelgiraffe has been saying for months! Schools never were covid secure and the limited mitigation was never going to offer a semi safe environment for long.
Schools are pretty much the only places that are packing unmasked people shoulder to shoulder in small rooms together. One way systems, hand gel theatrics and a breeze blowing through were never going to cut it.
Either rotations/2 weeks on/ 2 weeks remote or some sort of Nightingale facilities are needed.

If schools take just keyworkers kids, vulnerable and maybe people who prove they have to have childcare or would lose their job, they could still reduce the student body by 50%.

portmanteau is a great word though.

Variant #17 is already in most of Europe.

hahahahaaaa...

@sheldonsgreenwithenvy

I am not expecting schools to open.

DH and I have sat down this evening and decided which of us is going to take extended leave from our jobs (which might be determined by which job allows us). We have 2 DCs, 1 with SEN and the last lockdown we both worked crazy hours and something had to give.... in the end what gave was schooling and to a large part parenting.

We cannot go through that again in the way we did last time. We would not get through it a second time. The first time you got on with it because you did know how bad it was going to be. This time- can't do it.

Absolutely me too. Working in an extremely stressful and busy role from home, homeschooling two children and with a husband out at work (key worker) almost broke me. I will not, cannot, do it again. No relatives willing to form childcare bubble. I will either take unpaid leave, go sick or resign (as the lowest paid).

chloworm.

Thinking of you and wishing you well. xx

I’m in Kent, Covid has just ripped through the school I work in, and every other school in the area. Shutting schools here will be a bit like closing the stable door after the horse has bolted!

I think if a school has already had outbreaks and the poor teachers have all recovered, then perhaps they should be allowed to remain open?

Oh,.. and i have basically decided for unpaid leave or resigning. My mental health has taken such a beating, and although I am very slightly higher paid i have greater tolerance for home schooling and DH likes his job more than I do.

I am still torn about it though.

Which of those amongst the 99% of those who are dying and who are covered by phase 1 of the vaccine roll out would teachers like to shelve?

For most young people, it will be more harmful for them to miss several more months of schooling and social interaction, and potentially falling into poverty (or further into poverty) because a parent has to stop working to provide childcare.

Yes, I agree. So it was pretty bloody stupid to open schools with no mitigations at all to prevent airbourne spread wasn't it? Maybe the government should have diverted some billions from Serco to allow for better protections?

It's noticeable that the countries with masks in school for kids from age 6 haven't seen the success of a new variant that's more transmissible in kids. We gave it the perfect environment to take over.

Countries which funded their schools to have better protections will have their schools open for longer.

@Fortherosesjoni70 I agree, and sadly there is no 'right' answer to that. Whatever we do, lots of people will lose, either now or later down the line. I'm only making the point (to a pp) that kids themselves are relatively low risk.

Really, what I objected to was that pp trying to guilt trip a parent who was worried about losing their livelihood.

And portmanteau IS a great word

Schools never were covid secure and the limited mitigation was never going to offer a semi safe environment for long.

Part of the problem is the use of the term covid safe/secure as part of public messaging. It’s true in schools but also in other places. Unless you are all wearing appropriate PPE or are the only person in a room there is no such thing. Only covid slightly less risky.

Women over 40 are more affected due to less estrogen. Studies have shown a high level of estrogen gives some protection.

@sheldonsgreenwithenvy

Oh,.. and i have basically decided for unpaid leave or resigning. My mental health has taken such a beating, and although I am very slightly higher paid i have greater tolerance for home schooling and DH likes his job more than I do.

I am still torn about it though.

Bless you. Such a difficult decision I’m sure many parents would have to make. Hope it doesn’t come to that...

There is no evidence teachers have worse outcomes than other groups - why should they move up the priority list? If they are more vulnerable because of their age then they are on the list anyway.
StatisticalSense, I disagree. Most vaccines prevent transmission.. we don’t have the data yet that is correct. But we will do... it’s already rolling in for Oxford.

I am not going to back to teaching as long as they have exchanged 2 weeks isolation for lateral flow testing, until they can persuade me that the lateral flow tests have an accuracy above 50%.

50% was just about okay when the R was low, but for a much higher R, it's not at all acceptable.

@Nellodee

I am not going to back to teaching as long as they have exchanged 2 weeks isolation for lateral flow testing, until they can persuade me that the lateral flow tests have an accuracy above 50%.

50% was just about okay when the R was low, but for a much higher R, it's not at all acceptable.

Perhaps you'll be happier and less stressed.

Can anyone stating that teachers are not at anymore risk than any other occupation provide some evidence. I've looked and can only find a graph from may when schools were only open to key workers.

Okay, well how come I know a few people who work for health care who have had their first dose of it ???

Me too, including two people who have been working from home since March.

All those saying teachers shouldn't have any priority for the vaccine because they are less likely to die from it seem to be overlooking the fact that NHS workers, even if they are working from home, already beat my 79 year old diabetic mother to the vaccine.

@sherrystrull

Can anyone stating that teachers are not at anymore risk than any other occupation provide some evidence. I've looked and can only find a graph from may when schools were only open to key workers.

..and I read [cant remember where ] that the comparison was done exactly at that time, when schools were only open to key workers.

An absolute joke.