I think this new variant of the virus infects children more as its been allowed to mutate due to school being open

[ssd]

Just my theory

I read on Reuters this new variant affects children more than the first one

I think this can only be because its been allowed to mutate between children in schools due to the poor safety precautions

I know viruses mutate but there must be a reason its been allowed to mutate

I think Joe Wicks suppresses the virus.

It can't be a coincidence that when he was on YouTube every day the virus subsided.

Just look at scientists’ working theory of event

It’s not this

Schools in some parts of London have been asking parents to take children to be tested even if no contacts or symptoms in the last couple of weeks. Plus before that if close contact or symptoms. Therefore the up tick in cases is largely due to that

Are you serious? There are more cases because teachers asked that children get tested? Those cases wouldn’t have happened if no testing had taken place? Are you actually try8ng to blame schools for an increase of cases?

Personally I find fault with every last person who has whinged about how much it would cost the 'public purse' to keep everyone who needs it covered financially while we tackle the crisis. That is the problem, shouting about the cost of everything and understanding the value of nothing but our annihilation in the process. There are plenty of those miserable, short sighted complainers on MN. Do you honestly think that the world is supposed to go back to the old arrangements economically after a global pandemic, and that we ought to be applying the same old values after this? Because you're absolutely deluded if you do. This crisis needs to be handled in the safest way possible NOW, and a new social contract drawn up after we've successfully dealt with it and kept as many people as safe as is humanly possible from it - children first and foremost.

They'll be glad of their lives in the future, not worrying about paying down some spectral debt bring used now to excuse the repeatedly lame, penny pinching shrieking going on. The pandemic is a wake up call being drowned out by many of those who are so quick to call others selfish as they cling to their little empires. Madness, and I don't use that word lightly.

Baroqueandblue

Interesting post. I read somewhere that the 1920’s post war boom was due to a massive increase in spending after Spanish flu.

I like your thinking. The world will not go back to what it was. The High street has gone. Other industries will replace it.

I agree we need a more humanitarian and caring state. The NHS and the welfare state grew from the chaos, poverty and destruction caused by WW 2. I hope the same happens again.

@Isthatitnow

Schools in some parts of London have been asking parents to take children to be tested even if no contacts or symptoms in the last couple of weeks. Plus before that if close contact or symptoms. Therefore the up tick in cases is largely due to that

Are you serious? There are more cases because teachers asked that children get tested? Those cases wouldn’t have happened if no testing had taken place? Are you actually try8ng to blame schools for an increase of cases?

That's not what the poster said. I was having this discussion last night with DH. I also live in an area where they are testing people with no symptoms. Two weeks ago they weren't. We know there is likely to be a lot of asymptotic cases in the community, and we are now finding them. Which is good. But it's inevitable that the numbers now will be much more than the numbers two weeks ago as we are counting cases that we didn't look for before, even though they are there. What I mean is, I struggle to accept that the number of people who have caught it around here have doubled in two weeks. That does not mean, however, that I don't believe cases are rising, that the virus had changed, and I do believe in strong measures to address that.

There's been no change in testing advice around here, still only for 3 main symptoms. Our numbers are doubling every 7 days - 100% increase every 7 days. Numbers now almost double their previous highest peak.

Great post baroque.

It's depressing that it's clear throughout this pandemic that funnelling lots of money from the public purse into the shareholder pockets of the 1% seems to be a higher priority than safety in schools.

There was an excellent article in the Guardian a few days back by a Professor who said that the more we let it spread (and this government has been very lax) the more chances it had to mutate and that some of those mutations would eventually be problematic.

So much BS on this thread.

Do you worry this much when you reach for your next unnecessary bottle of anti-biotics that they are creating the ideal environment for viruses to mutate? Thought not.

@BigWoollyJumpers

So much BS on this thread.

Do you worry this much when you reach for your next unnecessary bottle of anti-biotics that they are creating the ideal environment for viruses to mutate? Thought not.

I wouldn't be worrying about antibiotics losing their effectiveness against viruses, no.

I strongly discourage viruses from mutating in my classroom. And I have excellent behaviour management so it wouldn't dare.
Therefore, schools are safe. Right?

There was a message on here a while ago from a poster saying they were worried that allowing the virus to reproduce uncontrolled without enough safety measures in schools might produce a nasty mutation.

They were spammed with messages such as fuck off doomer I believe.

Still people talking about this as if they know more than scientists

@BigWoollyJumpers

So much BS on this thread.

Do you worry this much when you reach for your next unnecessary bottle of anti-biotics that they are creating the ideal environment for viruses to mutate? Thought not.

Umm antibiotics don't work on viruses.

Sorry, I was grumpy and didn't write out my response properly. I KNOW antibiotics don't work on viruses, that the issue I was trying, very unsuccessfully, to highlight. Everybody demanding antibiotics for viruses when they don't work, having a consequence on bacterial infections down the line..... sorry for the confusion.

I have two oldies in my family who, for different bacterial infections, are down to their last antibiotics. Eventually they won't work either..... and that's the end of the road for them.

@TheKeatingFive

There are a lot of amateur epidemiologists on here doing a great job demonstrating the Dunning Kruger effect.

The half baked theories are embarrassing, leave this to the experts.

Where would the fun be in that

People will question and have their own ideas about what is going on. It is human nature.

Plus what is mumsnet without a good or bad debate.

@SillyOldMummy

No no no, it's mutated because people have got longer hair than normal. Viruses mutate in dying cells where there's a weak immune response - we've all got more hair as no one can get a haircut, and hair is just dead cells, so that's why the virus has had more chance to mutate. It only appears to infect young people more because older people are more likely to be bald.

Some people might say this is a crackpot theory but it's just as believable as thinking primary school children somehow have created this new form of the lurgy.

Brilliant theory. Bet if you started sharing it on social media it would catch on

@MarshaBradyo

Go back to the science

Because that has worked for Boris so well

Let people have their own theories. You sounds anti theorist I may have to report you to mumsnet. Can't be doing with ists of any sort

Trulymadlydeeplysomeonesmum did you used to be trulymadlydeeply? If so I’m on your fb!😂

@Isthatitnow

Schools in some parts of London have been asking parents to take children to be tested even if no contacts or symptoms in the last couple of weeks. Plus before that if close contact or symptoms. Therefore the up tick in cases is largely due to that

Are you serious? There are more cases because teachers asked that children get tested? Those cases wouldn’t have happened if no testing had taken place? Are you actually try8ng to blame schools for an increase of cases?

No not at all. I am saying that most the cases in my childrens school wouldn't have been picked up until this month.

Like most the cases in my local area before mass testing.

Before you only got tested with symptoms or sometimes close contacts of a positive case (but not always).

I have no doubt the mutation is more catchy but doubt it is quite as bad as the figures suggest in my area.

Oh and it wasn't the schools that set up mass symptom less testing it was public health England and our council. So of course not blaming school. They are just passing on the message to test whole family even if no symptoms.

However the council has been targeting schools with dedicated days for students and their families at the test centres.

Therefore it follows on that more kids will be found that normally wouldn't have.

@ArseInTheCoOpWindow

Trulymadlydeeplysomeonesmum did you used to be trulymadlydeeply? If so I’m on your fb!😂

No I don't do Facebook to many nutters

Oh ok!!!