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

Scientist agrees www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/dec/23/covid-mutating-eliminate-virus-eradicate-variants

The main bit, for people who don't do clicky links:

The responsibility for this new variant can partly be attributed to those who argued against restrictions, believing that allowing the virus to run rampant in young people while shielding the vulnerable would allow immunity to develop. What they didn’t foresee is that such conditions are ripe for variants to emerge. Unless we suppress the virus, it will probably mutate further. This could make our current vaccines ineffective, or lead to reinfections.

@Barbie222

The main bit, for people who don't do clicky links:

The responsibility for this new variant can partly be attributed to those who argued against restrictions, believing that allowing the virus to run rampant in young people while shielding the vulnerable would allow immunity to develop. What they didn’t foresee is that such conditions are ripe for variants to emerge. Unless we suppress the virus, it will probably mutate further. This could make our current vaccines ineffective, or lead to reinfections.

Like I said, this is basic biology. It worries me so many people don't understand that. You do not have to be a genius to understand. Maybe GCSE Science should be a compulsory pass like Maths and English nowadays. The should put people through it again until they pass.

Not sure why op got so much flack. It is pretty obvious.

I dont know why I got so much flack either.
I said at the beginning this is just my theory of it all, my thoughts. I didn't pretend to be an expert in anything.

Yes Devi Sridhar is a very well qualified scientist - a professor at Edinburgh and she's saying the OP is right.

Funny there are so many who want to 'wait for the science' unless it doesn't fit conveniently with their view.

If we wait AT ALL now, the consequences could be unimaginably dire. Fortunately the government does seem to be listening to the scientists - except when it comes to schools.

Also, scientists have said since the summer - including those on Indie Sage who are all more qualified than anyone on here to comment on 'the science' - the only way to safely open schools once community levels are high (which they are now in most of the UK) is small class sizes, masks, social distancing and we haven't followed the science there. It's not a huge leap to see this is the result.

Edit fail - those who want to 'wait for the science' and ignore all the science that is here now that doesn't conveniently fit with their view.

The science on indoor spread when no masks and no SD as in UK schools is OVERWHELMING.

What these people are 'waiting' for is the absolute proof of deaths, I guess. But even then it's 'well that teacher could have caught it at the supermarket'. That's just not how science works - the scientific consensus is that Uk schools are a disaster for transmission.

So this is where the WhatsApp aunties get their facts.

This article is a great explainer of the hypothesis regarding immunocompromised patients and it also highlights potential steps to avert this issue in future www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/12/uk-variant-puts-spotlight-immunocompromised-patients-role-covid-19-pandemic

And here is a good Twitter thread looking at the different explanations to best explain the pattern of spread for this new strain including looking at the potential role of children: mobile.twitter.com/BillHanage/status/1341857733633581063

Maybe stop trying to scare people?

So the UK variant spreads more easily and the South African variant (which is now in the UK) makes young people seriously ill.
Shall we open schools as normal or introduce measure to mitigate COVID?
Shall we vaccinate teachers? Move to online schools? Can teachers provide both online teaching and childcare for key workers and vulnerable at the same time, as well as testing pupils? I suspect not much actually teaching is going to happen.
Whatever happened to Oak academy that the government spent so much on.

What nonsense. Viruses mutate constantly.
And actually there’s no evidence to back up mass transmission in schools, it could easily be kids bringing the virus into schools through outside socialising with their peer group or from their families.

@DownstairsMixUp

The flu mutates most years. That's what viruses do. They don't care whether they mutate in a pub, a school or the middle of London Bridge. People keep talking about viruses like they are humans with the ability to be sly and plan. 😬

It's not that it has mutated, it's that it has mutated to something that spreads much more easily.

@Truelymadlydeeplysomeonesmum

The virus has always been able to infect children. My children had covid before first lockdown. Primary school children ended up with a inhaler for a few months. The majority of kids weren't in school before September and we definitely weren't testing them unless hospital treatment was needed. So the cases were mostly not detected.

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.

The mutation has caused more cases on top of this. I am however a little sceptical about just how much more infectious. Definitely more but probably not as much as currently claimed. Still hoping it is now a little milder.

No evidence just thoughts.

Clearly no evidence & just thoughts.

Schools asking children to get tested doesn't cause hospital rates or death rates to double. Other rates are calculated on samples of the population or % of tests taken.

Trying to deny this is getting much worse is really stupid.

Agree. We didn't give our children any protection and infact encouraged them to become infected by sending them to indoor, crowded spaces for 6 hours a day with no face masks. The exact conditions for optimal transmission. And we are surprised that this virus is now affecting children more than adults?

@lyinginthegutterstaringatstars

Maybe stop trying to scare people?

Maybe read something else if you're scared by the truth, instead of trying to stop the world discussing a pandemic.

@Oly4

What nonsense. Viruses mutate constantly. And actually there’s no evidence to back up mass transmission in schools, it could easily be kids bringing the virus into schools through outside socialising with their peer group or from their families.

So when a child brings in the virus from 'outside' we shut them in a room with 30 other kids and a teacher & ta.

No masks
No ventilation.

Do you think there's some kind of special deal where the virus agrees not to transmit?!?!

@Barbie222

The main bit, for people who don't do clicky links:

The responsibility for this new variant can partly be attributed to those who argued against restrictions, believing that allowing the virus to run rampant in young people while shielding the vulnerable would allow immunity to develop. What they didn’t foresee is that such conditions are ripe for variants to emerge. Unless we suppress the virus, it will probably mutate further. This could make our current vaccines ineffective, or lead to reinfections.

And even now they are still on here expecting schools to remain open and denying school environments are where the virus is spread. Ostriches!

Reaches for tin foil hat

Viruses mutate.
That's what they do .. it's hardly a surprise tbh

Did the South African variant mutate in schools?

@toptreeroots1

Viruses mutate. That's what they do .. it's hardly a surprise tbh

No one is surprised about that are they?

You are aware there are 5000+ mutations of the virus.....so it that respect your theory is a bit odd yeah. Virus will mutate if schools are open or closed

I actually think it's brilliant in a lot of respects that more people are becoming interested in science. Don't know why it has to be so sniffy when people get things wrong.

No one knows for sure what caused the mutation to spread exactly yet, but its a fair hypothesis that the conditions in schools had an impact. I guess we'll know soon enough. In any case, whatever the outcome, would it not be sensible to bring our schools policy in line with other countries and introduce mask wearing from age 6 regardless, in order to at least try and avoid having to undertake more stringent measures or risk nastier mutations occurring in future?