Scaremongering threads about children - RCPCH have responded to worrying Twitter claims

[NaughtipussMaximus]

The RCPCH have responded to reassure parents and refute the claims on twitter and elsewhere about increased numbers of children with serious covid19 in ICUs. Please, if you’re worried about your children, read this and feel better. And if you’re one of the ones perpetuating unsubstantiated reports to further an agenda, please get in the sea.

www.rcpch.ac.uk/news-events/news/rcpch-responds-media-reports-increased-admissions-children-young-people-covid-19?fbclid=IwAR0To78ci_Ra9CXHCAV3pM91MO31zfcpmMlcfxi9-ozdtwPu9n9xE54dPc4

In adults. It’s desperate on adults. I have referred to this on many threads.
I work in the nhs - I am well aware of the difficulties many are facing. But quite simply paediatrics is not one of these areas, which is why paeds staff have gone up work in adult areas.
You just don’t want to accept a different view.

I didn't mean to patronise you - the opposite really, I think we should acknowledge the complexity of the situation that is arising and rather than indicating that we have definite answers when we don't yet. That might mean reserving judgement on some of this.

I still don't think posting specific data from a particular Trust is a good idea, but looking at the data for national paediatric admissions would be really sensible and potentially would be reassuring.

So if anyone can link to those, it would be really interesting.

JedwoodDeadwood - the link concerns the government's preparedness for a pandemic. People appear keen to criticise Laura Duffel - rather than looking at the inaction and dishonesty of the government in its handling of the pandemic.

We have hospital admissions data and shows this whole kids thing is crap.

You need to get back in your box and let the scientists do the talking. This whole kids thing has many different angles and anyone with any scientific training would not be making vague, reckless and sweeping comments like that.

I'm embarrassed for you.

@herecomesthsun

I'm not desperate to believe her. I want to critically appraise the evidence for myself.

I only looked on twitter after a lot of people said they had looked on twitter on this thread and were disparaging this person.

She sounds like every senior nurse I ever worked with.

Why are you all bashing her?

People are feeling easily panicked at the moment I think. The messenger is often shot, though in this case it seems likely the messenger was exaggerating, possibly fabricating. Though to what end?

I agree it’s best to wait for the data before passing judgements. The bits and pieces of seen on Twitter suggest there are more cases in the under 12s but they are still very low numbers. With the schools open through lockdown 2 this doesn’t seem unexpected.

@herecomesthsun it would be London data.

I really can’t explain more clearly so I’ll leave you all to it.

@Satsumatrifle

truly

It is the spread of the spread?

The word you're looking for is affects.

Are you actually a man? If not, well done on the mansplaining!

I agree with some of what you've said, I've just said it several times tonight already so not really feeling it.

Its been a long time since I have had a English lesson on here.

Miss that so thanks.

My grammar and spelling are terrible. I write way to fast as juggling a baby and at work someone checks my work

Anyway none of that makes me wrong

I don’t think I’ve ever been described as having entitled audacity- especially after 25 years in the nhs. Thanks so much @Satsumatrifle - was very amusing.

I suspect the messenger may have been talking about their experience.

However, the nature of personal account's like this is that there's a lot of individual difference that you could explain just by statistical variance.

That's why it would be interesting to know what is happening with paeds admissions.

There is a comment earlier on this thread that paeds admissions went up a bit in December but that this might not be statistically significant.

I don't know whether the figures being referred to by @Pomegranatespompom are the same or different to those?

Will you all stand down and acknowledge that we don't know enough yet to hold a position beyond 'there is no data to suggest'..

This is a new strain which will become dominant quickly. It behaves differently in children than the last one did-the details of how exactly, we just don't know enough to say much about. Which is quite reassuring in one way but sadly it's still a development that no one wanted to see and we can't jump the gun. We were too slow to act in the spring. We didn't get facts and figures together and respond to the science quickly, partly because no one wanted to hear the science and there was an abundance of agendas.

Where our children are concerned, we need all the evidence in front of us. No scientist would suggest we have it. We have an absence of some evidence but still, there are aspects of this still still playing out as the new strain takes hold..

Perhaps we could be less cautious if we had medical resources but we can see that there is no give in the system. That at least is not in doubt.

@Pomegranatespompom

In adults. It’s desperate on adults. I have referred to this on many threads. I work in the nhs - I am well aware of the difficulties many are facing. But quite simply paediatrics is not one of these areas, which is why paeds staff have gone up work in adult areas. You just don’t want to accept a different view.

I would duck out. They are obviously part of the probably from last night. Didn't bother commenting then because the drip and spin people get a kick out of it.

What a shame this thread could have reassured people. Rather than reading the twisted spin of certain posters.

pom

It's a pity you're finding time for amusement as this is a rather sad and desperate moment for the UK.

Yes you’re right @Truelymadlydeeplysomeonesmum
I was trying to reassure and actually I know the figures and dependency of the paed patients.
Night.

I think the spin doctors are right here, finding worrying things amusing and posting assumptions as facts in a way that shocks this scientifically trained poster to the core, frankly.

@Satsumatrifle

We have hospital admissions data and shows this whole kids thing is crap.

You need to get back in your box and let the scientists do the talking. This whole kids thing has many different angles and anyone with any scientific training would not be making vague, reckless and sweeping comments like that.

I'm embarrassed for you.

Go and look at the data!

Ok @Satsumatrifle now we know exactly what you are.
Night!

Night

And that's how you spot propaganda. Challenge them on the facts and they disappear with a few vague insults.

@tickertyboo

JedwoodDeadwood - the link concerns the government's preparedness for a pandemic. People appear keen to criticise Laura Duffel - rather than looking at the inaction and dishonesty of the government in its handling of the pandemic.

I'm furious with the government's handling of the pandemic. I also think Laura Duffell was irresponsible when she gave the interview. I can be annoyed at both things.

I'm definitely not "part of the probably from last night" .

but I generally agree with @Satsumatrifle.

I do like data and I'm not too keen on reassurances without data to back them up.

Especially in conjunction with the term scaremongering, which is usually brandished to stop people expressing any disagreement or asking questions.

@Satsumatrifle

Will you all stand down and acknowledge that we don't know enough yet to hold a position beyond 'there is no data to suggest'..

This is a new strain which will become dominant quickly. It behaves differently in children than the last one did-the details of how exactly, we just don't know enough to say much about. Which is quite reassuring in one way but sadly it's still a development that no one wanted to see and we can't jump the gun. We were too slow to act in the spring. We didn't get facts and figures together and respond to the science quickly, partly because no one wanted to hear the science and there was an abundance of agendas.

Where our children are concerned, we need all the evidence in front of us. No scientist would suggest we have it. We have an absence of some evidence but still, there are aspects of this still still playing out as the new strain takes hold..

Perhaps we could be less cautious if we had medical resources but we can see that there is no give in the system. That at least is not in doubt.

The new variant has been around for a good while now. Hospital admissions gave risen horribly. Paediatric admissions have not. There is data to show that. Paediatricians are confirming that is the picture on the ground.

@Cheerios444 no, not directed at you at all, or at any concerned or frightened parent.

I’m really happy to hear this.

This needs saying - people are scared for their children and this is reassuring.

Thanks for this. The way some posters used the whole 'children with covid' thing for their own agenda was despicable.

@Satsumatrifle

Unfortunately it is recognised that this wave is affecting children in a way that the first wave did not. That is concerning and it should be. Deeply concerning. How dare you pretend to be disgusted by people who you have dismissed as 'not parents". Believe me, your views do not mark you out as a parent but no one is suggesting you're a bad actor.

The people I’m labelling bad actors are those who are repeatedly claiming that children are being affected more adversely in this wave, despite a lack of evidence to corroborate that and in the teeth of statements from senior paediatricians and major children’s hospitals that refute that. Posters who do this, repeatedly and without supporting their claims with evidence or links, are scaremongering and I believe are acting in bad faith.