Teachers at far higher risk of covid than general population - New data

[noblegiraffe]

"Covid rates among schools staff in some areas are as much as four times the corresponding local authority average, Tes can reveal.

Figures for three councils obtained by the NASUWT teachers' union show that the staff coronavirus infections are far outstripping local rates, casting doubt on the government's repeated assertion that teachers are at no greater risk than other workers."

www.tes.com/news/exclusive-teacher-covid-rates-333-above-average

The government won't release the proper data, I wonder why. They've been given an extension to midday today to show the evidence that schools are safe, as part of a legal challenge by the headteacher unions. Good luck with that.

I am sure Police Officers are very exposed and do not have PPE, but as usual it's all about the teachers.

Clever you to have noticed it’s a thread about teachers. I expect the word Teachers in the title was the giveaway! I’m sure police officers 👮‍♀️ would enjoy a thread about them - why don’t you start one? In fact, do it now! Nothing ventured, nothing gained!

Err don't both police officers and care staff wear PPE whilst at work??

Unlike most teachers.

Don’t let the door hit you on the way out, Polar.

@Fluffyowl00

I know. Unfortunately the cynic in me wonders if things will be any different when we reopen in March? Sigh.

I fear they won't be. Schools are safe even earlier this evening according to our PM. Just a shame about the people inside them eh.

What is interesting about care workers and police officers is that the government haven’t run propaganda campaigns to tell the public just how safe they are.

I don’t recall anybody on this thread saying police or care workers aren’t at risk

@noblegiraffe

What is interesting about care workers and police officers is that the government haven’t run propaganda campaigns to tell the public just how safe they are.

Did you hear Boris in the briefing today?

He was asked why teachers are not on any list to be vaccinated and straight away, Boris said ‘schools are safe, I must say that, schools are safe’. He then ummed and ahhhed for three more sentences with ‘but but but...they’re... look....children are safe, they don’t suffer badly with this have you forgotten adults work in schools, Boris? before going to Chris Witty who merely said ‘we are not licensed for the vaccine in children’ before moving on to the next question-both ignoring the fact that the question was about teachers and staff.

How can anyone not think they are avoiding the issue we are discussing here?!

How can anyone not think they are avoiding the issue we are discussing here?!

And there are inexplicably still some people who haven’t noticed.

@Carlislemumof4 please, please look at your local media. Read the news and star or the Cumberland news. We're in huge trouble here!!!! The hospital has declared the highest alert level, there are no more ventilators. They are moving patients out of the area because we don't have enough bed space. You live (I assume, because of your user name) in one of the areas of the country who are going under. Just like me.

And by the way, I'm a teacher, living in your city, who would move heaven and earth to AVOID sending my child to school right now!!!! There is no way I'm sending her to mix with that many people when there is a chance she could bring this virus home. So it's not an "I'm alright Jack" attitude, my child won't be accessing a KW place.

Noble, not read the whole thread, but do you have any data about Early Years specifically? Obviously, we are remaining open for all children, and the nature of our work requires very close, prolonged physical contact, with minimal PPE for us and none for the children. My team are terrified. We have seen the ONS data which compares Covid transmission for teachers within different phases and its not pretty. Do you know of any more?

@mrsm43s

Come on *@noblegiraffe*, it's very clear that both the article, and your posting of it are meant to lead people to believe that teachers have been proved to be more at risk simply because they are teachers. And looking at the comments on this thread, most people have made that assumption.

There is currently no available data that I have seen that supports that theory.

I agree that more data should be available. But in the absence of it, we shouldn't be deliberately misrepresenting data in order to mislead people to believe that the data tells us something that it actually doesn't.

Can I just say how much I have appreciated your posts here. They have been explained clearly about the data for those of us who don't know enough to interpret this ourselves but don't want to be misled.

I am so glad my DCs are all beyond school age as I really do not know who or what to believe any more

I think there should be a Boris doll with one of those pull strings, saying "schools are safe", "alas", and other such classics.

Can I just say how much I have appreciated your posts here. They have been explained clearly about the data for those of us who don't know enough to interpret this ourselves

Sorry, hang on, this poster says this In terms of misrepresentation, at a glance, without even having looked into it deeply and you think they have explained the data clearly?!

Oh my.

They have been explained clearly about the data for those of us who don't know enough to interpret this ourselves but don't want to be misled.

Where have they clearly explained the data ?

Keep up the good work @noblegiraffe, on here and with your students. You are appreciated by many of the less moronic amongst us

@EnemyOfEducationNo1

Noble, you deserve a medal for all the work you have done on this in the face of relentless teacher bashing, gaslighting, and personal attacks. Those people need to have a long hard look at themselves.

This! Thank you Noble, you’re a superstar 🌟

@Yoshinori

Three councils. Produced and published by organisations with clear biases.

I’m sure teachers have more risk than the average say office worker which of course needs to be addressed but I’m sick of the victimisation of some teachers. Doctors, nurses, retail workers, construction workers, dentists, opticians, security guards are all exposed.

Doctors, nurses, retail workers, construction workers, dentists, opticians, security guards have a right to social distancing and PPE. Teachers don’t. In cramped indoor conditions for hours.

@sofakingg00d

Wasn't the last ONS report the one that split teachers into three categories - where 'unknown teacher' was higher than all of the other categories?

That’s right. The ONS have told the government to stop using it as proof teachers are less at risk because it doesn’t say this. Statistics experts pulled the report apart.

That doesn't mean to say that teachers aren't more at risk. It just means that, as yet, there aren't any available statistics that actually prove it.

So let's just keep on ploughing on as we are then shall we, even though every single reputable scientific body says masks, social distancing are ESSENTIAL and neither is happening in classrooms.

Is there any incontrovertible evidence to show that every single person turning up at A&E at the moment with covid symptoms actually caught it from another human? Or do we extrapolate from what we know of how the virus behaves?

And the only reason TES and the unions have had to gather this data is because the government has failed to publish theirs, which they surely must have.

How can Boris say schools are safe when Prof Whitty said the below
"We're now into a situation where across the country as a whole, roughly one in 50 people have got the virus, higher in some parts of the country, lower in others," he said.

That latest estimates include:

One in 30 for London
One in 45 for south-east England, eastern England and north-west England
One in 50 for the East Midlands
One in 60 for north-east England
One in 65 for the West Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber
One in 135 for south-west England

To posters talking about how doctors, teachers, nurses are able to wear PPE etc, they are in far closer contact to patients who genuinely have a HIGHER chance of having COVID than young students. You are still at greater risk than teachers.

A mask isn’t going to stop you getting covid so again retail workers, security guards, receptionists, etc all coming into contact with a far greater number of people aren’t all gunning to be able to stay at home.

A lot of teachers have what they want now which is for schools to close so now it’s time to focus on producing high-quality online lessons rather than ranting about how dangerous schools are as if other occupations don’t have it hard.

I have full respect of the vast majority of teachers who have continued to go into school and push for better covid secure measures. My issue is with teachers who can’t understand why schools needed to stay open for as long as possible and who are hell-bent on victimising themselves.

But then again teaching has a long history of this.

The easiest way to solve the debate would be for the government to publish all covid figures relating to those who have public facing roles - heck publish ALL data as we know it is being collated but they seem to be digging their heels in and refusing to do this.

Ignoring FOI requests will only make people think they have something to hide or something they are trying to suppress.

This way we will know for sure what many teachers suspect but have not been able to prove and do something about it or we will know that teaching staff are not any more at risk and can open schools sooner.

When the government has openly admitted schools are vectors for transmission and as a result have closed them to most pupils, it does seem the data will confirm what the article suggests.

I feel so sorry for the teachers. I also feel sorry for other staff too of course, but I feel the teachers really have had a raw deal in all this. They are made out to be dramatic when their concerns are completely legitimate. Honestly I’m so glad I’m not in that profession and I have so much respect for those that are now during this.

Yoshinori

A lot of teachers have what they want now

It is amazing how many posters with an agenda are stilkl posting this bullshit.

Teachers and unions wanted schools to open (and remain open) in as safe a way as possible.

The government and twats4themselves Us4them and other slef aligned groups have caused this.