If schools were a big issue why aren't infectious dropping yet?

[Shamefullync]

Im aware that English schools have a loose keyworker criteria then Scotland. Scotland is still seeing record deaths hospital admissions etc. Quite often on mm schools got blame for rising infections but most schools have been closed for a month now and our numbers are depressing. Whats causeing it ?
Btw i do think schools need to stay closed with the key worker criteria tightened.

you cannot entirely remove possibility of catching an illness and nor should you try to

That’s not an explanation, if it was meant to be. However it’s a rather extraordinary statement. Why should you not try to?

@GhoulWithADragonTattoo

They should be in safe an environment as possible but you cannot entirely remove possibility of catching an illness and nor should you try to. Schooling is more important than that.

No one is suggesting that we entirely remove the risk of getting an illness.

Improving the situation so that attendance is above 50% across a county (the school with excellent attendance means that there are other schools totally closed) should be a reasonable expectation.

There’s lots that the government can do to make schools safer.

I think we all know that if you just shut schools and open everything else then the virus will spread very rapidly.

I don’t think we know that at all, and why would anyone do it?

So it's not that schools are the main cause of the spread of the virus.

Which doesn’t follow even from the weird and implausible premise.

@GhoulWithADragonTattoo

My Kent based kids didn’t miss a single day of school last term and that’s one in primary and one in secondary. There were one or two cases in other year groups but their bubbles were not effected. The schools have been excellent about keeping things as safe as possible. They are also good job of homeschooling but cannot replace actually being at school...

Lucky for you guys. My eldest has had to isolate on 4 occasions since September and my ds2’s school went to partial closure with his year group being taught at home.

However now we have B117 things seem much more precarious and open schools may be the straw that pushes R over 1. The only answer is the vaccinate as fast as is humanly possible.

Or open schools in a much more cautious manner than before.

@noblegiraffe

However now we have B117 things seem much more precarious and open schools may be the straw that pushes R over 1. The only answer is the vaccinate as fast as is humanly possible.

Or open schools in a much more cautious manner than before.

Or both.

Dementedpixie

Thanks. That has really helped stop me worrying this morning. Hopefully that means her colleagues symptoms came out after their meeting.

Riskiest place where most kids spend their time seems to be the school canteen not the classroom.

In most schools anyway. Of course some schools now have kids eating outside or in a classroom now. However most still are using their canteens. Kids still in bubbles bit over crowded and with masks off.

I am not saying that class rooms are safe but I do think dinner times probably spread the virus further. Even the kids that have been wearing a mask all day in class take their mask off then.

It is probably some of the reasons why support staff and special needs teachers have a higher infection rate than teachers.

The virus would spread equally fast if schools were shut and everything else open

Or

Schools open and everything else shut

Surely? As adults and children over 12 transmits the virus the same.

I would have thought primary open with teachers and years 5&6 in masks. They were found to have a larger viral load than younger children.

Then secondary possibly a rota system and masks.

Looks like teachers are getting offered vaccine soon. Cambridge council have already offered it to their. Though I hope that is actually all school staff. Anyway a lot of school staff will be on the first priority list. So that help.

*helps

Probably because they were not a big issue. The just reflected community transmission. And people are probably meeting each other more to manage childcare. That's my guess.