Page 10 | Are teachers more at risk from covid?

notevenat20 · 2021-02-03T20:01:04+00:00

Did anyone listen to More or Less discuss this? [[https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000rvjr]] What do you think?

sherrystrull · 05/02/2021 19:44

[quote hobbyiscodefordogging]@sherrystrull there's no need for the rudeness and attitude. I tried to reassure teachers that parents don't in fact hate them and gave some insight into what some parents might be feeling and you attack me for it. Calm down and don't be so quick to assume that everyone's here to criticise you. I get that it's a sore point because teachers have come in for a lot of flak lately, but it'll do you no good to automatically jump to that position. Just be a bit more open to hearing other views. [/quote]
Where have I been rude?

I'm also a parent and try very hard to understand both sides.

sherrystrull · 05/02/2021 19:46

I stand by my word. Me telling you what my classroom is like is not telling you 'my view' its the truth I go into every day.

Try to listen to that.

chillichoclove · 05/02/2021 19:53

I'm interested to know what proportion of teachers get the flu vaccine. And whether there was anxiety about flu risk before.

hobbyiscodefordogging · 05/02/2021 19:54

@sherrystrull, as you ask, this is what came off as rude, it was the challenging tone as if a point of view contrary to your own couldn't possibly be right, point blank refusal to see another point of view and insisting that your own experience of it must be the universal truth. I don't think you do try to see the other side, based on this. Maybe you didn't intend for it to come across as rude, but that's the problem with threads like this, it's easy to read a certain "tone" that may or may not be there:

"That's not overestimating a risk. That's the truth. If you perceive it as as 'overestimation' then you're welcome to come and spend a week with me and see if you agree with my perception of risk"

sherrystrull · 05/02/2021 20:05

I honestly was not trying to be rude. That is not who I am.

I was frustrated and upset. I felt upset at the suggestion that I am underestimating my risk. I am about to finish isolation period number 6 due to positive cases in my class bubble and that's not taking into account my children's isolation from school.

I know I have had covid at least once. I've had the antibody test and symptoms 6 months apart, luckily not too bad. However, I have vulnerable colleagues who are putting themselves at risk each and every day in a small room with no social distancing with lots of key worker children.

Please don't judge before you've tried that.

I don't presume that other people's risk isn't high in their job. I recognise that NHS staff are at risk, as are care home staff and emergency services. That doesn't mean I've overestimating our risk.

Skipsurvey · 05/02/2021 20:22

i love More or Less

Skipsurvey · 05/02/2021 20:23

They are not at more risk

MrsHamlet · 05/02/2021 20:23

Our LA offers the flu vaccine to all public sector workers. I always have it.

SpringIsComingAlways · 05/02/2021 20:25

According to published data the answer is no....

BustopherPonsonbyJones · 05/02/2021 20:26

@sherrystrull
I didn’t read your post as rude. It tallies with what I have seen in school rather than the imaginary scenarios constructed by those who don’t work in them.

I think some people are posting comments with very little sense of irony. Don’t you dare disagree with them because they are completely reasonable and Know What Is Right. Any opinion as long as it theirs. It really is quite Orwellian.

hobbyiscodefordogging · 05/02/2021 20:29

Ok Sherry, fair enough. Don't take everything as a personal criticism. I don't know you or your situation so I couldn't tell whether you personally have an accurate perception of your risk. What I do know however, is that the general public is prone to overestimating their risk of COVID - there was a great article, I wish I could remember it so I could link to it.

I send my children to school every day without fear, so no I wouldn't be afraid to go in there myself either - but that's our school, not every school. There is ventilation - the kids are told to wear base layers if they're cold. I just don't see it as being a high risk environment. My husband and my dad are at far more risk, being exposed to offices with no opening windows, public transport, or factories full of people (environments that the data actually proves are riskier than schools). I still can't get too worried about it, it's been through several family members with varying effects. I just hope my parents get vaccinated before it reaches them as they have cancer and lung disease so may not fare very well.

hobbyiscodefordogging · 05/02/2021 20:31

@BustopherPonsonbyJones give it up 😂

sherrystrull · 05/02/2021 20:55

@hobbyiscodefordogging

Ok Sherry, fair enough. Don't take everything as a personal criticism. I don't know you or your situation so I couldn't tell whether you personally have an accurate perception of your risk. What I do know however, is that the general public is prone to overestimating their risk of COVID - there was a great article, I wish I could remember it so I could link to it.

I send my children to school every day without fear, so no I wouldn't be afraid to go in there myself either - but that's our school, not every school. There is ventilation - the kids are told to wear base layers if they're cold. I just don't see it as being a high risk environment. My husband and my dad are at far more risk, being exposed to offices with no opening windows, public transport, or factories full of people (environments that the data actually proves are riskier than schools). I still can't get too worried about it, it's been through several family members with varying effects. I just hope my parents get vaccinated before it reaches them as they have cancer and lung disease so may not fare very well.

Sadly you've missed all my points completely and come across very rude to me.

Ok your children's classroom has ventilation. Great! Not all classrooms do.
You're not concerned about the risk. Great! Many people are, especially those with health concerns.

Thank you for assessing everyone's risks in jobs that you haven't personally experienced and declared my experience to be wanting

Again, I clearly said that many other professions are also at risk. That doesn't take away from my concerns or make me overestimate the risks.

Remmy123 · 05/02/2021 20:58

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pinkpip100 · 05/02/2021 20:59

@hobbyiscodefordogging I think it's clear that different people have different approaches to risk. But just because you view a particular situation as low risk, that doesn't mean that someone with a different view is automatically overestimating the risk - they could equally claim that you are underestimating the risk. For example, I feel it is too risky for my children to be in school at the moment, whereas you feel differently. It's not fair to claim the other group's perception of risk is incorrect, just because it is different.

sherrystrull · 05/02/2021 21:00

[quote Remmy123]@chillichoclove that is a very valid point!

I have many teacher friends / family and none of them have made such a song and and dance like some of the teachers on here - if you don't like it then leave until it's died down. Dont all jump on the bandwagon.

I don't see bus drivers / shop workers / nurses / dentists etc going on like this.

It's pathetic.[/quote]
I love my job. That's why I will defend my colleagues and fellow education staff against posters that seek to pull us down.

pinkpip100 · 05/02/2021 21:00

@Remmy123 your post comes across as extremely rude.

sherrystrull · 05/02/2021 21:02

[quote pinkpip100]@hobbyiscodefordogging I think it's clear that different people have different approaches to risk. But just because you view a particular situation as low risk, that doesn't mean that someone with a different view is automatically overestimating the risk - they could equally claim that you are underestimating the risk. For example, I feel it is too risky for my children to be in school at the moment, whereas you feel differently. It's not fair to claim the other group's perception of risk is incorrect, just because it is different. [/quote]
I agree. And it's easy to say 'I would go in school' when you don't.

I have huge respect for other professions putting themselves at great risk and would never seek to drag them down or tell them their risk is overestimated. I would believe their experiences

Remmy123 · 05/02/2021 21:03

@pinkpip100 im just fed up of hearing teachers moan - sorry but generally if you are not happy or feel safe, then just take time out.

sherrystrull · 05/02/2021 21:05

[quote Remmy123]@pinkpip100 im just fed up of hearing teachers moan - sorry but generally if you are not happy or feel safe, then just take time out.[/quote]
Not moan, defend themselves. Tell me what job you do so I can tell you all about it like it's fact when I actually know nothing about it and then tell you your experiences are wrong. It's tiresome.

pinkpip100 · 05/02/2021 21:07

I'll repeat what I said earlier - we should all be moaning - if more isn't done to make schools safer, our children will face another term (or longer) of disruption, plus the chances of further virus mutations and variants emerging will increase because level of transmission will still be too high. And, again as I said earlier, I would like my children to be taught in an environment in which the people teaching them feel at least reasonably safe. It's honestly better for everyone.

chillichoclove · 05/02/2021 21:08

Sorry I wasn't trying to jump on teachers as pathetic. At all.
I think they shouid be prioritized for vaccines.
I'm more interested in the psychology of covid, fear, anxiety and risk. Because it's not clear that there is a substantially greater risk of illness or chronic fatigue with covid but many didn't worry about flu or other infections prior to the pandemic. The government used really scary messaging to get people to socially distance. It's unsurprising that everyone is very scared and struggles to rationalize risk anymore.

hobbyiscodefordogging · 05/02/2021 21:08

@sherrystrull and @pinkpip100
I'm not saying that you are overestimating your risk. I'm saying that some people are, and the general public is known to overestimate their risk. Why do you feel you must shut down any voice that doesn't agree with everything you say?
Yes, maybe I underestimate my risk. So what?! It has no impact on you, and whether you think I've underestimated it or not doesn't change anything for me. I don't care that you don't agree, why do you care so much when it's the other way round? Why take everything as a personal criticism? If you're sure you're not overestimating your risk then what I've said obviously doesn't apply to you, what's the problem then? It's almost like you want to have something to argue about.

pinkpip100 · 05/02/2021 21:10

sorry but generally if you are not happy or feel safe, then just take time out.

Plus, most teachers & other school staff I know don't feel happy or safe about schools going back to being fully open without any additional measures in place - therefore if they all did what you suggest we would be in real trouble.

hobbyiscodefordogging · 05/02/2021 21:11

@chillichoclove

Sorry I wasn't trying to jump on teachers as pathetic. At all. I think they shouid be prioritized for vaccines. I'm more interested in the psychology of covid, fear, anxiety and risk. Because it's not clear that there is a substantially greater risk of illness or chronic fatigue with covid but many didn't worry about flu or other infections prior to the pandemic. The government used really scary messaging to get people to socially distance. It's unsurprising that everyone is very scared and struggles to rationalize risk anymore.

Well said. I agree, the scare tactics have left a lot of people afraid and unable to rationalise risk. The portrayal in the media has been terrible.