Tests and Masks not Compulsory, apparently.

[Radio4Rocks]

www.theguardian.com/world/2021/feb/25/covid-tests-masks-not-compulsory-english-schools-nick-gibb?CMP=share_btn_fb&fbclid=IwAR0o_Hr0gXp7m3QB6NHQcfBd3NI40hRbIOgrMfAG4eVFvWsKA_-nUTdYBso

So what's the point of organising them in the first place?

Re seeing increased numbers, I would hope not, because schools have been closed so children are mixing less. I would really hope that’s led to a reduction in cases.

I’m assuming that, as the article’s dated beginning of February, she’s referring to data gathered from January, which would include illnesses that started in December, when schools were still open.

Fingers crossed anyway that this latest school closure has been for something and February’s figures for PIMS will be really low.

@Malteser71

Still nobody can answer my question.

If children. Have to test negative to go to school, why ask them to wear a mask?

There was a recent tech event where people were testing x2 a day with LFT - imagine the horror when after several days of testing, before the end of the event, one of the organisers who (amongst others) had decided not to wear a mask, tested +ve as did several other Tech Edge Lords. (None of the support AV workers who felt vulnerable and kept up social distancing and wore masks tested +ve.)

Well, thank goodness for masks.

We didn’t wear masks last April, we had a massive spike of deaths. Since wearing masks, obviously there’s been a second wave, but the wearing of masks has really kept rates down.

Well interestingly the wave (of deaths) was generated by xmas where family mixed in homes with no masks. All that hugging granny /grandad Unfortunately.
If the kids at school had been wearing masks and or let out 10d early we wouldnt have seen that. Or if the gov had said that the kids are all infected (rates in the thousands per 100k.

Where are you getting your info that the wave was caused by people mixing at Xmas?

Just in case anyone is still thinking face masks don't protect the wearer so why bother

@HSHorror

Well interestingly the wave (of deaths) was generated by xmas where family mixed in homes with no masks. All that hugging granny /grandad Unfortunately. If the kids at school had been wearing masks and or let out 10d early we wouldnt have seen that. Or if the gov had said that the kids are all infected (rates in the thousands per 100k.

This isn't correct. London and much of the SE didn't have Christmas at all, we were already locked down. The increased infections caused the deaths, and the increases were caused by the Kent variant spreading more. The massive case increases started from 7th December and continued increasing as well as the variant spreading up the country e.g. South-West increases started on 26th December, much too soon to have been Christmas mixing.

Exactly what MRex

..said

These are perfectly reasonable excuses for not wearing a mask and taking a test. Besides, there is no study to show the effects on wearing masks for hours on end long term. Lots of hospital staff have horrible side effect from mask wearing already. Young people are even more sensitive to it. Many parents are concerned about this and they should have a right to say no without stupid ignorant comments. I would never allow my child to wear a mask at school and test them frequently

What sort of horrible side effects are hospital staff experiencing?

@Radio4Rocks

It shouldn't be a choice.

If you want your DCs in school provide them with masks and test them. Or home school them.

SEN schools excepted, of course.

Absolutely not!

@Lourdes12

These are perfectly reasonable excuses for not wearing a mask and taking a test. Besides, there is no study to show the effects on wearing masks for hours on end long term. Lots of hospital staff have horrible side effect from mask wearing already. Young people are even more sensitive to it. Many parents are concerned about this and they should have a right to say no without stupid ignorant comments. I would never allow my child to wear a mask at school and test them frequently

Spot on how any parent can think it’s acceptable for a child to sit in a mask all day is absolutely beyond me

The figures for PIMS are very carefully kept off Google, but here's an article suggesting that with the rates of infection seen in December, 100 children a week were hospitalised in Jan - 1 in 5000 of those who contract covid, symptoms or not. It's seen about 5 weeks after infection. www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/world/2021/feb/05/up-to-100-uk-children-a-week-hospitalised-with-rare-post-covid-disease