How worried are you about your DC's catching covid at school?

[Beebityboo]

My DC's go back on Monday and because I am an absolute masochist, I have been on twitter far too much today and got myself really worked up about sending them back. I have been scared about them going back since last March when I pulled them out two weeks early and I sent them back in September with great reluctance. My youngest had a cancer scare over a year ago and it triggered quite severe health anxiety. I am also disabled and shielding (though now vaccinated which is a huge relief).

It seems with this new variant and no vaccine for younger children on the horizon I have to accept there is a good chance they will in fact catch this, that if I want them to have a decent quality of life and go back to school I need to accept that risk. The issue is due to my anxiety I have a really hard time understanding risk/statistics etc and having been born with an incredibly rare disability I have never really been reassured by them. Before schools closed last Christmas there were lots of scare stories about lots of children being in hospital and it seems that this new variant really does infect younger children much more readily.

How worried are you about your children possibly catching covid at school? Do you worry about them getting very unwell or suffering long covid?

I suppose I need someone to help me to get my head straightened out and things in perspective.

I'm pretty sure my 10yo had coronavirus in June last year. We ended up at A&E with him struggling to breathe. He also had a fever and sickness.
Subsequent test unsurprisingly came back negative as we were unable to do the test on him properly due to his distress
Hospital said he had a virus but could not specify what this virus actually was.
He was fine after 5 days.
I'm very worried this happens again.

Not at all worried. They are unlikely to get it badly. There are lots of other things they could also get. I haven’t ever worried about those things. If I did I would have a miserable life.

My DD is 7. I’m not worried about her catching it. I think the risk of her catching it is smal (as research shows that children her age are unlikely to transmit), and the risk if she does catch it is small because she’s likely not get particularly ill from it. What does worry me is her passing it to my DH (i’ve been vaccinated). But she will only catch it from school, and if she has to isolate due to cases at school I will make sure that she keeps her distance from DH to protect him until he’s wligoble for the vaccine

Not in the least bit worried. They were never tested but if they managed to avoid catching it off me and DH when we were all self isolating together I'd be surprised. I think they've both had it.

Not that worried. The layout of the school building means the classes never meet, and extremely well ventilated (although they did realise they had to close the skylights in heavy rain.

I would be more worried for Secondary school

Yes, I am worried about the "safe" school my teenage son is going to go back to next week. I am worried that he might catch it and get seriously ill. Also that we might get it from him and get seriously ill.

But most of all I am worried that the school will again become the welcoming home for the virus and it will spread, mutate and cause many illnesses and deaths. And a new lockdown will be necessary again.

I'm not worried but we've all been working and at school and nursery all the way through.

Are people checking the Covid map for their area? In our locality which is about 10000 people there were 6 cases (which is about 5 days behind I think?)

We'd be pretty unlucky to get it now but as we're pretty high risk due to work we don't mix at all out of work and school (no bubbles). Took my eldest to the park today and we went somewhere quieter as it was full of groups of children and parents.

Not worried at all. Rates here are lower than they were last time schools were opened, large % of vulnerable vaccinated, liklihood of young people getting seriously ill is very low. They can't wait to get back.

I'm not at all worried.
Having observed Covid at close quarters and followed the most contemporary findimgs as they are made public, it seems to be an extremely discriminate virus as to who it affects seriously adversely. Our family is predominantly type O- and following the most recent science this seems to lower our risk quite considerably.

Not at all worried.

They've already been exposed to a symptomatic person (an adult) , they may or may not have caught it, they certainly didn't show symptoms. They've been at school throughout.

I'm under no illusions theres a chance they could catch it at school (or any other extra curricular activity they do) but I'm not in the least concerned with the severity of the illness should they catch it.

I think the consequences of remaining under lockdown conditions far outweigh any severe effect of covid.

Literally not at all. I was more worried when they had chicken pox.

I'm always worried about stuff like car accidents, meningitis, sepsis and a variety of other things that 'could' horribly affect my children. COVID is actually quite far down the list of the things I worry about in terms of the kids specifically.

Not at all

Not at all worried. I worry more about the ability of the adults that are worried to think critically and assess risk property. It’s ridiculous there are actually adults out there scared to send their kids to school 🙄 however, I don’t have cancer, or. Clinically vulnerable child. (Although I have read somewhere even a clinically vulnerable child is much much less at risk than say, a 70 year old....)

No worries at all. DD5 has been attending nursery and then school since last March, we are both keyworkers.

Moderately worried. I'll feel pretty gutted if they suffer from long covid (15% kids do, to varying levels) .

I'm considering home education (have done it previously so still have friends) just to avoid any chaos - I will see how things develop.

Kids have been treated shockingly, schools are unmitigated, it's a mess imo.

@NotQuiteHere

Yes, I am worried about the "safe" school my teenage son is going to go back to next week. I am worried that he might catch it and get seriously ill. Also that we might get it from him and get seriously ill.

But most of all I am worried that the school will again become the welcoming home for the virus and it will spread, mutate and cause many illnesses and deaths. And a new lockdown will be necessary again.

That’s how many seem to be feeling I think.

So many still unvaccinated and cant mix indoors as it’s unsafe so this being the first step seems huge and very risky.

@ihavenoidea20

Like another poster, I'm not so much worried about my dd catching it, more how it would affect me, i'm 28 but different health issues. I can just see it all kicking off, my nephew has been attending school throughout and Wednesday was told he has to self isolate as 2 students have tested positive for covid, 1 was showing symptoms but parents still sent them in (this is another thing i worry about), the other no symptoms. I guess we just have to see how it goes but I am going to be worrying.

I was hoping the LFT would help to abate this sending in kids with symptoms but from what I see so many won't do their bit and consent.

Not the slightest bit worried. Why would I be, it's very rare to make a child significantly unwell with covid.

I'm not worried. When my children had covid, they were poorly for two days with a high temperature that was on and off, and very tired. They are primary school age.

I'm more worried about how far behind they are to be honest.

Not worried in the slightest

Not worried - we're in lockdown so if people are staying home and not mixing households then there's minimal risk of covid being brought into school.

I say this 'tongue in cheek' cos I know loads of people aren't following the flipping rules.

Not at all.