When will we stop sending dc home from school if they’re a close contact?

[katieloves]

Basically, when will coronavirus be treated like any other illnesses where you only stay at home if you’re not well yourself? I understand the reasons why we have to do the close contact thing now, but once all adults are vaccinated do you think we’ll get to a stage where dc are not in and out of school all the time?

My daughter got sent home today as someone in her class has it and she's been a close contact so to isolate for 10 days but her sister can continue to attend? I have take her sister out as makes no sense if she tests positive then her sister might have it too. It's a never ending circle going to be isolating more than being at school

@Disneymum1993 your other daughter only needs to stay off if your daughter who was the close contact has symptoms.

I also worry about this. But once all adults vaccinated and hospitalisations come right down (fingers crossed) it will be difficult to justify it surely.
I imagine the poorly child will be sent home, plus possibly their sibling, but hopefully the rest of the class can go back to school.

But as PP said if cases can be brought down to REALLY low, hopefully it will be rare anyway.

In Primary I think we are lucky. I see my 24 and TA. No one else sees us face to face. So if one of us are positive we are all out for 10 days. And just us because we don't mix. Secondary seems impossible.

@Delatron

I don’t know what the answer is but it is getting to the point where for some children this impact will have life long effects. It’s been over a year now of disruption.

Also the inequality will just keep on growing. Those who have engaged with home learning versus those that didn’t/couldn’t, those who have had multiple isolation periods versus those that haven’t. It’s a bloody mess.

Very true. My son has engaged and really enjoyed the home learning. It’s made a nice change from being bullied everyday by the pack of feral idiots that go to his school. He’s devastated that he now has to go back. He was always predicted A’s but his teacher rang home to ask if I’d been supporting (doing) his work as he’s now predicted A* across the board. I haven’t been as I’m far to busy to know what he’s been doing. I’ve had to trust him and I thank my lucky stars that I’ve got a conscientious and hard working kid I can trust to get on with it.

I'd like to know this as my year 7 son has been sent home for 10 days to self isolate because he's been deemed "a close contact" but no one will tell me what the definition of that is. The school breakup for Easter next Fri so he can either go back for 1 day or on 12th April. Fucking ridiculous. How long will this continue for.

@OddsNSodsBitsNBobs

LFTs are a useless indication. My family has been caught up in the false positive saga. They are not fit for purpose.

Can I ask what your experience is with false positives?

It feels like parallel universe to me that this is happening so much. We had one case of positive during last term and I assume close contact must have been SI but not in my dc's year group.

My dc is normally prone to cold but not this year/last year, so far the school seems to be calm, with a bit of distraction with testing.

It's weird that the rate in community isn't that significantly low. But the school made the mask mandatory from Sept and quite hands on with restrictions/rules, maybe that has something to do with it. Or maybe luck. And hope it stays that way.

I have wondered about this too, and at what point they can stop having bubbles in schools and be able to mix both within and between schools in terms of matches etc. I would think maybe september, assuming all adults have had the chance to be vaccinated, though I can see the issue of vulnerable children is difficult

The goalposts keep moving though. First it was protect the NHS. Then let's vaccinate the top 4 groups (done). Then the top 9 groups. What will it be next?

Then they go back to school in September and everyone loses their shit over new variants. Rinse and fucking repeat

@AliceMadHatter

I'm sure our school have said they stay at school but have to be tested every day for 7 days.

That should not be the case.

It was a DofE plan before Christmas, but overruled by Health

Once all adults have been offered a vaccine and hospitals have enough capacity.

Hopefully by September only those children who are ill (eg flu, covid etc) stay off school to recover, but the rest of the class can continue to stay in school. Just like before Covid.