So when will close contacts not have to isolate anymore?

[Dauphinois]

I've not heard the government talk about this but it can't go on for ever, surely?

The effect it's having on education is devastating, with whole year groups being sent home for 10 days regularly. Equally tough in the workplace too.

We don't do this for any other illness. Any idea when it'll end?

I've been wondering this too. I don't think it's been mentioned at all🤔

Soon I hope.My 11 year old got 2.5 days in school before being off again cos of this. He's now off for another month if you factor in Easter. He's been really stoic through this but I'm not sure his mental health or education can continue to take such a toll. If it continues into year 8,I'm seriously looking into homeschool if I can. His year 6 and 7 have already been so messed up. It really concerns me.

It needs to be ASAP. It's just not sustainable.

This is a normal and quite basic part of infection co trol,so I would anticipate thic to co tinue until the population is fully vaccinated.

Or we get a test that gives a reliable result and can pick up asymptomatic spread in children and adults of all ages, and get a result in little to no time.

Maybe once people have had both their vaccines, if there’s good enough evidence this prevents them getting ill / passing it on? They’re starting trials on over 5s later this year so school age children could all be immunised this time next year.

I agree with pp it needs to continue.
But my eldest already has a sore throat 10d of school and its bound to lead to runny nose then cough. Then spread to all of us as all colds do.
I bet by then there will be no tests available.
More infection / prevention control needed at school if this isnt covid it easily could have been.
(And this isnt even the dc who has had hand in mouth at school wobbling 2 loose teeth. Etc)

This would work better if at minimum the teachers in primary were in masks.
All cold symptoms required a test.
And all parents had a pcr test at home per child. As if the tests were done quicker with faster results then spread would actually be stopped.
Whereas by the time youve done the test you are past the 48 of the classmates isolating.

Its a nasty virus with potentially nasty long term effects including on children

In usa the saliva test can group a whole class etc and tell you if 1 is positive...
Instead we persist in just checking the ones with symptoms and using a relatively unreliable test for asymptomatic people who feel like it.

@EnjoyingTheArmoire

This is a normal and quite basic part of infection co trol,so I would anticipate thic to co tinue until the population is fully vaccinated.

This situation had literally never happened before. So how is it a ‘normal and basic’ part of infection control?

Sadly it needs to continue, we can't just pretend covid isn't happening.

I hate it. We've had many isolation periods over the last year.

However, at the moment they are vital in keeping staff (mainly unvaccinated) and parents (mainly unvaccinated) safe.

I’ve wondered this. Will it go on for years? At what point is it not necessary any more, and when are we due to reach that point?

We had 3 days at school and then off for 10 days because of a case. Yet the children were wearing masks, did not come within 2 metres of each other, and all those self isolating have had regular negative tests. To my mind this is completely over the top

@SchoolShirt

We had 3 days at school and then off for 10 days because of a case. Yet the children were wearing masks, did not come within 2 metres of each other, and all those self isolating have had regular negative tests. To my mind this is completely over the top

Yes I don't get this. My son's whole class was sent home,20 odd kids. This didn't happen before Christmas when there was a positive test,only kids who sat next to the child or had come into prolonged contact with them. They sit next to the same partner every day,don't change classes....how can 20odd kids all be close contacts.

@SchoolShirt

We had 3 days at school and then off for 10 days because of a case. Yet the children were wearing masks, did not come within 2 metres of each other, and all those self isolating have had regular negative tests. To my mind this is completely over the top

How does your school manage the 2m separation?

I feel for everyone that is having so much disruption due to isolation periods, but I’m not sure that close contact isolation will necessarily need to be formally ended, more of a case of naturally winding down and then hopefully being redundant. There as a safety net for the odd positive case.

Where I live the current rules on isolating have had very little disruption as our infection rates are low and have been throughout, I don’t know anyone that has had to isolate as a close contact at all and only 1 school bubble burst over the year. That’s the norm here (including having been descended on my tourists last summer and christmas!) so my guess is that once the rest of the country gets down to low infection levels the rules just won’t be a problem even if still in place as close contacts just won’t happen anywhere near as much

Someone should ask this at the end of the Government Briefings or on the BBC website.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-56459864
(Form at the bottom of page)

mine also had 3 days in school and then had to self isolate for close contact, was sent home half way through day 3. Masks worn, stayed 2 meters away as well as you can expect in a school enviroment, she had negative latral flow tests.

Came home to self isolate, then she started to cough. Positive pcr.

I think it wouldn't continue and will become like other illnesses - if yiu are ill you stay at home and that's it. Which on my opinion is the best option and which I think it should have been all along

Not this academic year.

Would imagine this will be addressed over summer.

If we are all allowed to mix normally at clubs and pubs and sporting events from July... I would guess then.

I think once everyone is vaccinated or given the opportunity to be vaccinated, that's it. If someone catches it they stay at home, everyone else carries on as normal including members of their family. This can't keep going forever. I also wonder when the testing will stop. In the end I'm sure it will be treated like any other illness.

I think assuming we’re all vaccinated,
from the next academic year. Agree it’s very difficult though and has unfairly hit some areas.
I know of children near me who basically were only in for a matter of Days in the autumn term due to continuous isolations. That’s now basically pretty much a year off school.

Schools should have a robust remote learning policy in place. Legally. If students are self isolating recorded lesson can be uploaded and students can access lessons remotely. It is far from ideal but should be 'enough' to keep students on task.
Our school has just had 3 positive cases, non picked up but the in house lateral flow! All PCR due to cases at home! We have to have some mitigation in place whilst the new variants are tracked and monitored.

I think that fully vaccinated people won't be required to self-isolate for close contact once all adults have been offered the vaccine - it will be an incentive to get vaccinated (and complete both doses, which I forsee being an issue).