Schools as vectors for transmission

[Escapetothecounty]

Just before the schools reopened I remember there were many many threads by concerned parents/teachers about the impact of reopening on case numbers and further community transmission.

After 5+(?) weeks of schools being open and no increase in case numbers even with increased testing, does this suggest that schools in face are not vectors for transmission? I'm struggling to understand why case numbers increased after the September reopening and not this time? Was it the indoor mixing in the autumn that compounded it?

It'll be them masks keeping it all at bay 😷

@sherrystrull

I feel better about no social distancing and a class of 30 due to my vaccination and the vaccinations of my wonderful team.

I feel the same as a previous poster that school feels like a parallel universe. I go to the shop on the way home and remember I'm supposed to social distance!!

This. There are still quite a few cases of Covid in schools in my area, working conditions in schools seem designed to spread Covid but more of us are now vaccinated so the risks are reducedcfor a growing number of school staff. I still believe school staff should have been vaccinated at the same time as NHS staff as the vaccine has been the game changer here. I’m not sure how many children are doing the tests or doing them properly (parents don’t want to isolate) so handle data with care.

Thank you for the vaccines, scientists!

Almost half of my local large secondary school has been at home isolating over the last couple of weeks. 20 or so cases in the school at last count I believe.

I agree @BustopherPonsonbyJones

My mental health was on the floor. I felt worthless, depressed, wasn't sleeping and so stressed all the time I was at school and at home.

As soon as I was vaccinated (by a wonderful clinic who offered my school leftover vaccines) that stopped overnight.

The government have a lot to answer for how school staff have been let down so much. The stress of being responsible for the potential spread across a class of 30 and their families is immense.

In September 2020 in England, there was no regular at-home COVID testing (Lateral Flow), and secondary school pupils did not wear masks in classrooms.

With the March 2021 reopening, secondary school pupils did wear masks, and were asked to do regular lateral flow testing and stay home if they tested positive. Also we had started vaccination rollout, which has continued.

I believe that each of these measures to reduce transmission and protect against illness helps somewhat, and that all of them combined together help quite a lot.

So if most pupils continue wearing masks in class, and many pupils continue doing lateral flow tests, and more staff are vaccinated, and more parents are vaccinated, then there will be some increase in transmission due to schools being open, but much less than before, and even less increase in hospitalisations and deaths, due to the way vaccinations were prioritised.

COVID as a public health issue in the UK is definitely behind us, and resources must be provided to the NHS, to other frontline workers, and to people whose health or employment have been damaged by this pandemic. But, the situation is getting better and will probably continue to get better, and the worst is most likely behind us.