Current rules on isolation are counter-productive

[Warhertisuff]

I can't be the only one who isn't doing lateral flow tests or overlooking mild symptoms because of the consequences to, not just my family, but the school community.

For instance, last week my 9 year old son had a headache and sore throat... nothing serious and a good night's sleep meant he was well enough to go to school the following day, and he was fine in the days ahead. I didn't do a LFT or get him tested as, had he been positive, he, and his entire year group, would have missed the last 10 days of school, with all the activities and end of year shows etc.

I took the view that the possible damage caused by him having Covid - if he indeed did have it which he probably didn't - and passing to other children (and other adults who largely would have had the chance to have been vaccinated) was less than having the end of the school year ruined for everyone.

If the rules were similar for other illnesses, which I'd argue they can be now that vaccines have made the impact of Covid more like the flu, then more people would take common sense precautions about keeping their kids off school if unwell.

I'm with you OP. I wish I could say I was noble and self sacrificing, but frankly my DCs education matters more to me than most things and the most vulnerable have been double vaccinated for months and majority of other people have had at least one vaccine.

If DS had recognised covid symptoms though I would get a PCR test though, so I'm probably contradicting myself a bit. Thankfully Scottish term is over and can only hope they have a better plan than 10 days isolation every time someone tests positive for autumn term ( but suspect they won't).

I'd have done the same too but everybody is holier than thou here. I don't know a single person in real life who still gives a shit about covid, including many in the 'vulnerable' category.

People are also thick to think they'd have never caught it if it wasn't for some 'selfish and irresponsible' person. Every single person is going to get this virus sooner or later, one way or another. The plan was never to stop people from catching it, simply slowing it incase hospitals became overwhelmed.

@AwaAnBileYerHeid

I didn't do a LFT or get him tested as, had he been positive, he, and his entire year group, would have missed the last 10 days of school, with all the activities and end of year shows etc

And medically vulnerable adults and children could miss out on the rest of their lives if they died due to covid. You really are an extremely selfish person. Or aren't you stupid, just thick, to not realise the potential impact of your actions?

There are no CEV children in the year (small school). If there were, then I'd have made a different decision. When my son was younger, we were told that someone in his nursery class was vulnerable due to treatment she was getting, so should be particularly careful about not sending a child in if they were unwell... I complied.

The thing is, we'll never get back to normal if we continue to drag this thing out by suppressing infection whilst society opens up. We just spread the infection over time. The only point in suppression is, firstly, if healthcare is being overwhelmed, or secondly, to buy time whilst treatment or vaccines are developed. Neither of these apply now.

@IceCreamAndCandyfloss

At least what I did gave them a chance

A chance of what? Potentially catching or spreading covid?

A chance of not having their term disrupted.

As for catching Covid, you're deluded if they aren't very likely to catch it at some point in their lives.

@eandz13 And how is the plan to slow the spread to stop hospitals getting overwhelmed going to work if people don't test and isolate when that is still a requirement?

would you give a shit if your child was run over but couldnt be treated in hospital as they were too busy with covid cases?

@Warhertisuff

Medical information is confedential you can not know with absolute certainty that non of the children are CEV or that siblings, parents of the children arent CEV or the school staff arent CEV or have children, parents, Partners that are CEV

The point that if you thought the child was CEV you would have made a different choice proves you should have got you child tested.

@Covidworries 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️ that's not how it works, love.

You're right. Lots of people are doing this. It's possibly why there is currently very high numbers of covid cases in schools and we are heading through another wave. Makes you wonder what would happen if people didn't decide they were above the rules and guidance and decide what they thought was best for others eh?

Yes, we heading through another wave, but so what. We're not going to be able to suppress Covid forever, so why delay the inevitable. Better to get through it and build population immunity through combination of vaccines and infection than drag this out unnecessarily in some futile attempt to avoid our children catching Covid for the rest of their schooldays.

The hyperbole is strong in these ones, Master Yoda!

@eandz13

That is exactly how it works
Test, isolate close contacts to reduce the spread.

Restrictions lift as the risk to overwhelming health care subside

[quote Covidworries]@eandz13 And how is the plan to slow the spread to stop hospitals getting overwhelmed going to work if people don't test and isolate when that is still a requirement?

would you give a shit if your child was run over but couldnt be treated in hospital as they were too busy with covid cases?[/quote]
If hospitals get overwhelmed then that changes the equation. It doesn't appear as though that's happening despite the rise in cases. Vaccines are effective.

[quote Covidworries]@eandz13 And how is the plan to slow the spread to stop hospitals getting overwhelmed going to work if people don't test and isolate when that is still a requirement?

would you give a shit if your child was run over but couldnt be treated in hospital as they were too busy with covid cases?[/quote]
As per my post earlier in the thread, currently the biggest issue at the hospital where I work (less than 5 Covid patients as at yesterday) is the number of staff who are unable to work either through self isolation after being tracked and traced or having to take leave to cover childcare where school bubbles have closed. Literally in the 100s. This is what is affecting restoration of services.

[quote Covidworries]@eandz13

That is exactly how it works
Test, isolate close contacts to reduce the spread.

Restrictions lift as the risk to overwhelming health care subside[/quote]
But the risk of overwhelming health services HAS subsided!

100% agree with you OP.

You willl ruin their holidays instead if they test positive

Children's education trumps the right of those who choose to holiday abroad in the midst of a pandemic.

@Warhertisuff Which is why when the scientists will likely change the requirements very shortly but they haven't YET because they are still making the judgements on the Delta variant.
You my dear are not qualified to make the judgement that the experts are still analysing AND currently isolation is required

Many people have paid for Holidays in the UK so will lose out not just on the actual holiday but the money they paid if their child develops symptoms because you have sent your child to school.

[quote Covidworries]@Warhertisuff Which is why when the scientists will likely change the requirements very shortly but they haven't YET because they are still making the judgements on the Delta variant.
You my dear are not qualified to make the judgement that the experts are still analysing AND currently isolation is required[/quote]
I don't see the need to slavishly follow everything the Government advises...

Scientists are not elected officials. It's pretty scary when people call out for non elected officials to 'change requirements' on how we live, but never mind. At any rate, there's no way to enforce all this ridiculous isolation, so just crack on. Fewer and fewer people give a fuck, quite rightly. It's great, no more folks jumping into traffic like eejits on a walk, living like lepers. Fuck that.

It's interesting to me that your decision in your mind was potentially saving people from disruption. It shows that you haven't thought beyond yourself at all.

You decided not to test your symptomatic child because you didn't want your child and your child's friends to miss the last 2 weeks of school.

Children isolating due to potential contact at school need to be cared for but the rest of the household can still work and leave their homes, so certainly in 2 parent households impact is less than if they actually tested positive.

Potential impact of your decision:

• child freely socialising infects people at school
• they end up having to isolate anyway and as they are positive their whole household also has to isolate. Affecting businesses and society as a whole, one of the biggest challenges in the NHS at the moment is the number of staff isolating due to contact.
• any of their contacts also have to isolate spreading the effect from purely the school community to the larger community as a whole.

@Warhertisuff

Ah yes who cares if others get ill, so long as your child doesn't miss out on the end of year activities.

They would all miss out.... the year group sent home.

Continuing to treat Covid in the way we did pre-vaccine is disproportionate.

Um, I'm not sure it's really up to you to decide. I think I'll listen to the scientists rather than a random mumsnetter. So selfish and stupid

Op, you do realise people are still dying from covid, though in small numbers, and some do get seriously ill.
Sounds like you are one of "let it rip" people. I just hope people around you and your dc are lucky enough not to get the worst consequence of your actions.

@Covidworries

Many people have paid for Holidays in the UK so will lose out not just on the actual holiday but the money they paid if their child develops symptoms because you have sent your child to school.

Or they might just go anyway, skip the ridiculous testing and sitting at home because it's an airborne virus, no one knows just how they caught it if they're out there breathing. There are many viruses like this. Incredible.

@roguetomato

Op, you do realise people are still dying from covid, though in small numbers, and some do get seriously ill. Sounds like you are one of "let it rip" people. I just hope people around you and your dc are lucky enough not to get the worst consequence of your actions.

And they always will do, same as people die of other viruses. Covid is going nowhere.

Um, I'm not sure it's really up to you to decide. I think I'll listen to the scientists rather than a random mumsnetter. So selfish and stupid

Sure it is. There's no way to enforce all this, no matter how many wish it were like China (yes, one MNer on an active thread even stated this). You go right ahead and listen to whomever you please and let them run your life. Others will do the same.