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Original poster

Schools - we just have to bite the bullet...

222 replies

Warhertisuff · 21/07/2021 08:26

It's completely futile to think we can stop Covid spreading through schools in the longer term. Who are we trying to kid? We may be angry that we are in this situation, but we are and we have to live with it.

It seems to be that it will be far better all round if Covid is just treated as we would the flu in schools. From September all teachers and CEV pupils should have been vaccinated, so we may as well just let it happen, with children off school when they are too unwell to attend. At least that way, disruption will be minimised and concentrated into a few weeks at the start of term.

OP posts:
CloseYourEyesAndSee · 21/07/2021 08:27

I think that's what is planned anyway...? Not sure whether it's the right way to go but it's the most pragmatic.

Celandines · 21/07/2021 08:29

I'd be in favour of 12+ being offered the vaccine.

Canigooutyet · 21/07/2021 08:29

That's already the plan and not just for education.

Original poster
Warhertisuff · 21/07/2021 08:31

@Canigooutyet

That's already the plan and not just for education.
I agree, I think it is. However lots of people don't seem to have clocked this.
OP posts:
Canigooutyet · 21/07/2021 08:32

the vaccine will not be routinely offered to those under 12.

As evidence shows that COVID-19 rarely causes severe disease in children without underlying health conditions, at this time the JCVI’s view is that the minimal health benefits of offering universal COVID-19 vaccination to children do not outweigh the potential risks.

www.gov.uk/government/news/jcvi-issues-advice-on-covid-19-vaccination-of-children-and-young-people

frozendaisy · 21/07/2021 08:32

So kids take it home, perhaps infect working adults, then what?

Do the infected adults still go to work regardless what they do?

School pupils live in society, not just in school.

It's complicated and I agree largely that self isolation contact can't continue. But it's not just that simple is it?

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 21/07/2021 08:32

I do wish they had decided to vaccinate sixth form/college pupils.

Canigooutyet · 21/07/2021 08:34

Sorry over 12, not under. It's early.

bluetongue · 21/07/2021 08:38

@Canigooutyet

That's already the plan and not just for education.
You might get sick (hopefully not too sick if you’re vaccinated) but life would be a lot less stressful for most of us.

Yes, some will scream ‘what about the children’ and ‘what about long covid’ but those with health anxiety will just have to work through it. I have mental health issues of my own but I don’t expect the rest of the world to shut down for it.

ineedaholidaynow · 21/07/2021 08:39

Not all CEV pupils will be vaccinated though, only the older ones will

bluetongue · 21/07/2021 08:40

@frozendaisy

So kids take it home, perhaps infect working adults, then what? Do the infected adults still go to work regardless what they do?

School pupils live in society, not just in school.

It's complicated and I agree largely that self isolation contact can't continue. But it's not just that simple is it?

Of course it’s not simple and not ideal but at some stage we just have to choose the best of the bad options.
DancesWithTortoises · 21/07/2021 08:40

Teachers and school staff will still have to isolate. Teachers and school staff will still get ill. Schools will still have to close to year groups.

Cloud cuckoo land thinking.

megletthesecond · 21/07/2021 08:42

They'd better scrap attendance awards pretty sharpish then.

Underhisi · 21/07/2021 08:43

The CEV children even only including the over 12s will not have been vaccinated in September.
The children haven't been identified yet. Many of them will not have been classed as CEV. Severe learning disability was not a shielding condition. Logistically many will be difficult to vaccinate and will need specialist set ups to be vaccinated due to non toleration of medical interventions . It will be months before many are able to have the vaccine.

squid12346 · 21/07/2021 08:47

From mid August it will only be the person that has covid that has to isolate. So schools can continue as normal in September. Hopefully the rule applies to the people that live with the person with covid... I.e. They have to isolate

herecomesthsun · 21/07/2021 08:50

it will be far better all round if Covid is just treated as we would the flu in schools

Yes, i.e. offer vaccinations to kids who want it, at least in secondary school.

Original poster
Warhertisuff · 21/07/2021 08:54

@frozendaisy

So kids take it home, perhaps infect working adults, then what? Do the infected adults still go to work regardless what they do?

School pupils live in society, not just in school.

It's complicated and I agree largely that self isolation contact can't continue. But it's not just that simple is it?

I think the answer is that we all just need to carry on as though we normally would... we work when we can. We stay at home when we're too ill. As for those that are CEV, this is the quickest way back to normality. Either they shield for many, many months as the pandemic is partially but ineffectiveness suppressed, or we just accept that we have to accept Covid.
OP posts:
Thewiseoneincognito · 21/07/2021 08:55

Biting the bullets from a machine gun more like. The waves will be never ending.

Let’s talk about letting it spread through schools in the autumn and not on the cusp of the summer holidays. We can’t live with Covid now in the summer 3 months on from the end of the last lockdown. Imagine the chaos living through waves without restrictions and large chunks of the population maskless come winter.

It’s actually hilarious to think people think this is a possibility, hilarious yet terrifying at the same time.

borntobequiet · 21/07/2021 09:00

This would make sense if the vaccine was offered to over 12s.
If I were 15 and going back to school in September, I’d be pretty pissed off not to be even offered it. If I were still teaching in secondary, I’d be pissed off on behalf of my pupils who weren’t being offered it.

duffeldaisy · 21/07/2021 09:00

Yeah, let's just downgrade all illnesses. Let's treat Covid like the flu (which would actually mean jabbing children for it. We don't let flu run rampant in the community or in schools, we have huge vaccination programmes among the young, the old and health workers, but ignore that).

Let's treat cancer like a cold while we're at it. It doesn't affect many younger people, and the ones who die from it are very ill. Mainly because they've got cancer.

FFS. I cannot actually believe how callous people have become.
Look beyond this country and what others are doing. Not everyone has lost their ability to care or want the best for us all. This 'let people die' thing is sickening, really disgusting.

halcyondays · 21/07/2021 09:01

We don’t have to expose the 12s and up to Covid in schools , there’s a perfectly good and safe vaccine available, if they would only let them have it. Millions have already had it and many other countries are offering it.

bluetongue · 21/07/2021 09:03

@duffeldaisy

Yeah, let's just downgrade all illnesses. Let's treat Covid like the flu (which would actually mean jabbing children for it. We don't let flu run rampant in the community or in schools, we have huge vaccination programmes among the young, the old and health workers, but ignore that).

Let's treat cancer like a cold while we're at it. It doesn't affect many younger people, and the ones who die from it are very ill. Mainly because they've got cancer.

FFS. I cannot actually believe how callous people have become.
Look beyond this country and what others are doing. Not everyone has lost their ability to care or want the best for us all. This 'let people die' thing is sickening, really disgusting.

Really? I know Covid is a potentially serious disease but you can’t compare it with cancer.

Part of the problem with Covid how contagious it is but it’s still true that the vast majority of people that contract it will be fine.

duffeldaisy · 21/07/2021 09:04

Even if you're too lacking in any empathy to care about deaths and long-term illness in this country, then look at it from a practical, economic angle. It would almost definitely lead to more mutations, ones that may even evade the vaccines altogether and we'd have to start from scratch.
All other countries would close borders to us. We'd possibly end up paying financially for damage to the world economy.

I wonder how many double jabbed people currently saying 'we just have to live with it' would change their minds if their jabs no longer worked and they once more on the 'might die or suffer long-term illness/disability' list.

duffeldaisy · 21/07/2021 09:06

"I know Covid is a potentially serious disease but you can’t compare it with cancer."

You could compare them if you let covid run rampant, so that hospitals are overwhelmed, so that mutations occur and deaths go through the roof again. The reason it's been better is because of all the effort that everyone's put into calming it all, and the effort of scientists in creating vaccines. But we can't get complacent.

Whichjab · 21/07/2021 09:09

They are all out today, the whole nudge unit seems to have descended on MN.