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Original poster

Apparently 50% of teens have had covid

151 replies

whenwillthemadnessend · 03/09/2021 22:12

Reported by bbc today on article regarding teen vaccine turndown.

I find that very hard to believe

Of my friends kids I know of only four that have definitely had it. That's out of many others.

Maybe 20% max in my social circle.

As a poll have your kids been confirmed as positive

OP posts:
BiBabbles · 04/09/2021 09:46

One of my teens had a positive test at the beginning of August (as did one of 3 adults in my home). She tested because she had a cough, her positive meant everyone else tested with those positive or needing it for work getting PCRs. Her school has had a fair few cases and our area was pretty bad in July (her school ended up bringing back masks and rotating schedule to deal with it the last month).

My other teen had the less mentioned symptoms of a stomach issues along fatigue the week prior. He didn't test until DD did (largely because he was retching and sleeping a lot), and was negative, though we suspect he was our house's patient zero having been at NCS shortly before his bug (he thought it was really bad food poisoning having gone out with them after the last day). It's that or one of the other two adults got at work as. No one else in our house ever tested positive even through the isolation (and one was testing every other day at times, absolutely convinced he had it...).

I wouldn't be surprised if 50% of teens have had it, though it'll be much higher some areas and much lower in other areas.

Who are they testing for antibodies to know that?

There are been on-going studies going on doing random sampling across the population, not just those with positive PCRs.

I was tested as part of the COVIDENCE UK, having never had any PCRs. My results were negative for antibodies at the time, but this was back in February.

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 04/09/2021 09:47

I’m a teacher. That means 50% of kids in the school would have had it.

I’d say 8% have

crazycrofter · 04/09/2021 09:51

We live in a major city and I can well believe 50% have had it - I might even guess at more. Mine have both had it (at Christmas) as have most of their friends - either in dribs and drabs between Sept and Dec, after the Euros or in the recent waves due to camps/festivals.

RoseWineTime · 04/09/2021 09:57

Neither of my dds have had it (that we know of) but pretty much all of their friends have.

Seeline · 04/09/2021 10:00

I can believe it. Only one of mine had it - covid was the Freshers flu of 2020. Flats in his halls were all being hit by it. All his flat of 6 had it. All his friends from school, scattered allover the country at different unis had it. DD is two years younger and so far seems to have escaped, but many of her year have had it - certainly those who went to festivals this summer were hit. Several have missed the start of term, and I'm afraid that many of those that had only just returned from Reading will have already spread it amongst the 6th form.

I also wonder how many secondary kids have continuously tested twice weekly. I think the number of asymptomatic cases missed is probably really high.

Smartiepants79 · 04/09/2021 10:00

@ArseInTheCoOpWindow

I’m a teacher. That means 50% of kids in the school would have had it.

I’d say 8% have

What are you basing this on?? Just the kids you know have tested positive? You may be correct but I’ve no idea how you think you’ve worked that out. There will be a significant number who have had it without anyone (including themselves) knowing about it.
OliveTree75 · 04/09/2021 10:05

@ArseInTheCoOpWindow

I’m a teacher. That means 50% of kids in the school would have had it.

I’d say 8% have

How would you know though? Most kids don't have symptoms.
Howshouldibehave · 04/09/2021 10:11

Are we presuming the LFD tests that teens have been doing for months are completely useless then?

Seeline · 04/09/2021 10:23

I don't think the LFTs have been useless. They have identified asymptomatic cases that would not have been found otherwise.

I do wonder how well they have been carried out - teens are not keen on following instructions. That will have had an impact on accuracy.

I would also like to know the percentage of teens that actually took the test twice a week. I suspect many stopped doing them very early on.

liveforsummer · 04/09/2021 10:24

@Howshouldibehave

Are we presuming the LFD tests that teens have been doing for months are completely useless then?
We know they are not completely, but pretty useless. That's why at the first sign of a symptom you must take a PCR instead. How many dc are actually doing them? I don't know any dc who are and I know a lot of secondary age kids. It's also just been a 6-7 week holiday where tests won't have been being taken. A huge amount of infections will have been both picked up and missed in that time
ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 04/09/2021 11:21

How would you know though? Most kids don't have symptoms

Because they were doing tests twice a week…. Specifically designed to pick up asymptomatic cases.

Still only about 8-10%

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 04/09/2021 11:23

I’m basing it on the lists that go round school everyday identifying who is ill, who is isolating and who is waiting for a PCR after a lateral flow.

It’s really not that many.

sociallydistained · 04/09/2021 11:26

My teens at work haven’t had it yet and are routinely testing with lat flows. I’m sure that’ll change with the return to school and college by they survived last year.

zafferana · 04/09/2021 11:29

That seems like a case of lies, damn lies and statistics, to me.

My teen (13), hasn't had it and AFAIK only two of his classmates have had it and a handful of others throughout the year group. We live in an area that's had relatively high cases of Covid, but absences have been rare and he only had one period of isolation back in October 2020.

Warhertisuff · 04/09/2021 11:30

@ArseInTheCoOpWindow

How would you know though? Most kids don't have symptoms

Because they were doing tests twice a week…. Specifically designed to pick up asymptomatic cases.

Still only about 8-10%

@ArseInTheCoOpWindow

Are you genuinely naive enough to believe that all,or even most, children did LFTs religiously twice weekly?

Even then how many of them actually did the tests properly rather than a cursory rub in the mouth and nose.

OublietteBravo · 04/09/2021 11:34

Both of mine (DD 17 and DS 15) have definitely had it (confirmed as the Indian variant - we live somewhere that was an early hotspot). We’re pretty sure DD has had it twice - first time in late February 2020 (suspected), second time in May 2021 (confirmed).

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 04/09/2021 11:35

It’s in a very compliant area. Most people still wearing masks and parents very supportive of testing.

If students did have asymptomatic cases, it wasn’t spreading very much. There’s 1800 kids in the school. There was no spreading it from one to another. Just isolated cases here and there.

liveforsummer · 04/09/2021 11:36

@zafferana

That seems like a case of lies, damn lies and statistics, to me.

My teen (13), hasn't had it and AFAIK only two of his classmates have had it and a handful of others throughout the year group. We live in an area that's had relatively high cases of Covid, but absences have been rare and he only had one period of isolation back in October 2020.

Wait 3 weeks then see where you're at. Here in Scotland I don't know any dc doing the lft's but cases doubling by the day
fabulouslyglamorousferret · 04/09/2021 11:37

50% of my 17 DS's friends have had it I would say (at least)

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 04/09/2021 11:38

The majority of cases were in 6th form, then y11. They got less frequent lower down the school.

itsgettingwierd · 04/09/2021 11:39

@severelysound

The ONS is saying today 94 in 100 adults tested in England have antibodies? 92 in Wales, 90 in Northern Ireland and 93 in Scotland.

So assuming that is correct then 50% of teens doesn't sound unrealistic?

Is that figure for adults also including those vaccinated?
Delatron · 04/09/2021 11:42

If 30% (at least, this is for older age groups) have it asymptomatically then how can anyone on here judge for sure?

It doesn’t surprise me at all.

BigWoollyJumpers · 04/09/2021 12:04

Doesn't surprise me. Right from March 2000 when we all sat in the auditorium watching an upper school production, with everyone just back from skiing and coughing all over one another!

Later, when testing was more common, lots more confirmed. Recently even more confirmed, post GCSE and ALevel parties, Boardmasters, Reading and Leeds, literally everyone in sixth form has had it.

Additionally, in the slightly older age group, lower twenties, all have had it (lots of junior doctors), but also entire DD's office in March 2020, and other friends in arts roles, and now they are also double vaxxed and some are getting it mildly once again.

takingmytimeonmyride · 04/09/2021 12:22

My 14yo has it atm. Tested positive yesterday. Woke up coughing and with a temperature on Thursday morning, so did LFT that was positive and booked him straight in for a PCR.

Typically after not going out much all summer he'd been to a birthday party the day before symptoms appeared. 🤦‍♀️

My 19 yo is double jabbed and fine so far.

My 17 yos were supposed to go back to boarding school tomorrow but that's been delayed until they have negative PCRs. The school is arranging vaccination so they haven't had one yet.

ApplesAreTheBaneOfMyLife · 04/09/2021 12:35

I find it hard to believe unless almost all had it asymptomatically. I have 2 teenagers and only 3 of their friends have had it.