BMJ: Teachers not at greater risk of hosp'n, and lower risk of severe disease, than general population

[Kokeshi123]

www.bmj.com/content/374/bmj.n2060?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_term=hootsuite&utm_content=sme&utm_campaign=usage

Unlike previous studies, this one actually looked at periods when schools were open and compared like-with-like for those periods.

Compared with adults of working age who are otherwise similar, teachers and their household members were not found to be at increased risk of hospital admission with covid-19 and were found to be at lower risk of severe covid-19. These findings should reassure those who are engaged in face-to-face teaching.

This should not be taken to mean that we should do schooling with no mitigations whatsoever--I'd be in favor of doing indoor masks for kids and teachers till the winter is over if it was up to me, and ventilation is always a good thing anyway. However, at least this should provide some reassurance for teachers and families. And in my opinion, this kind of thing should settle the argument on having any further school closures; mitigations are one thing, but schools absolutely must remain open IMO.

Oh, I thought you had received the ones Gav had promised.

That doesn’t sound good. Hope you implemented your ventilation procedure ie open that window if you can!

We don't have any CO2 monitors. Had whole school assembly today. Every crammed into the sports hall. Even though loads of kids have siblings at home with covid.

@surreygirl1987

We don't have any CO2 monitors. Had whole school assembly today. Every crammed into the sports hall. Even though loads of kids have siblings at home with covid.

Some schools are just taking the mick at the moment. There's a real spectrum of heads who behave like reckless muppets and heads that try to protect the health of staff and kids, along with trying to keep in person education going.

We are back with full everything. Like nothing has changed. Throughout the whole trust. Parents largely pleased but I had my first parental call tonight about not wanting to sit next to a child with positive parents and siblings .

Very awkward as there is fuck all I can do about it. Yes, your children will be in class/next to those with positive families. But let's all have a singing assembly because it's allowed!

Yes. It's awful. I wouldn't want to sit by someone with positive family members either! Another assembly today. It's basically back to pre covid times at this school.

@phlebasconsidered

We are back with full everything. Like nothing has changed. Throughout the whole trust. Parents largely pleased but I had my first parental call tonight about not wanting to sit next to a child with positive parents and siblings .

Very awkward as there is fuck all I can do about it. Yes, your children will be in class/next to those with positive families. But let's all have a singing assembly because it's allowed!

How is that even known? Seems like that’s personal medical information

Kids talk.

Parents talk as well.

That teachers are of a similar risk to healthcare workers is quite a concern don’t you think?

If compared with say office workers that would be more of a comparison.

As healthcare workers are quite high risk!

Also… Delta variant… unvaccinated kids… no mitigation’s in school (PPE etc) but lots in healthcare…

We are back exactly like pre covid. Parents assembly so whole school and parents attending to see weeks school work. That's nearly 400 in the hall no masks no sd.

Because the parents are all over fb saying how ill they are.

I don’t get why the government stopped while families isolating if one has Covid. It seems really silly, really the child with Covid may as well go in. I feel the government are really at that stage of f* it. It’s not a protective measure if the rest of the family can carry on and go out.
I’m not a teacher but I’m 10 days away from due date and can’t explain how sick I feel sending my kids to school (one is a massive 400 kid Sen school) and one is a normal primary. The kids are all mixing, going in the hall together, siblings of positives can come in.
I have only just had my second jab (beginning of pregnancy I was told to not have it). I don’t feel protected by the government at all. I will be thinking of all the cev people over winter too.
School teachers are not being looked after, children are not being looked after. Most children won’t even get symptoms but there will be the odd child to die and we just have to hope it’s not our child.

@DancesWithTortoises

Looks like Us4Them is still around with the stirring stick.

To quote John Cleese - "Dreadful people!"

Yep, agree with you. Plenty of 'dreadful people' on mumsnet who are stirring and can't seem to consider any other's opinion but their own.

really the child with Covid may as well go in

I expect Gavin Williamson will suggest that next. They’ll only need to be off if they are really ill, otherwise it’s business as normal even if positive.

Well I'm working with a + dd and many people also don't want to be near me.

It's not a nice feeling because it's hard not to take it personally but I 100% understand it.

The JCVI suggested that children with covid be sent into school to address educational inequality in their report on vaccinating 16-17 year olds.

This was before they decided that they were only allowed to comment on health matters.

[quote herecomesthsun]The amount of unvaccinated people in your presence doesn’t matter. What matters is you have an effective vaccine. It protects you from serious side effects even if you get a breakthrough case of COVID.

From the government website

"The vaccines used in the COVID-19 vaccination programme are highly effective for the vast majority of the population, including the clinically extremely vulnerable, but as with any other vaccine there remains some risk of catching the virus and becoming seriously unwell."

For people who were CEV the advice was initially to try to avoid unvaccinated people, in fact (I couldn't find this in the current advice just now, and note it has been updated on 3rd September).

However, shielding is not in force, and I know that some of the teachers in my children's schools were also CEV. There is a risk remaining especially to those teachers, in secondary schools, where most children aren't vaccinated yet, and the rates are likely to become very high.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19#adults[/quote]
Thank you for your rational, balanced comments, herecomesthesun. I've been too emotional about it to comment. I'm one of those cev teachers with two young children of my own. I love my job and go to work (albeit very anxiously) but I love my own children more (as any mum would) and don't want them to lose a parent. There are more cev teachers around with young families of their own than people think. Children need to be in school, yes, but with more safety measures until this pandemic has really become endemic. Teachers work very hard. Please stop the teacher bashing mumsnet!

Yes. It's awful. I wouldn't want to sit by someone with positive family members either! Another assembly today. It's basically back to pre covid times at this school

And causing issues already. Less isolation means that COVID is spreading through children and staff.

Already schools returning to remote learning, a third of staff ill with COVID in a school I work with.

Started as one reception child, then another, then a teaching assistant, then another TA. HT moved TA's to cover this class, now the 'moved' staff members also have COVID as do more children. Older siblings of the reception children have spread COVID into another class.
One TA has moved to reception temporarily but can't move back to her original class where there is a CEV teacher.

The DfE has issued a contingency document which on paper is fine, but the logistical nightmare for HT's trying to keep their schools open is really difficult to solve.

@HambletonSquare it’s a nightmare. I don’t understand the government I don’t understand
Why they are talking about lockdowns when simple restrictions they got rid of (like households isolating). It’s so wrong.
My daughters school is a c of e school and every morning the whole school go in the hall
Singing. Back to total normality. I feel anxious for my kids, like I know the chances of them being poorly is small but what happens if that’s my child. 😢.
Let alone the staff although they all seem to be happy.

We need to put children and parents at ease. Doesn't mean I don't feel scared!

Tell me about it @Tinydancer321 - my job involves me moving between 20 different schools per week.
I've already been notified by the NHS that I have been in contact with a positive COVID case and yet I just continue daily with my next 4 schools.

@HambletonSquare oh my that’s awful.
It’s so worrying.
I have a week left till due date I have pulled mine out of school.
My older 2 are in a sen school, who was fine and said not to worry
My youngest in mainstream who sent a nice message but it’s unauthorised and can’t send work home because I’d that. The whole things seem ironic. 🤦🏼‍♀️. If some restrictions were in place I would feel safe to send them! Yet have to keep hearing of the restrictions they prob will put in place next month 🤦🏼‍♀️

@Tinydancer321 Let alone the staff although they all seem to be happy.

Please don't make any assumptions. I'm sure the parents of the kids I teach think we are all fine with the situation but really we are very uncomfortable and scared by the whole school assemblies, children crowding us in corridors, and complete lack of restrictions. We are hardly going to broadcast that to the parents and pupils though.

@surreygirl1987 sounds awful but I suppose I hope others think like me as I took the kids out till due date and don’t want them thinking I’m mad 😂🤦🏼‍♀️.
For me is this household isolation gone. It seems madness. Esp as the younger kids don’t need to be tested and the chances of them showing symptoms is low.