Media blackout on school cases this term

[3asAbird]

I find it really odd all English secondary schools are back including my own children's school.
They all did testing well over a week ago.
Neither the news letter or local rag that normally lives for this kind of news has reported any postive cases which find hard to believe.

I asked primary head and she said only if 5or more cases would they inform parents and I argued how do vunerable parents or parents of vunerable kids assess risk to them if they unaware.
I would love to see more transparency on how many postives each week and % of kids who have tested.
Also phe clear published figures how much infections within educational settings each week.

The current newsletters are like alternate universe where covid doesn't exist.
None of my kids are vaccinated and 1 has ashma.

Think people summoning any absence i school or staff possibly maybe covid but I dislike all the secrecy.

that there is not one single person in the UK who isn't aware of Covid and knows what it is

There are absolutely loads of people who don't know what the most common Delta symptoms are, specially in young people. Why is that?

I don’t care about infection rates in other schools, it doesn’t affect us.

Because the government have always implemented measures on a case by case basis?

@noblegiraffe

Giraffe really? I can’t remember saying that surprised you can.

See e.g. your post here www.mumsnet.com/Talk/coronavirus/a4110573-No-longer-a-national-priority-to-keep-schools-open?msgid=102760690#102760690

You called the speculation 'ramping up fear'. Well, actually it was true, wasn't it?

Lol at holding on to this for so long I know you always quote me but this is next level.

I don’t have the appetite to sift through that thread. But as a gotcha I’m laughing at lengths some go to.

Btw you would be told if there were cases of many illnesses in schools : norovirus,shingles, even headlice! There are notifiable diseases. it is certainly not true that parents are only told about Covid.

@Kiduknot

Having been in a classroom this week, with a child with positives at home, it’s still very much on my mind. Not worry for me. I’ve already had covid, caught at school, but I’m worried about transmitting it to my elderly parents. Obviously knowing about the child this week, I will avoid my parents for the next while.

Surely this is why there should be transparency? So people can make choices about who they see and risk asses more accurately.

A school that reports numerous cases might mean that people act more cautiously than a school with no reported cases. Surely that’s common sense?
However given people’s needs to bury their heads in the sand, on here. I think I’m alone in looking out for the more vulnerable.
I know it’s government okay’d to send in a child with positives at home, but morally I think it’s crap. If my household has positives I would self isolate all of us. Why risk transmitting it further? I’ll do my best to play my part in stopping the spread. And yes I think people are selfish, in choosing not to do the same. Legal or not.

School specific information is more useful

Many schools are doing this in any case

Many aren’t, going by what is said on here.

@Kiduknot

Many aren’t, going by what is said on here.

Then your issue is the school not a ‘media blackout’

General stories won’t help you need specific case numbers

@noblegiraffe

I don’t care about infection rates in other schools, it doesn’t affect us.

Because the government have always implemented measures on a case by case basis?

Our head has imposed lots of additional measures over and above the government ones… they’re still in bubbles, teachers in masks, staggered drop offs and pick ups etc. So unless it’s a closure, I’m not sure any additional measures will change much for us.

Lol at holding on to this for so long I know you always quote me but this is next level.

Dunno about 'holding onto this for so long', I just used the search function.

I remember the thread because it formed an opinion of you that is only being backed up by your posts here. Fingers in ears every time.

Nick Gibb recently said he would get Regional Schools Commissioners to act against schools which kept bubbles. he said with great glee that they would be 'popped'.

@noblegiraffe

Lol at holding on to this for so long I know you always quote me but this is next level.

Dunno about 'holding onto this for so long', I just used the search function.

I remember the thread because it formed an opinion of you that is only being backed up by your posts here. Fingers in ears every time.

Sure whatever you think.

Scroll on by then if I’m so wrong.

I do you or try too.

@Piggywaspushed

Nick Gibb recently said he would get Regional Schools Commissioners to act against schools which kept bubbles. he said with great glee that they would be 'popped'.

Not sure how he can really. He can’t force them to all have assembly together for example, can he? Or force them to all sit in the lunch hall at the same time?

To…

And fingers in ears is just how can you not want scare stories constantly like I do.

That’s your call I don’t care.

Some RSCs are quite aggressive Ffrothi. They could call in Ofsted; they can raise concerns at government level. Yeah, I'm not sure how far that would get because H and S law might back the HTs. It is typical of the threatening rhetoric that comes from DfE to schools though.

We've only had one Covid related absence, a member of staff who was at a festival over the bank holiday weekend and didn't step foot in school until after she completed her isolation period.

There's no blackout. If the media wanted then information, it's there. There's no story, so they don't.

Some people want honest reporting, Marsha, not censorship to protect others' feelings.

It's interesting that instead of 'scrolling on by' when I was reporting the covid school figures before Christmas, some posters tried to get me banned from MN or my threads deleted.

@noblegiraffe

Some people want honest reporting, Marsha, not censorship to protect others' feelings.

It's interesting that instead of 'scrolling on by' when I was reporting the covid school figures before Christmas, some posters tried to get me banned from MN or my threads deleted.

And I want to be free from media manipulation and go to information instead.

So you do you and I’ll seek out what I want.

You don’t need to convince me I’m doing it wrong. I’m fine with who I listen to and read.

Heads have flexibility. Some will be doing full on assemblies (school more likely to close), some will install HEPA filters etc (schools less likely to close). Some will inform, turn a blind eye to kids staying at home if sibling is positive etc, some won't. Being informed of cases can lead those that want to to modify behaviour. I think a small minority would not, even if they could, but that's reflective of life - those are the same ones who ironically accuse others of wanting schools shut/tout the false positive line/say kids don't really get ill whilst ignoring long covid stats/pretend life exists in a vacuum and frankly, stop life getting back to a real normal. Us4them etc. If they really didn't want this to drag on, why aren't they campaigning for safer measures in schools? The same sort who will try to stop those that want to to get vaccinated. The same ones that will blame covid for lack of other treatment etc.

1/7 kids who get covid can go on to get long covid.

What does this even mean, though? 1/7 “can” go on to get… it’s not “will”, is it?

I’d like to know from school if cases are rising, and particularly if it’s in my DC’s year group or form etc. But I appreciate that is no longer the guidance so it is what it is. In all honesty it probably wouldn’t change my behaviour as we have no CEV contacts so they’d still be packed off to school anyhow.

I do think it’s a bit too soon to say that school reopening won’t drive case rises - it took 10-14 days last September round here for the school bugs & illnesses to properly kick in, which I remember vividly as it was our first experience of trying to get a rare as rocking horse shit test appointment. We were all sick one after the other (not Covid, just a cold).

But it is what it is. I’ve genuinely no idea how anything can make anything ‘better’ at this point - masks, bubbles, it’s all relatively pointless as far as experience shows.

Medical data is sensitive and legally should not be shared. Reporting on a city wide or county wide basis is probably fine but reporting on the level you want it is a risk to maintaining confidentiality.
In your risk assessment just look at local infection levels as a measure of how many people have it. It’s safest to presume nobody is ‘safe’ and anyone could potentially be infected.

@MarshaBradyo

Indie sage says it's to soon. How long have schools been back? It takes 2/3wks to show.

Good old Indie Sage.

If it’s too early and you want a story in media what is it - ‘cases not rising despite schools opening’ ok seems too positive for many on here.

last year it took until Christmas ....for cases to increase 50 fold

there appears to be a time element

my kids only went back on Monday

mind you delta, cases will increase faster, especially with no isolations

@NoSquirrels

1/7 kids who get covid can go on to get long covid.

What does this even mean, though? 1/7 “can” go on to get… it’s not “will”, is it?

I’d like to know from school if cases are rising, and particularly if it’s in my DC’s year group or form etc. But I appreciate that is no longer the guidance so it is what it is. In all honesty it probably wouldn’t change my behaviour as we have no CEV contacts so they’d still be packed off to school anyhow.

I do think it’s a bit too soon to say that school reopening won’t drive case rises - it took 10-14 days last September round here for the school bugs & illnesses to properly kick in, which I remember vividly as it was our first experience of trying to get a rare as rocking horse shit test appointment. We were all sick one after the other (not Covid, just a cold).

But it is what it is. I’ve genuinely no idea how anything can make anything ‘better’ at this point - masks, bubbles, it’s all relatively pointless as far as experience shows.

What does this even mean, though? 1/7 “can” go on to get… it’s not “will”, is it?

more info here?

www.bmj.com/content/374/bmj.n2157

sorry that should have read "with delta cases will increase faster"

Here I’m not suggesting a rise isn’t delayed.

But the complaint seems to be where are the media stories right now - do they want this current positive picture reported?

I’m sure if it changes we’ll know about it.

Well, isn't it a bit soon to be either positive or negative? Give it 4 or 5weeks and we will be able to see a bit more.

Bear in mind also that ONS is 2 or 3 weeks behind with the age related case data.