Is covid ripping through your school?

[whattodo2019]

Both schools my DC attend and the school
I work at now have numerous covid cases for the first time!!! Is it just inevitable
that under the current guidelines, all these kids are going to get covid? The staff feel like ticking times bombs despite being vaccinated.
Like many establishments, we have newly
of staff, vulnerable staff, staff with vulnerable family members, very anxious older staff.... It's nerve wracking waiting for it to hit!

My daughter's best friend is in school and has a cold - runny nose. I'm keeping my fingers crossed DD doesn't catch it. I would test for a runny nose as it's a known symptom in kids but most won't. They are primary as well so not lateral flowing (though I am doing my daughter).My school is full of kids with sore throats and headaches. Symptoms list needs updating ASAP. I reckon primaries will have more cases than they are aware of due to different symptoms and lack of testing.

Seems to be ripping through our area.

I've never known so many people with covid and I have had one dc with it, and now another one!!

Massive problem with outdated symptoms list my dd had headache and felt sick nothing else.

7 positive teachers off our local tiny primary school! Goodness knows how many kids. A fortnight ago several infant parents were boasting at the gates and on WhatsApp about not bothering with LFDs or PCRs and lowering their kids' temperatures and hiding their symptoms with Calpol as "it's probably only a cold" and them not wanting to take time off for childcare. The school have actually sent out a letter now begging parents to actually test and to stop assuming it's a cold and giving feverish, sick children Calpol to disguise symptoms.

@blameitonthecaffeine

All those saying there's no/little Covid in their schools, you do know that Covid cases aren't marked as such on SIMs anymore? It's just coded 'I' for Illness. So you wouldn't necessarily know

There aren't many other illnesses that would have loads of kids staying off for 10 days straight though.

They are a range of specific codes for those with covid, those isolating, etc

@HSHorror

Im pretty sure Gov cases are incorrect

Yep me too.

My kids tell me that there’s lots of children and teachers off with covid. We’re just waiting for results of a test for my son as he now has symptoms. No info from school, just hearing it from the kids, I’m presuming the schools don’t have to inform parents now?

It's not 'ripping' through, we've had 4 cases since return (2 linked). It was inevitable that there would be an increase in numbers.

My daughter's is just coded I for illness despite a positive covid test. There is a big issue with symptoms list as well - ours started as like a sick bug then cold and none of three symptoms until several days in when the cough appeared. I was the only one of the three of us to have no smell or taste.

South east london primary - lots off awaiting test results which are taking ages to come back now here, but no confirmed cases. Just a regular cold going round. I was expecting more.

Yes my dd had a positive Covid test on Monday and 6 of her friends have had them early this week too. Seems now masks and social distancing isn't being used it's spreading quickly.

I agree re the symptoms too, my dd (or me, now she's kindly passed it onto me), have had a fever, cough or loss of taste and smell. We've had cold like symptoms, snot, aches, sore throat and feeling nauseous. It's only now we're a few days in we've both got a cough.

www.theguardian.com/education/2021/sep/24/schools-in-england-struggling-to-stay-open-amid-soaring-covid-cases

It’s not even the end of September!

Up to three quarters of the year group off in some year groups but other groups year groups only have three or four cases. More children than you think feeling really poorly (in bed and unable to join online lessons) although some didn’t know they had it until they tested . Our worry is that the children who have it will return but then the others will get it - it goes on and on and on. A number of people are also on their second bout of Covid.

As expected, the main issue is the lack of teachers (approximately a quarter of us off sick or waiting for PCR test results), cleaners and catering staff. We are covering classes, combining classes and taking on more and more duties all whilst trying to teach those children at home who do feel well AND our own lessons in class (so basically we are doing two jobs). Because of the isolation period - and the adults are feeling sick, despite all having had at least one jab - , we don’t know what will happen next week if any other member of staff is absent. Other schools in our area are in the same position.

The lack kf pet

Whoops- phone slipped! The lack of petrol will be interesting too.

Back to masks all the time for Y8, Y9 and Y10 and PHE have said it’s a major outbreak. About 15% off school overall either ill or waiting for tests (extrapolating from what I’ve heard) but much higher in some year groups than others.

All quiet at my dd's large high school, I haven't heard of any positive cases on the parent fb group and nothing official from school, and dd doesn't think anyone in her lessons has been off yet. All good so far!

At our large secondary, we’ve had more than 10 confirmed positives week across all year groups in a week. However, slt are not telling staff or students. Parents know due to watsapp group.
We also have many many likely covid cases, but parents not bothering to test. There have been kids in my DC’s classes that have fevers and are remaining in school. No ones bothering to send home.
Numbers won’t spike yet due to schools opening. It will be when these students pass on the virus and it spills into the community. Will be a few weeks yet until you see the impact of opening schools and the new isolation rules

1/2 my daughters classes are off with it ….

Cases are dropping even though the schools are back

10% of our secondary school students are off and that's just ones we know about.
Our head has recommended all staff get a PCR test.
Currently off myself having tested positive along with the whole inclusion team.

Numbers won’t spike yet due to schools opening. It will be when these students pass on the virus and it spills into the community. Will be a few weeks yet until you see the impact of opening schools and the new isolation rules

Community spread drives school cases not the other way around.

Community spread drives school cases not the other way around.

I think that was true when schools had control measures in place but now it's basically a free for all the opposite is true. Kids are spreading it to each other and then taking it home.

Is it just this particular virus that "rips"? The dramatic choice of language only ever seems to apply to this virus. It's weird.

@Sweetpeasaremadeforbees

Community spread drives school cases not the other way around.

I think that was true when schools had control measures in place but now it's basically a free for all the opposite is true. Kids are spreading it to each other and then taking it home.

and what control measures employed by schools have ever been proven to work?