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Original poster

Is it ok we are just letting our kids get Covid?

495 replies

Moonopoly · 21/09/2021 10:39

DD5 has just tested positive for Covid. There have been several cases in her Year 1 class but school remains the same. Under the old rules the ‘bubble’ would have closed and she would perhaps have stood some chance of not getting it.
Is it ok that we are letting the government pursue a herd immunity policy with a novel virus amongst our kids?
We seem to be the only country doing this?

OP posts:
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7
NannyAndJohn · 21/09/2021 11:08

@TheKeatingFive

The alternatives all cause significant problems. Covid is a mild disease in most children, a balance has to be struck.
Long Covid most certainly isn't.
NannyAndJohn · 21/09/2021 11:10

The crux of it is that our government are willing to let our children get Covid, and hence Long Covid, simply because they cannot vote.

MarshaBradyo · 21/09/2021 11:12

Children want to be at school not isolating.

Not even over threat of Long Covid.

It’s just grasping around at anything to keep them apart. Fortunately they’re back in and disruption is lower,

MarshaBradyo · 21/09/2021 11:13

Op how do you define endemic?

What is it you’re waiting for

SickAndTiredAgain · 21/09/2021 11:14

@NannyAndJohn

The crux of it is that our government are willing to let our children get Covid, and hence Long Covid, simply because they cannot vote.
I’m no fan of this government but you’ve lost me with your logic here. Parents can vote, and funnily enough issues surrounding their kids’ health are fairly high up parents’ priorities. It’s not like no one but the child cares about the child’s health.
Silverswirl · 21/09/2021 11:14

It’s not being thrown under a bus.
Pretty much every man woman and child is going to get covid during the next year. You may or may not know you have it. No mitigation’s except possibly full lockdowns will stop this or even slow it significantly.
Vaccines mean it will be mild for the vast vast majority of people.
Before covid, we’re you worried about every cold and vomiting bug that went around? Sometimes that would knock out almost whole classes at once.
If we weren’t testing and only being off when actually sick, classes would be running just fine with a couple of kids off at a time.
We are not in March 2020 panic mode. Genuinely don’t understand posts like this.

SpiderinaWingMirror · 21/09/2021 11:17

Can't see any other solution tbh.
Dd is 13. Now in her third year of secondary and has missed 26 weeks of education.

Silverswirl · 21/09/2021 11:20

@ceeveebee

Both my DC have it. There have been 15 new cases in the year group (out of 90 kids) and 2 staff members since Saturday. I actually think they might close the year group soon.
They really won’t. Year groups arnt closing anymore thank god unless there are severe staff shortages. Wouldn’t matter is 89 kids were positive.
pommedeterre · 21/09/2021 11:22

It's hard isn't it? DD's year group is going down a couple at a time at the moment (including DD!). Feels odd not to shut the bubble but the bubble system caused so much unnecessary disruption that it is impossible to imagine that still being in use either.

I also assume we will all get it this year.

I think we may be over relying on LFT. Positive PCR for dd TWO days before a positive LFT appeared (we were doing daily at that point).

m0therofdragons · 21/09/2021 11:29

@Moonopoly what makes you say no other country is doing this? My family in USA (might depend on state but they are across 2 northern states) and Canada are doing this. Masks went late spring in Canada and schools went back in August. No bubbles or masks.

Unicornhorns · 21/09/2021 11:30

DSs school is tiny and currently has a few children off with covid including my DS. It’s a harsh start to the year, it’s spreading quickly, it’s an SEN school so the year groups mix and there’s lots of close contact as children share taxis. As long as all cases are mild or have no long term effects it could actually be a positive as most of the disruption will be over and done with and the rest of the school year will be more normal unlike the two previous school years.

m0therofdragons · 21/09/2021 11:31

In fact Canada was about to move to people positive with covid no longer having to isolate but my brother said they expect that move to be delayed. I’ve not asked what happened re that. His wife is a teacher and they have primary age children.

80sMum · 21/09/2021 11:36

[quote Moonopoly]@AnyFucker erm some mitigation like other countries? Masks? Better ventilation? Isolation for contacts?[/quote]
All that would do is slow it down and delay it. We may yet need to return to such measures if the hospital admissions ramp up too much.

The truth is, we don't know how things will go. But for the individual children, covid infections present a very tiny risk to their health, similar to catching a cold.

The major risk is of a new variant developing due to the increased prevalence of the virus in the population. That risk is currently far greater in countries where vaccination rates are very low such as in Africa where poorer countries simply can't afford mass vaccination programmes.

Nothanksverymuch · 21/09/2021 11:37

@Moonopoly

DD5 has just tested positive for Covid. There have been several cases in her Year 1 class but school remains the same. Under the old rules the ‘bubble’ would have closed and she would perhaps have stood some chance of not getting it. Is it ok that we are letting the government pursue a herd immunity policy with a novel virus amongst our kids? We seem to be the only country doing this?
It's what we do with chicken pox though.

Why is one OK and the other not?!

SummerHouse · 21/09/2021 11:38

DS has just started secondary. They are lateral flow testing twice weekly. Enough.

The alternative is mass disruption. For what? On the old rules he would have started a ten day isolation on day 2 of starting secondary school. Then probably in and out like a yo-yo onwards. For what?

TheKeatingFive · 21/09/2021 11:42

Long Covid most certainly isn't.

When someone amasses some decent data on long covid we can have a conversation. What we have now is a holy mess and not the slightest bit helpful to these discussions or any kind of decision making, no matter how many times you try to use it as your gotcha.

StarCat2020 · 21/09/2021 11:45

The impact the isolation alone is having on my MH is far more dramatic than the symptoms of Covid
I have been alone for 18 months now except monthly trips to pharmacy and since June fortnightly trips to JCP.

It is shit

Original poster
Moonopoly · 21/09/2021 11:48

For those asking about it being endemic…
It’ll mean that growth isn’t exponential (which it is where I live) and that chances of you getting it will be less…

OP posts:
Original poster
Moonopoly · 21/09/2021 11:48

@Nothanksverymuch chicken pox isn’t a novel virus

OP posts:
MarshaBradyo · 21/09/2021 11:50

@Moonopoly

For those asking about it being endemic… It’ll mean that growth isn’t exponential (which it is where I live) and that chances of you getting it will be less…
How do you reach it?
GotLittUp · 21/09/2021 11:52

[quote Moonopoly]@Nothanksverymuch chicken pox isn’t a novel virus[/quote]
Nor is Covid - novel means 'not previously identified in humans'.

Original poster
Moonopoly · 21/09/2021 11:52

@MarshaBradyo not through herd immunity. By bringing cases down to a reasonable level through mitigations and then tracing them.

OP posts:
GotLittUp · 21/09/2021 11:55

@Moonopoly

For those asking about it being endemic… It’ll mean that growth isn’t exponential (which it is where I live) and that chances of you getting it will be less…
But it doesn't. Endemic means "regularly found among particular people or in a certain area". The flu is endemic. Rhinoviruses which cause colds are endemic. Your chances of catching those isn't less. And in case you haven't noticed, the growth of covid cases isn't exponential now as a whole for the UK - it sees peaks and troughs, but actually is fairly steady.
Original poster
Moonopoly · 21/09/2021 11:55

@GotLittUp when was Covid 19 identified in humans prior to last year?

OP posts:
MarshaBradyo · 21/09/2021 11:56

[quote Moonopoly]@MarshaBradyo not through herd immunity. By bringing cases down to a reasonable level through mitigations and then tracing them.[/quote]
What’s so good about delaying the process? Especially if you want mitigations that cause harm as isolating does.

Your child gets it in September or February for example

And it is still through high immunity isn’t it? Just a longer process via mitigations slowing it down