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Original poster

1 in 10 students with COVID

139 replies

catchingzzzeds · 20/10/2021 18:28

The secondary school I work at now has 1 in 10 students and 10 teaching staff at home with COVID. We started the week with 65 cases and today we have over 100.
Why are the government not helping us? If we could bring back masks and bubbles we could at least stand a chance of containing the spread. I also think advising that whole households isolate if a family member tests positive would help too.
We are finding that siblings are testing positive a week after the first household case.
Roll on half term, here's hoping it acts a bit of a circuit breaker.

OP posts:
Iggly · 20/10/2021 19:38

@Silverswirl

The plan is to let it spread now. Everyone will be exposed and will either develop symptoms or not. Fight it off or die. Sorry to say but that’s how it is with every other known virus out there.
What, like polio?
Warhertisuff · 20/10/2021 19:39

It’s a disaster in the making while vaccines are wearing off for those over 50.

Most of them would have got only their second dose less than six months ago (and those who had it really early like my DM have had a booster), and it's not like vaccines suddenly fully lose their potency.

Silverswirl · 20/10/2021 19:41

No, not like polio. Polio paralysed children. It’s vaccine was far more effective.

MarshaBradyo · 20/10/2021 19:42

We had high rates, which passed quite quickly. It was easier to deal with than isolation etc

Warhertisuff · 20/10/2021 19:44

@Iggly

What, like polio?

Covid is nasty but it's not polio...

The only way you can preventing most pupils from catching Covid is to have permanent very severe restrictions... NZ hardline lockdown couldn't stop Delta, so anything less wouldn't stand a chance. It's sad but that's how it is.

We can either just accept reality, or be doomed to a losing battle that will only prolong the time it takes for Covid to get to a point of equilibrium.

Like Pandora, you can't put Covid back in its box sadly.

HSHorror · 20/10/2021 19:48

Over 40 had az which wears off after 3m.

Iggly · 20/10/2021 19:50

[quote Warhertisuff]@Iggly

What, like polio?

Covid is nasty but it's not polio...

The only way you can preventing most pupils from catching Covid is to have permanent very severe restrictions... NZ hardline lockdown couldn't stop Delta, so anything less wouldn't stand a chance. It's sad but that's how it is.

We can either just accept reality, or be doomed to a losing battle that will only prolong the time it takes for Covid to get to a point of equilibrium.

Like Pandora, you can't put Covid back in its box sadly.[/quote]
Of course you can put covid back in it’s box

We’ve just chosen not to. Just because the symptoms are like the flu for most people, that’s not the case for a lot. Polio was symptomless in many adults.

This government needs to do more to make vaccines more accessible (they’re not having closed 1 out of 3 vaccine centres) and invest in the NHS (which it hasn’t since 2010). It needs to invest in the economy so that we don’t have such huge inequalities making people more vulnerable to covid.

Covid is not the common cold.

borntobequiet · 20/10/2021 19:51

Sajid Javid has just said possibly 100000 cases a day.
Children are still mostly unvaccinated.
Teachers are not eligible for boosters.

I give schools two weeks after half term before many are forced to shut, mostly due to lack of staff.
This was entirely predictable.

MarshaBradyo · 20/10/2021 19:52

@borntobequiet

Sajid Javid has just said possibly 100000 cases a day. Children are still mostly unvaccinated. Teachers are not eligible for boosters.

I give schools two weeks after half term before many are forced to shut, mostly due to lack of staff.
This was entirely predictable.

When would they be due though?

It hasn’t been six months has it

Iggly · 20/10/2021 19:54

Surely boosters should be just before 6 months before the vaccines wear off, not at the point at which they do.

seven201 · 20/10/2021 19:55

Some schools with high numbers have been told to bring back masks for corridors, bubbles and cancel or heavily adapt open evening etc.

hotelharibo · 20/10/2021 20:02

My school has been advised to go back to bubbles, cancel any parent events and staff are back to masks when not in the classroom.

I'm primary.

Don't understand why the advise is so different Confused

Warhertisuff · 20/10/2021 20:04

@Iggly

Surely boosters should be just before 6 months before the vaccines wear off, not at the point at which they do.
Vaccines remain very effective at preventing serious illness and death at six months. That's the important thing.
Warhertisuff · 20/10/2021 20:08

@Iggly

Of course you can put covid back in it’s box

And how on Earth do you expect us to do that?! As I stated, NZ had a strict lockdown after they had just one reported cases, and tried to do just that - they failed and had to concede it just wasn't possible.

There's wishful thinking and just plain delusional, and thinking we can get rid of Covid is the latter.

Iggly · 20/10/2021 20:11

[quote Warhertisuff]@Iggly

Of course you can put covid back in it’s box

And how on Earth do you expect us to do that?! As I stated, NZ had a strict lockdown after they had just one reported cases, and tried to do just that - they failed and had to concede it just wasn't possible.

There's wishful thinking and just plain delusional, and thinking we can get rid of Covid is the latter.[/quote]
We can reduce numbers such that it does not overtake the nhs.

That’s what I mean. I don’t mean disappear.

To do that, we need to invest in the NHS and have better health outcomes for everyone then it becomes less of an issue.

Warhertisuff · 20/10/2021 20:11

@borntobequiet

Sajid Javid has just said possibly 100000 cases a day. Children are still mostly unvaccinated. Teachers are not eligible for boosters.

I give schools two weeks after half term before many are forced to shut, mostly due to lack of staff.
This was entirely predictable.

These numbers were predicted by Javid back in July... It was just accepted as necessary as we can't live in a world of restrictions for ever.
savagebaggagemaster · 20/10/2021 20:32

It would definitely help if all school staff were entitled to the booster shot.

Bobholll · 20/10/2021 21:14

No if woundnt @savagebaggagemaster - many teachers only had their jabs over summer or late spring & absolutely don't need a booster just yet. Their vaccines will still be providing excellent protection.

We are boosting at 6 months for a reason. Boosting at 3 months is pointless!

LilyPond2 · 20/10/2021 22:28

@Warhertisuff

You're not going to be able to prevent pupils from getting Covid in due course. Isn't is better that it passes through the school now in a short sharp burst, and out of the way by Christmas? Otherwise you're just prolonging the agony, potentially to exam season!
The notion that high Covid rates are inevitable really needs challenging. France has much lower Covid rates than the UK. Key things they are doing differently are: (a) need for a "health pass" showing full vaccination or a very recent negative Covid test to do almost anything; (b) two dose vaccination for anyone over 12 has been available since June; and (c) mandatory mask wearing in many situations.

I appreciate that some people prefer the British political decision to not introduce such measures and to allow Covid to spread relatively unchecked. But we should recognise it for what it is - a political choice. The high Covid rates we have now are the result of political decisions. You may agree or disagree with those decisions, but please don't try to pretend that our high Covid rates were inevitable.

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 20/10/2021 22:34

i appreciate that some people prefer the British political decision to not introduce such measures and to allow Covid to spread relatively unchecked. But we should recognise it for what it is - a political choice. The high Covid rates we have now are the result of political decisions. You may agree or disagree with those decisions, but please don't try to pretend that our high Covid rates were inevitable people said this during the beginning of the pandemic “so and so country has it better because”…and then bam their numbers rocket. Fact is the U.K. vaccinated early on, if there is waring immunity that will be the reason for higher numbers. We have to switch our mindset from caring about the number of infections to the number of hospital admissions, that’s all that matters. Covid is here and we will never contain it

REDHERO · 20/10/2021 22:42

@Handsnotwands

Why can’t you bring back masks? My sons school did weeks ago (they’re still riddled with it)
My school brought masks back and still have lots of cases.

Too simplistic to call for mask as if that's the answer. Didn't you see how a lot of the children wore them, under chin, hanging off, repeat wear, on and off, etc etc and most thin rubbish things.

LilyPond2 · 20/10/2021 22:43

We have to switch our mindset from caring about the number of infections to the number of hospital admissions, that’s all that matters
So you don't think it matters if people are left unable to work or otherwise have their lives blighted through long Covid provided those people never required admission to hospital?

REDHERO · 20/10/2021 22:43

@savagebaggagemaster

It would definitely help if all school staff were entitled to the booster shot.
Too early for the booster for most. Only the ones that received the 2nd dose of vaccine before 20th April can have it since need to wait 6 months so already covered by the existing vaccine!
REDHERO · 20/10/2021 22:45

@borntobequiet

You said "Teachers are not eligible for boosters." That's rubbish. If they have had the 2nd vaccine over 6 months ago and in the at risk categories they are. No need for a booster otherwise.

Unvaccinated children have it and the vaccine roll out for children seems very slow - there is the answer.

LilyPond2 · 20/10/2021 22:49

Covid is here and we will never contain it
We won't get rid of it altogether, but the experience of other countries shows that it is possible to limit spread. Germany has consistently kept case rates much lower than the UK. Letting Covid spread unchecked is a political decision. You may agree with that political decision, but don't try to paint a political decision as if it were an inevitability.