AIBU That we learn to accept COVID is here to stay!

[Jakie7700]

That now a massive number is double vaccinated those who want to be and that teenagers have started to be offered them, it seems so ridiculous that kids are still losing out on school because they are being sent home as they have a minor cold with minor cough. Covid will still be around in years to come, so will children still be sent home then with a mild cough due to colds?

Many missed days of school waiting for PCR results, parents usually mothers missing work over and over. Nobody seemed to care two years back when these same children were spreading flu, chicken pox etc which can all kill or cause serious complications both in adults and children.

Nothing is going to change you can get COVID again like a cold. Just last week I heard of two friends kids being sent home because of mild cough (coughed three/four times the whole day) missed days of school waiting for results only to be negative and then told this will happen every time they have a cough which as most will know in primary children will be alot over winter! These same parents who have nearly lost jobs due to having to juggle childcare through lockdowns. Surely it is just time to accept COVID is isn't going anywhere and stop making kids espeically suffer.

@x2boys
My point around SEN children is why after all this time has something not been put in place that they have to isolate each time if they cannot take a test.

Sorry should of made it clear I was talking about mainstream but I totally understand special needs school is obviously completly different as many children like you say are CEV so was not referring to this situation.

[quote Jakie7700]@x2boys
My point around SEN children is why after all this time has something not been put in place that they have to isolate each time if they cannot take a test.

Sorry should of made it clear I was talking about mainstream but I totally understand special needs school is obviously completly different as many children like you say are CEV so was not referring to this situation.[/quote]
Thank you,but you can't just ignore children in spacial schools ,many of whom are now missing any type of an education because they are too CEV to attend

@Abraxan
Very actually as a child in my family has SEN and that I work with families with a high percentage of SEN and mental health conditions.

My point around SEN children is why after all this time has something not been put in place that they have to isolate each time if they cannot take a test
For the same reason as anyone not vaccinated is supposed to isolate if they can't take a test. They're not being treated any differently from the adult population.

You live in a world where you obviously do not have to make such choices which is great for you. I see this all the time and this winter will just be too much for some people who are not as fortunate as you.

Are you purposefully ignoring my post where I wrote "Schools will likely have mechanisms in place in that scenario. The school I teach in is in the top 20% for proportion of disadvantaged students. We know our families. We know who needs food vouchers or a food box and support accordingly or use our local charity partners to do so."

Your OP absolutely was NOT about disadvantaged families. It was comparing covid to things like chicken pox and flu and how we deal with those illnesses. For the record chickenpox kills approx 25 people a year on average, and all the comparisons to just like a 'bad flu' have been well debunked over the last 18 months. The majority of people on this thread did not agree with you, and now you are making it about disadvantaged families that some of us in schools, work with and support on a daily basis and have done throughout the pandemic and all lockdowns.

@noblegiraffe

What pisses me off most about these endless threads whinging about disruption to education for kids when it's about covid is the complete lack of interest in the threads about how CAMHS has basically collapsed under the weight of child mental health referrals or the fact that Rishi is about to give schools the square root of fuck all in the spending review for catch-up funding when schools are already on their knees when it comes to funding.

Some people only seem to give a shit about children and education when they can use them to moan about covid restrictions. Any other time - tumbleweed.

I wish schools would ask parents to contribute it would help with some of the funding gap.

OP I agree as we have no plan to vaccinate kids (I don't think the benefit out weight the risk to them!) it time we let it go through schools l

[quote Jakie7700]@purpleflowerlegs
Yes with your so original this is a boring thread.
I am not trying to get anyone to do anything. I am allowed a opinion. If you find the post boring which you clearly do, then why waste your time posting on it.[/quote]
So there is balance to your argument. So you know not everyone agrees with you. Doesn't stop it being a repetitive thread done to death already.

My son is in a SEN school so I've got skin in this game. Life is different now. We all need to get used to it and get over it.

[quote Jakie7700]@MrsHerculePoirot
Yes when people have no choice to send children in as they can't keep taking time off work I don't think it's realistic again another winter to expect people on the poverty line to keep doing this.[/quote]
People sending their ill children into school last year put me in hospital. For the sake of a missed day of school to check it's not Covid, or simply to keep them away when ill with any virus might keep staff like me well. A year later and I'm still not fully recovered, and I will be on medication for life.

[quote Merryoldgoat]@Jakie7700

I’m not that concerned about my children missing some school if they stay healthy tbh.

It’s well known that the newer variants are more like colds and if we want top stop it spreading then we need test when they have symptoms.[/quote]
Er, it's nothing like a cold. I'm double vaxxed and on day 8 of feeling the most horrendous I've ever felt with 2 days where my temp wouldn't go below 38.5 and I couldn't get out of bed to go downstairs.

And that's with a double vaxx

I wish schools would ask parents to contribute it would help with some of the funding gap.

I wish parents would kick up a stink at the govt about why their taxpayer money is being handed to mates of the Tory party like smarties but when schools need funding it’s all handwringing and “oh but the cupboard is bare”.

Well this thread got out of hand quickly didn't it! I think the OP raises valid points about the amount of days kids are missing, and about the knock on effect for working parents. I think all teachers would agree too.

However, the solution is not just to stick our fingers in our ears and just send symptomatic children into school. What needs to happen is some further gov action around mitigations in schools (ie proper ventilation) and making the test results much much quicker. I for one would love it if they could develop a less invasive test - it's really unpleasant for children.

And of course schools are not just driving infections but reflect infection rates - if we were in a country where there were more mitigations in place (a vaccine plus approach rather than a vaccine just approach) then it stands to reason there would be fewer infections in schools and therefore fewer days off school for children

@MrsHerculePoirot
And if that happens thats fantastic but alot of the time it does not. Did you not see all the families last year some of the food parcels they recieved from schools......
And food bank voucher will not help someone who has lost £50+ each time they have to take time off or if they are sacked. It does not keep their rent paid or electric key topped up. And most charities we work with are complelty out of funding and are begging the government for more to help the families I work with on a daily basis.
Yes you are quite right my OP was about learning to live with COVID. I do agree as adults if you can you should wear a mask and be vaccinated. I also feel that children have suffered so much and lost so much education and also are now suffering with mental health concerns due to missing so much school. I feel we should have a sensible approach to COVID testing should be quicker, more effient so people do not feel they have to choose between losing money they can't afford or so the child into school.

@Abraxan do you have proof that people sending ill children into school were the reason for you catching a virus? nothing to do with faulty test kits, using public spaces, human beings socialising (which is primarily where we obtain joy - at the heart of the reason we enjoy living). Are you suggesting another lock down and further anguish for millions? or do you accept that part of being alive carries risk? That said I hope you are well soon.

Also for anyone interested many of these arguments were hashed out on another recent thread

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/coronavirus/4383702-scrapping-the-10-days-isolation-would-be-the-best-and-easiest-way-to-support-schools?msgid=111921536

And of course schools are not just driving infections but reflect infection rates

The line about schools reflecting community infection rates has been totally blown out of the water.

Did you not see all the families last year some of the food parcels they recieved from schools......

Those weren’t school food parcels.

"I wish schools would ask parents to contribute it would help with some of the funding gap."
So, you wish to move over to a kind of privatisation? And where children in affluent areas whose parents can afford those contributions would fare better than those in deprived areas?

"it time we let it go through schools" Did you not see what happened in the South West, when inaccurate PCR results ended up with huge increases in infection spread? The ensuing pressure on the NHS is creating huge problems for people trying to access healthcare for a wider range of issues than just Covid.
Be careful what you wish for.

@noblegiraffe

And of course schools are not just driving infections but reflect infection rates

The line about schools reflecting community infection rates has been totally blown out of the water.

So you are telling me community infection rates do not tip over into schools? It's logical to think if a country has low infection rates in general then infections in schools will be lower than in a country like England.

I'm not saying schools are not driving infections in communities. They are. I'm saying if as a country we had lower infections in general then fewer infections would occur in schools and therefore fewer children would be off isolating

@Abraxan
I am sorry you are still unwell and I do agree with your point of keeping kids of when sick. I wish parents were supported more by employers and or the government to be able to do this but it doesn't happen for most.

@ArthurTudor
Totally agree with this. The proper ventilation needs to be addressed and I think it is awful it hasn't been so far! Obviously cost so as normal government drags it's feet but this I believe would be a great both for children and teachers!

[quote Jakie7700]@MrsHerculePoirot
And if that happens thats fantastic but alot of the time it does not. Did you not see all the families last year some of the food parcels they recieved from schools......
And food bank voucher will not help someone who has lost £50+ each time they have to take time off or if they are sacked. It does not keep their rent paid or electric key topped up. And most charities we work with are complelty out of funding and are begging the government for more to help the families I work with on a daily basis.
Yes you are quite right my OP was about learning to live with COVID. I do agree as adults if you can you should wear a mask and be vaccinated. I also feel that children have suffered so much and lost so much education and also are now suffering with mental health concerns due to missing so much school. I feel we should have a sensible approach to COVID testing should be quicker, more effient so people do not feel they have to choose between losing money they can't afford or so the child into school.[/quote]
They weren't from schools... yes I saw, and helped pack and give out the food parcels from our school and the other schools local to us.

I also feel that children have suffered so much and lost so much education and also are now suffering with mental health concerns due to missing so much school.

What is is that is tricky to understand? Covid is currently ripping through many schools, causing many, MANY students to catch it and need time off. By allowing it to rip through schools - by your suggestion of not bothering to test them when they cough for example - I am not sure how this is going to reduce the transmission and subsequent school days lost? Students missing one day of school to take a test is better than classes/years/schools having to shut through outbreaks and staff shortages. Students who catch it need varying times off - some will be fine with the 10 days isolation, others will be ill and take much longer to fully recover and come back to school. We are seeing a mix of this, some students off for weeks and weeks, a larger number need 2-3 full weeks off and are clearly fatigued when they return and then a number are fine, probably didn't feel particularly ill at all.

I will say it again. 'Learning to live' with covid does NOT mean ignoring it. You are doing children and young people NO favours by exempting them from testing.

If you really, really care about education and the time missed then fighting for any other mitigations and suggestions that have been mentioned multiple times on this and other threads would be far more supportive.

[quote Jakie7700]@Abraxan
I am sorry you are still unwell and I do agree with your point of keeping kids of when sick. I wish parents were supported more by employers and or the government to be able to do this but it doesn't happen for most.

@ArthurTudor
Totally agree with this. The proper ventilation needs to be addressed and I think it is awful it hasn't been so far! Obviously cost so as normal government drags it's feet but this I believe would be a great both for children and teachers![/quote]
So why not start a thread calling for these things? Rather than saying kids should just go to school and it's like flu and chickenpox?!?

@MrsHerculePoirot
I started a thread asking in a year or two will kids still be sent home due to a mild cough due to a cold. I never said people should send their children in with chicken pox or the flu. I said that people did not seem to care two years ago if others did this when these infections are highly infectious.

I was agreeing with points other posters had made which I agree with regarding proper ventilation for schools and a better policy for parents if they need to take time of because of sick children so they won't lose their jobs.

We haven't been around it anywhere near long enough to have acquired a decent immune response to it. It's so new that an even more highly contagious variant could wipe out millions because it's not familiar in any way to our immune systems.

The responsible thing to do is to live in a way that does not spread viruses carelessly. Mask up in crowded places. Get the vaccines and boosters. Stay home if you're unwell.

I will say it again. 'Learning to live' with covid does NOT mean ignoring it. You are doing children and young people NO favours by exempting them from testing

👏👏👏👏👏

"I never said people should send their children in with chicken pox or the flu. I said that people did not seem to care two years ago if others did this when these infections are highly infectious."

Well, those of us who work in schools damn well cared!