Masks back in Classrooms in secondary schools.

[storminabuttercup]

Our LEA have reintroduced masks in secondary schools, it's out first experience of this as DC us year 7. I'm absolutely not anti mask, DC willing wear one in shops etc and when moving about in school but is upset this morning about having to wear one all day, I'm guessing they will get used to it soon enough but I feel so sad about the whole situation, these kids have been through so much. It also makes me wonder if this is now the step before back to home learning.
I know we need to control the virus I'm not even complaining I'm just venting that this bloody thing is still here.

Our dd secondary school re-instated the wearing of face coverings during the last week before half term. The only info given was a long the lines that the cases had increased to a certain level , DD teacher actually told them it was due to one year group reaching 10% of them being positive, and I think that PHE guidance.

They still wearing post half term. Cases are very high in our area in south. x

@bumbleymummy

Places where children have been wearing masks in school have still seen an increase in cases.

I'd really like to see a source for this. Do you have one?

Look at any charts showing England, Scotland, Wales, NI and Ireland for a start. NI and Ireland have required masks and they still saw an increase in cases. They started falling in NI before half term though so it looks like the virus is starting to run out of places to go.

I don’t think anyone claimed that masks were perfect protection against covid, did they? Particularly where there are no other measures.

I’m just not sure what people expect bringing them back is actually going to do. Cases are starting to fall without them anyway.

Well for example, it might buy the kids some time until they are able to be vaccinated.

But of course you are against that too.

@bumbleymummy have you heard of half term ? Strange cases fell once schools closed for a week. It's like schools aren't as Covid safe as everyone kept saying when staff would have liked a vaccine.

@bumbleymummy

I’m just not sure what people expect bringing them back is actually going to do. Cases are starting to fall without them anyway.

In combination with other measures, protect people. I'm sorry you don't feel children, their families, and teachers are worth protecting with this very simple measure.

have a mask mandate (like in Spain) for indoor public spaces. No exemptions

So those who can't wear masks can't go to work/access health care or education/use public transport, even if they're disabled or don't drive? Don't be ridiculous.

Thank goodness you're not on charge.

Oh, and Spain absolutely does have exemptions. As pretty much all countries do. The ones that don't aren't to be admired - no country which does not treat those with disabilities or serious health conditions as equals and denies them basic rights such as medical care and education should be celebrated for doing so.

@trumpisagit

Cases were dropping before half term, even though testing stayed high.

Apparently around 70/75% of children are thought to have been infected now so I think we may have missed the boat on preventing it at this point.

No, not against vaccination at all noble, particularly for high risk children who were offered the vaccine back in the summer.

Apparently around 70/75% of children are thought to have been infected now

And yet only a minority of them have antibodies.

Why do you think that? And what about T-cells?

Yes, I know, Purple, I remember arguing with her about the MMR back in the Wakefield days.

@DavidDevantsSpiritWife
Great name by the way.

Yes, I agree Spain does allow medical exemptions, but mask wearing is a "mandate" and I have never seen anyone not wearing one.

Very different to the UK where people declared themselves "exempt" left, right and centre.

Compulsory mask wearing (with genuine medical exemption) is much more effective than our pretty much optional mask wearing last winter.

I think we would have significantly less covid if I was in charge!

Children would also be safer and have more time in school.

I would like to add properly ventilated schools to my list of things I would do if I was in charge.

Some of my children's classrooms have no windows and the only ventilation is leaving the internal door open.

Nought so weird as folk 🤷‍♀️. Love my students - they've made me a Hannibal Lecter cloth mask 😂. Apparently I can't be scary so they are trying to help me look more menacing. Not working as they now all laughing at me.

@mumsneedwine

Nought so weird as folk 🤷‍♀️. Love my students - they've made me a Hannibal Lecter cloth mask 😂. Apparently I can't be scary so they are trying to help me look more menacing. Not working as they now all laughing at me.

I love this!

@noblegiraffe

Yes, I know, Purple, I remember arguing with her about the MMR back in the Wakefield days.

So you remember that I think they should have kept the single measles vaccine available on the nhs during that time so that worried parents would still have the option to protect their child against measles? Last time I checked, the single measles vaccine is a vaccine so hardly an antivaxx position is it?

Anyway, moving away from silly accusations, why do you think that children do not have antibodies? Was this based on a recent study? Did they also consider T-cell immunity?

My DD has worn one all year after a year of remote school. It’s definitely not ideal. I wish they didn’t have to wear them. At the same time, exposures within the school have been incredibly low. The few kids who have had covid have all been contact traced for exposure outside of the school, except for one. They report by in school school vs out of school.

The definition of exemption and accommodation are very different in my country. My claustrophobia and panic attacks don’t qualify for an exemption and I don’t think they should. It’s been on me to find masks that aren’t as bad, use cbt, and modify my life to minimize mask wearing obligations. If I was a child, I would need to be homeschooled because there is no way I could effectively learn in a mask, but their are plenty of excellent remote learning options.

@DriftingBlue

The definition of exemption and accommodation are very different in my country. My claustrophobia and panic attacks don’t qualify for an exemption and I don’t think they should. It’s been on me to find masks that aren’t as bad, use cbt, and modify my life to minimize mask wearing obligations. If I was a child, I would need to be homeschooled because there is no way I could effectively learn in a mask, but their are plenty of excellent remote learning options.

That is hard going, especially for child age

6+ in masks all day at school since Sep 2020 (Ontario Canada). Children were happier to be in schools with masks on than no masks, no school, masks are part of layers of protection; no one layer does it all. It’s a cumulative effect. A lot of the case increases in school age children were linked to activities out of school where rules weren’t being maintained.

moving away from silly accusations

Not sure why you think you’re fooling anyone.

why do you think that children do not have antibodies?

Because of the data showing that they don’t. Come on, as a massive proponent of natural immunity, surely you’re all over the data?

“The percentage of pupils testing positive for COVID-19 antibodies was 11.25% for primary school pupils and 12.95% for secondary school pupils.”

www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/conditionsanddiseases/articles/coronaviruscovid19latestinsights/antibodies

People are always banging on about how great it is that 90+ % of adults have antibodies so conversely it should be concerning that the majority of children don’t, right?

The percentage of pupils testing positive for COVID-19 antibodies was 11.25% for primary school pupils and 12.95% for secondary school pupils.

Isn't that the data from England, 14 June to 6 July 2021 (Round 6) according to your source @noblegiraffe ? It's probably not very useful now.

I don’t think only 12% of kids had caught covid by July, do you? It shows that infection in kids doesn’t necessarily generate antibodies.