So anxious... covid in all the classes at primary school

[rogerthat87]

Is anyone else worrying about the covid that is present in their school. There are children absent in every class with covid, which means, in my mind that every class has children sat there with covid who haven't yet got symptoms. Whole school assembly... children must be sat there with covid. I just don't know what to make of it all. I feel like I'm sending my children into a place riddled with covid and exposing them. Is this ok? Why does no one else seem to mind? A few months ago the whole class had to stay at home if someone had covid. Same unvaccinated children yet no reaction. I'm trying to think rationally but today was too much when I found out a friend of my child is off with it now too. Can anyone relate or calm me down?

No. DS had Covid in August, barely even noticed it. We are all going to catch it eventually, unless you stay at home and never leave the house.

The same in my children's class too. Rationally, we were in a very different place 6 months ago with less people vaccinated and less treatments. We are also more aware of the damage that the lockdowns have done to many children with an increase in anxiety and associated disorders. I am CV but want my child to stay in school. It is endemic now.

It is hard to adjust mentally from previous restrictions to the current situation but if you are vaccinated, you should feel quite reassured by children mainly not being too poorly and vaccinations mainly working.

If you can remember back to pre covid, you always sent children to school with things like flu, norovirus, chicken pox, scarlet fever, slap cheek and so on circulating.

Children will all get it at some point. Our 4 year old had it last week, was sick once, no fever or cough. If you are vaccinated your symptoms are unlikely to be severe

@Waxonwaxoff0

No. DS had Covid in August, barely even noticed it. We are all going to catch it eventually, unless you stay at home and never leave the house.

This ^

It does feel weird, but @Elephantsparade is absolutely right. Schools have always been disease fermenters.

I have sat in many an assembly as children coughed, spluttered and sniffed around me, knowing I was 99% bound to catch it.

I have sent three children home from my class in one morning, each of whom suddenly went a funny colour and complained of feeling very sick, only for the fourth child not to complain in time so to throw up all over the table.

If Covid remains mildish - and norovirus and flu were not always mild in school children or school staff - for most people, I think this is the beginning of learning to live with it in schools as best we can.

We don't want to shut the schools again if it can possibly, possibly, be avoided. Most children, and society as a whole, appears healthier when schools are open.

My friends DD has it and has no symptoms. I don’t actually know how anyone can maintain high levels of anxiety about it anymore - it must be exhausting. I’m fairly convinced we will get it and my main concern is it will be over Christmas and we’ll miss seeing the family again.

I think there will be large numbers of families who end up isolating away from their family or ill over Christmas due to catching it from schools in the next 2 weeks.

If it makes you feel better, a few years ago no one cared when chicken pox, flu, colds, D&V and lots of other illnesses and viruses were circulating around their kids schools every winter. Schools have always been a spreading ground for illness.

Now everyone is clutching their pearls screaming 'won't someone think of the children?'

My DC have it currently - eldest brought it home from secondary school and passed it on to younger DC. Eldest just had a heavy cold for a couple of days and sore eyes, lost his taste and smell. Younger one has a fever on and off but that's his only symptom so far (only on day 2).

Op have youq health vulnerability or an issue being unable to isolate? If so , I can understand your concern because it is rife in school and in fact everywhere.
My ds had it and gave it to me a couple of weeks ago, it was a pretty miserable time , viruses are never pleasant . But we've had it now , I'm due for my booster soon so hopefully that's it for the next year.
I'm afraid it's inevitable and worrying about it is pointless

I have Covid now. Banging headache and very tired, but if I hadn't been listed as a close contact and subsequently got a PCR test, I would never have known.

For most it is unpleasant but mild. As a migraine sufferer, I'd much rather have this than a migraine.

It is strange , I'm a teacher and 2dc in another school. So dc have positives in their classes and I do in mine..... matter of time now. I'll be annoyed if it's over Christmas though!

We had this happen in September when school opened - small school with lots of siblings so lots of spread amongst year groups. It died down itself after about 10 days albeit with one year group with lots of positives. Situation repeated itself 2 weeks ago and seems to have died down again if school communication is anything to go by.

As PP have said, we will all get it unless we stay at home and never go out. No child from school has been particularly unwell, worst has been one day of fever then joining class online from day 2, majority asymptomatic and on teams from day 1.

Whitty was helpfully upfront when he said that kids who hadn't caught Covid yet would probably catch it by the end of the year.

I am grateful that Covid is generally milder in the young. My kids caught it over the summer holidays and it was like a cold so I felt a lot better sending them back to school in September. Has your child had their flu shot?

I guess I’m not entirely comfortable because I may inadvertently pass it on to someone vulnerable. That’s my worry. And the nhs is in no fit state to deal with the burden of winter covid cases.

No.
15 children in my class had it before half term. I am vulnerable and I didn’t get it. I’m past caring about getting it and I never cared much in the first place.

I think the problem is we spent so long being told to isolate etc we've forgotten why we did that. It wasn't really to protect younger healthy people it was to protect older vulnerable people catching it all at once.

I agree it does feel very strange though abc is causing me anxiety. My DD is CV so sending her to most probably catch it does feel a bit wrong