Time to think about closing the schools

[DolphinFC]

ONS survey finds that education staff are 37% more likely to catch Covid than other workers.

Previous data showed they were no more likely to catch covid than other workers and many people (especially MNetters) felt that this was all the proof needed to keep schools open.

Well, new data shows the reverse is now the case.

Can you link to the article? 37% more likely than the general population, or 37% more likely than whichever profession is the lowest?

I feel like "no more likely" would never have made any sense so this at least feels a little more realistic.

Er, no. We are all going to catch Covid. I caught it at work. Should my workplace be shut down?

There were only between half and a third of the usual parents at our primary school pickup today - I doubt they all have covid in every year group since yesterday (which had almost full attendance in the classes I'm aware of), so a lot of families must have just decided to keep their children off for the last two days anyway.

Yes, a link to the full source please!

No. HTH

No.

No. No. No. NO.

www.tes.com/magazine/news/general/school-staff-more-likely-catch-covid-other-workers

This wouldn’t surprise me one bit and is exactly what school staff have been saying since this all started but what would they know

Term is about to end anyway.

All work places should be made as safe as possible and I support people to get safe work places.
No one should have to work in an un safe environment because Mrs Jones does etc.

Tosh. So they're more likely to catch Covid than healthcare workers then? Hmmmmmmmmmm.

@Imdreamingofapeacefulxmas

All work places should be made as safe as possible and I support people to get safe work places. No one should have to work in an un safe environment because Mrs Jones does etc.

Yes. Make them safer. Not close them.

So if 10 general workers get covid, 13.7 teachers get it? I would do a job with that increased risk of covid, especially such an incredible, valuable and worthwhile one. I am utterly in awe of our school and the teachers. I don't think they want to close and I salute them for that. Heroes.

@BirdyBirdyTweetTweet

No. No. No. NO.

Yea cheers. Thanks for caring. Have you written to your MP? Lobbied for changes in schools? Seriously?

So what if teachers are more likely to catch it? Everyone has been double, and many now triple vaccinated, the chances of being seriously ill from Covid now are very very small , so they can't really use the whole 'its not safe for us' line any more. Everyone is going to get this strain anyway.

I say all of this as someone who works in a school and was a bit at how keen some of my co-workers were to 'shut the schools'.

@Waxonwaxoff0

Term is about to end anyway.

DD doesn’t break up till Wednesday 22 December.

Define 'other workers'.

From what little you've posted, "other workers" could mean someone sitting at a desk in their living room, or a nurse in constant contact with the virus.

More information needed.

None of our staff want school to close either we just wish we could get some help to make it safer.
The way this is going there won’t be any staff to keep schools open anyway.
Luckily we have had an email from the education secretary to try and encourage anyone we know to become supply staff as he has at least acknowledged that there just aren’t enough of them to fill this ever growing staff absence.

@PuppyMonkey neither does DS, it's still nearly the end of term.

No.

Everyone else is still working. Most people can’t work from home. Children need to go to school.

Not sure if this is the same thing but from ONS

"people were more likely to test positive if they were one of the following:

not previously infected with COVID-19

living in a household of multiple occupancy

adults who lived with someone aged 16 years or under

unvaccinated

working in the education sector

working outside the home

spending more time socialising with people from outside their household"

So not just the education sector

Tomorrow is the last day for almost 3 weeks. Our school is a bit of a ghost town now anyway, one whole year group is off and it's fairly clear loads of parents have pulled their children out for the last few days. Head and deputy head both off with covid. I really feel for the teachers, the remaining ones must just feel like sitting ducks yet they're there every day greeting the kids with big smiles on their faces.

Anyway hopefully the Christmas holiday will be a bit of a natural firebreak. I don't necessarily think schools should face blanket closures but it may have to happen anyway if too many staff are ill.

make them safer

You can’t.

Did your kids cope during lock down @DolphinFC? Did they handle the work set and keep up work where they're meant to be? Because that's not the case for many many people.

Schools should be made as safe as possible and I mean genuine effort. Vulnerable teachers should be protected further. But you can't just stop educating kids for years and think it'll be OK

What if the top group had been nurses? Can we send them all home? Supermarket staff? Carers?