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Original poster

Teachers - Anyone else worried?

250 replies

foundlingfar · 06/01/2022 19:51

Any teachers on here concerned about the current covid stats? I am surrounded by kids in my class who's families are isolating, they clearly have symptoms but have tested negative so are able to attend school. I feel like I can't do anything to protect myself and my family 😕. I work with very little children so I'm constantly tying shoe laces, helping to zip up coats, comforting children etc. I'm just so anxious and feel like other workers have been told to 'work from home' or 'limit contact' whereas teachers have been largely expected to get on with it. I know we're not the only ones but in primary, we aren't even allowed to wear masks as children need to see us speak etc. I know this is an awful thing to say as I love my job and children, but it's like we are putting the kids before our own health?! And come of us have families and our own children too!

OP posts:
HamCob · 06/01/2022 22:59

@HermioneWeasley

What makes you think you’ll be unsafe if you catch the current variant? Are you CEV? Unvaccinated?

For the vast, vast majority Omicron is extremely mild or has no symptoms.

And yes, I’m a key worker who has been in work throughout the pandemic and I’m vulnerable.

This really. What exactly are you worried about if you've been triple jabbed? Yes you are probs ly going to catch it at some point but surely as a teacher picking up bugs from kids is an occupational hazard...Norovirus, flu, hand foot & mouth...
WhenSheWasBad · 06/01/2022 23:00

I wish it had been mild for me. Horrid virus, of the six people I know who all caught it at the same time. All of us felt like crap for a week.

Two weeks later most of us still aren’t 100%.

I feel so guilty that I’m not there for my classes. And it puts pressure on the rest of the staff - arranging and doing cover.

I’m more concerned about the disruption to schools and pupils.

worriedatthemoment · 06/01/2022 23:00

Surely you can send any child coughing etc home and request they tested etc
But my ds works in a warehouse and he's been back in couple days and already several have tested positive , expecting he will sometime soon too

AlexaShutUp · 06/01/2022 23:00

Presumably you're triple jabbed, OP? The risk to you from covid is probably very small, and as a teacher, I presume that you've always had a high level of exposure to coughs, colds and other viruses.

As another poster has said, the work from home guidance is to protect the NHS, not the individual workers. The risk to most of us is tiny. I mean this kindly, but it seems like your anxiety is taking over a bit?

TheKeatingFive · 06/01/2022 23:01

I do think that if you are not CV/CEV and are triple jabbed, then talk of 'keeping safe' etc is a little dramatic now, Omicron is overwhelmingly likely to just be a nasty cold for you. Same as any other winter bug.

I do get it about the stress of absence and cover though, but we are talking about a pandemic where people have lost their entire livelihoods, so I guess we have to try and keep perspective on it.

All of this.

middleager · 06/01/2022 23:18

Well said, never

Talkwhilstyouwalk · 06/01/2022 23:19

@CarrieBlue ok, OP has my sympathy for feeling concerned, but not for having to do her job now that the vaccination is available and successful because she's not going to come to any harm.

noblegiraffe · 06/01/2022 23:25

Surely you can send any child coughing etc home and request they tested etc

😂

Mickarooni · 06/01/2022 23:40

@Omicrone

I do think that if you are not CV/CEV and are triple jabbed, then talk of 'keeping safe' etc is a little dramatic now, Omicron is overwhelmingly likely to just be a nasty cold for you. Same as any other winter bug.

I do get it about the stress of absence and cover though, but we are talking about a pandemic where people have lost their entire livelihoods, so I guess we have to try and keep perspective on it.

I do completely understand why teachers (and any other frontline worker) may be anxious about Covid if they live with someone who is CV/CEV though. It must be worrying!
TheRainbow · 06/01/2022 23:43

@foundlingfar

I know it's becoming difficult to avoid - I guess it's just my anxiety talking. 2 years of constant worry - including a pregnancy and giving birth to a child during the pandemic - has kind of got me on edge! Heading back to work has made me more nervous than I thought I'd guess.
I know where you're coming from. I'm a primary teacher with two primary dc of my own. I cover several classes. Surrounded by coughs and sneezes,most children not tested. I'm CEV and I can't wear a face mask as it's primary. It must have been really hard for you going through pregnancy and having a baby, an anxious time anyway, even without a pandemic to contend with. It's not surprising that you feel the way you do. Flowers
DixonD · 06/01/2022 23:46

@foundlingfar

I don't think we can - I guess it's up to the parents whether their child attends school and we just have to get on with it I suppose! Coughs and sneezes are common amongst young children, it's just tricky when you know some families are isolating yet the children are visibly unwell.
We’re not allowed to send children in at our school if they are coughing etc. My daughter has had about 4 PCRs done in recent months due to coughing. They can’t go in without a negative test. This is a primary school.
Feelingoktoday · 06/01/2022 23:49

My family has been working through the whole pandemic in face to face roles. I’m not worried about catching it. It’s inevitable. For majority of people this variant has no symptoms or very mild cold like ones. We have to live with it now.

TheRainbow · 06/01/2022 23:59

@Sowhatifiam

The purpose of this is to try keep schools open. Not to turn you into a martyr. Its for the sake of the children

ODFOD. Have you seen the stats on education and long covid? I won't even mention deaths.

Teachers are parents too. Our children matter too. Just as children of other frontline workers do. Children are undergoing considerable stress thinking about what might happen to their parents becuase of their job choice. Sadly it seems that is something else that is being forgotten. Not all children feel safe and happy in the school environment whilst covid is rife. Something else to remember.

Yep, well said @sowhatifiam
beentoldcomputersaysno · 07/01/2022 01:45

OP, completely understand your concerns. Things should have been done to reduce the risk in schools. It's really shit they haven't.

CakeRabbit · 07/01/2022 05:46

@MyGreenTutu

The mad thing is that school would close and everyone would get sent home on health and safely grounds if the heating was broken and temperatures fell to a certain level, or if there was no water be wise of a burst main. Your employer has a duty of care for the health and safety of their employees at work - yet not against infectious diseases apparently.
That isn’t true actually. Schools still open if there’s no heating. We’re not allowed to use any heating in my school at the moment and we have windows open too. It’s freezing.

If there’s no water we have to shut because you can’t run kitchens/first aid without water. It’s not arbitrary health and safety rules that causes schools to shut. Mountains of waste and toilet paper quickly build up if you’ve got hundreds of children using a few toilets and nobody can flush.

CakeRabbit · 07/01/2022 05:48

Education staff have been badly affected by long covid. Current rates are higher than in healthcare workers.

There’s already a retention crisis. The government don’t care what affect it will have when children are bounced between supply teachers and temp staff all year.

motherrunner · 07/01/2022 06:25

@TheMoth

I'm sick of the chaos. I'm sick of covering for ill staff. I'm sick of setting work for ill staff. I'm sick of thinking more about the constant changes, often as you walk through the door, than my lessons. I'm sick of not really knowing what's going to happen with my gcse and a level classes. Again. I'm sick of wearing so many layers every day. I'm sick of kids using cv as an excuse not to put much effort in or to excuse poor behaviour. But at the same time, parents and government telling us how much they've missed.

Every half term since Jan 2020 has had disruption of some form. And no doubt in the next couple of years we'll have curriculum change and exam change again. It's wearing.

Exactly.

And add the stress of impending Ofsted inspections on that who want to see ‘Covid recovery’ as if it has ended.

Gingerlovesbiscuits · 07/01/2022 06:43

Yes, we already have five of staff off due to COVID and things are only going to get worse as the term progress with lots of disruption. I’m primary so am working in a room of 30 odd unvaccinated kids without any protections. I’m worried for my vulnerable family members and for my own kids who are too young to be vaccinated, esp as gov corona virus data shows 570 0-5 years olds were hospitalised with the virus in the past week alone! In Europe and other countries like American and Canada, primary kids are vaccinated, wear masks and have HEPA filters. We have nothing. Living with the virus shouldn’t mean doing nothing. It’s airborne and grows exponentially. The sooner we actually take some measures, the less disruption there’ll be and the less people will get sick. The current boom bust approach to virus management has got to stop.

Watapalava · 07/01/2022 07:01

Whilst i have no doubt you are more exposed, its inevitable that everyone will get it. I work with approx 45 people - only 7 haven't had covid yet (not nhs/care).

Sinuhe · 07/01/2022 07:04

I really dislike these our children are toxic threads! You gain nothing from this, all of the 30 toxic children are also in a classroom with 30 potential covid spreaders... Children will suffer from any staff shortages and disruption just like the adults. And so will the families behind them.

At the end of the day we just have to suck it up and get on with it because there isn't a viable alternative.

BustopherPonsonbyJones · 07/01/2022 07:18

Yes, I’m still worried as whilst omicron is (seemingly) milder for most, people are still ending up in a hospital (I know of two people this week, although they weren’t school staff) and our delta-affected school has a small number of people absent again with omicron. Other than those working on Covid wards and dentists, I haven’t seen any other workplace (GPS, offices restaurants, buses, trains, tube workers, shops) where workers have been ‘left to get on with it’ in quite the same way, despite everyone being triple jabbed (or at least having had the opportunity). I’ll be happier when everyone has the same conditions at work: no masks, no screens, no telephone appointments, no WFH, no social distancing guidelines and so on as then I will TRULY believe that it is safe to do so and not just a lie to make it look like society is still functioning - something which is supported by many parents who don’t want schools to close, no matter what the cost is to teachers and TAs.

When it is just one workplace treated like this, I don’t believe it is safe for school staff.

WeDontTalkAboutBrunonono · 07/01/2022 07:29

I think we are going to have our work cut out for us when this is over getting rid of all the health anxiety it has caused in so many people.

rrhuth · 07/01/2022 07:41

@Sinuhe

I really dislike these our children are toxic threads! You gain nothing from this, all of the 30 toxic children are also in a classroom with 30 potential covid spreaders... Children will suffer from any staff shortages and disruption just like the adults. And so will the families behind them. At the end of the day we just have to suck it up and get on with it because there isn't a viable alternative.
Everyone knows the virus spreads rapidly amongst children. The situation in schools is dreadful.

There is a viable alternative, just the government have been able to get away with not investing in schools to limit spread because for some reason I do not understand many parents are happy to accept absolute shit school conditions for their kids.

The number of parents who claim to care about education whilst opposing anything that would help keep education going has really pissed me off.

The only reason we are having to 'suck it up' is because there are so many people who expect so little. It's not good enough for my kids.

rrhuth · 07/01/2022 07:43

@WeDontTalkAboutBrunonono

I think we are going to have our work cut out for us when this is over getting rid of all the health anxiety it has caused in so many people.
Portraying reasonable concern at a lack of government planning compared with other countries as 'health anxiety' is bullshit.
Blubells · 07/01/2022 07:55

There is a viable alternative, just the government have been able to get away with not investing in schools to limit spread because for some reason

Would air filters and other investments really prevent omicron from spreading rapidly? This virus seems so very transmissible that such measures may not do much to prevent kids passing in the virus.

I do not understand many parents are happy to accept absolute shit school conditions for their kids.

Our school is doing a great job and my kids are very happy to be in school. One has exams coming up this summer and the teachers are doing a brilliant job.