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Original poster

1 teacher, 2 supply teachers and 15 kids off with Covid in one class

51 replies

AlJalilia · 13/03/2022 20:00

My DD is one of only 7 children currently in her class. They are dropping like flies. The teacher caught it, then the supply teacher, then the second supply teacher... the school are doing all they can to reduce the spread (including mandating masks) but it’s not working.

Previously we only had 2 cases in the entire school. What’s going on?

OP posts:
NightmareLoon · 13/03/2022 20:01

Immune naive population and a highly contagious virus?

Original poster
AlJalilia · 13/03/2022 20:06

They’ve had to redeploy the specialist teachers to teach the grade classes. If it gets any worse, they’re going to have to close the school.

Is anybody else experiencing this with their children’s school?

OP posts:
Needcoffeecoffeecoffee · 13/03/2022 20:08

@AlJalilia

My DD is one of only 7 children currently in her class. They are dropping like flies. The teacher caught it, then the supply teacher, then the second supply teacher... the school are doing all they can to reduce the spread (including mandating masks) but it’s not working.

Previously we only had 2 cases in the entire school. What’s going on?

Restrictions being lifted all at once to cover up "partygate" so people not testing or isolating. Grant's stopping which supported people to isolate all with a highly contagious new virus
Original poster
AlJalilia · 13/03/2022 20:12

@Needcoffeecoffeecoffee we have to do twice weekly LFTs and email in the results. Then on Friday they sent all the kids home for PCR tests.

OP posts:
m030978 · 13/03/2022 20:16

We recently had half the class off. 14 in , 14 ill.
The school had over 1/4 total children off ill.

Still didn't close.

3 weeks later, it seems to have blown through for now.

Original poster
AlJalilia · 13/03/2022 20:21

@m030978 good to hear it’s blown over for you guys. Hopefully it will be the same for us.

OP posts:
LollyLol · 13/03/2022 20:23

Yeah it swept through; at one point about two-thirds of the kids in my DD's year were off school with positive covid. After about 3 weeks, all done. Everyone is fine again now.

MyBookShelf · 13/03/2022 20:24

Hardly surprising, I'm afraid. "Living with Covid" means people are going to catch it as it's a highly contagious virus. Add that adults are often more unwell than children, and disruptions to teaching are going to happen.
We have had vastly more staff off in the last couple of months than at any other point. Sadly most of our staff have been pretty unwell, so couldn't even teach if isolations hadn't been enforced, and two have even been hospitalised.
I was off for over a month and am on a reduced timetable as a phased return as I struggle to get through even a teaching morning.

monicagellerbing · 13/03/2022 20:28

No covid cases at our primary school at the moment however norovirus is absolutely tearing through. Loads of kids off with it

Kage30 · 13/03/2022 20:31

DD's class and then the rest of the school was hit badly back in jan, in DD's class 20 out of 25 had it, including Dd and the teacher. Two ta's missed it and held ship in the class! Multiple outbreaks across the school too. The school had barely any cases during the whole pandemic prior to January.

This was January and since then things have been fine. It was a couple weeks of back to bubbles, extra cleaning and testing etc. Then it all eased off again and there has been very few cases since.

So outbreaks can be managed with the right steps!

Waxonwaxoff0 · 13/03/2022 20:42

DS's teacher hasn't ever been off with Covid. The highest number of pupils off in the class at one time has been 3. Currently there are 2 off. I'm not testing DS.

MyBookShelf · 13/03/2022 20:48

"DS's teacher hasn't ever been off with Covid."
Don't count your chickens @Waxonwaxoff0 Wink - that was me until a few weeks ago, and many teachers at my school, then it hit us!

DobbyTheHouseElk · 13/03/2022 20:55

It hit the school suddenly and 1/3 of the class were off. Teacher, headteacher. It seemed to take everyone out. I assume those who didn’t get it were asymptomatic.

Then it went away…now it’s back. Ripping through the classes again. So we had February pre half term outbreak and now 4 weeks later, it’s back.

Timeturnerplease · 13/03/2022 20:57

I’m on mat leave at the moment but just got a message on the staff Whatsapp that they’ve got confirmed outbreaks in three year groups this weekend. Single form entry primary in a tiny Victorian building so not much wiggle room if staff now catch it. No supply teachers to be found in our area so it’ll be rubbish for the children if their attendance is disrupted once again with covid.

CakeAmbushAlert · 13/03/2022 21:01

Hit my DCs primary class in December it was down to 6 in school (some may have stayed off to avoid catching/isolating for Xmas). This week third of class and teacher off with Covid so about a 3month interval for a class 'wave'.

onetwothreeadventure · 13/03/2022 21:05

My eldest had 13 off in his class of 17 three weeks ago. The teaching staff didn't get it and it remained open throughout. All the children are back now, I think most of them had cold symptoms.

HairyScaryMonster · 13/03/2022 21:25

It's officially less deadly than flu.

Scottishgirl85 · 13/03/2022 21:28

You say 'dropping like flies'. Are they actually ill or just off due to isolation guidance?

UnmentionedElephantDildo · 13/03/2022 21:35

Rates up ap 56% on rolling 7 day basis (last updated Friday)

458.7 per 100k - up from under 350 less than a week ago.

Numbers of tests fell slightly in same period, so that's definitely a real increase, not an artefact of testing.

Hospital admissions and deaths also up.

If vaccine protection wears off after 4-6 months, and there were lots of people whose last jab was in October, then that could account for some of the rise too.

RoseAndRose · 13/03/2022 21:35

@HairyScaryMonster

It's officially less deadly than flu.
Link?
Original poster
AlJalilia · 13/03/2022 21:38

@Scottishgirl85 tested positive on PCR.

OP posts:
fizzypiggy · 13/03/2022 21:40

My DS school has stopped the daily reporting on classes with cases (notifications on a school app) so I have no idea really the extent of it right now.

I do know though, that since then my DS and then me have tested positive for the first time. Usually we'd get 5-10 class notifications a day (school of 400ish).

My DS teacher has had Covid twice since September.

Scottishgirl85 · 13/03/2022 21:43

And herein lies the problem. The isolation requirement is now out of proportion to the disease in the majority of cases. Roll on April when most routine testing should end.

Zolla · 13/03/2022 22:31

And yet, my DD has just had it & despite zero isolation (she’s 4) and sharing a bed with us & kissing her younger sister, sharing food with her etc.. none of the rest of us have caught it. Negative PCRs for all of us on day 4 of DD1’s symptoms, daily negative lateral flows & no symptoms!

There is def something in the superspreader theory. Clearly my DD isn’t one. Me either as I also didn’t pass onto a single family member nor grandparents when I had it last year either.. I didn’t isolate as we have very young kids & I think it’s a bit ridiculous/cruel to do so!

But I agree with PP, I bet most of the kids aren’t remotely poorly & there is no need for them to all be off school. My DD has just missed a weeks education for no reason. It’s frustrating.

echt · 14/03/2022 03:41

@Scottishgirl85

And herein lies the problem. The isolation requirement is now out of proportion to the disease in the majority of cases. Roll on April when most routine testing should end.
And this is a good thing how?