What will happen with schools from Friday?

[Kabs30]

No pcrs!
No free lfts!

I have a couple boxes of lft's for now but when they run out, I won't be able to afford to buy them every time my kids have cold like symptoms. Plus let's face it, lft's aren't overly accurate so a negative lft does not mean someone hasn't got covid either.

are we just treating it as an illness as we would before covid? Keep them off if too unwell and send them back with better. Send them in with mild sniffles?

Covid is quite high at my kids school at the minute!

So this answers the question:

Children and young people who are unwell and have a high temperature should stay at home and avoid contact with other people, where they can. They can go back to school, college or childcare when they no longer have a high temperature, and they are well enough to attend.

www.gov.uk/government/news/government-sets-out-next-steps-for-living-with-covid

@carefullycourageous

Presumably pretty much everyone who has not yet had Omicron BA.2 will get it, they will pass it on, their parents will feel rough and some of their grandparents will die.

This and I’m fucking angry about it.

@Lilaclavenders

Teachers are getting ill (probably due to a high viral load) and as nothing is being done to change conditions, this will continue.

Nothing can be done. But every wave eventually subsides.

Subsequent waves will hopefully be smaller as more people will have antibodies from previous infections and vaccines.

But it’s been shown not to be the case even with this latest variant? Vaccines yes to some extent but not previous infection.

The issue is that the scientists are saying it’s not over. Politicians are. Why are we trusting the politicians 🤷🏻‍♀️

“Just roll with it rather than expect there is some end point.”

Professor Chris Whitty. 24 March 2022.

I’m not remotely anti vaxx nor a covid denier. I was front of the queue for my vaccines & I’ll happily take more that are offered. I’ve followed all the rules, I have an ECV parent & I’m at moderately increased risk with quite bad asthma. I’ve had covid 3x and I’ve been left with parosmia which is bloody miserable & depressing.

I’m in favour of getting on with life. A paradox I know 🙃 personally, I’d veer on the side of maybe keeping PCRs for now but lateral flows are a horrific waste of plastic & we are one of the only countries who gives these out for free. It can’t last forever. They can go.

[quote enterparentone]So this answers the question:

Children and young people who are unwell and have a high temperature should stay at home and avoid contact with other people, where they can. They can go back to school, college or childcare when they no longer have a high temperature, and they are well enough to attend.

www.gov.uk/government/news/government-sets-out-next-steps-for-living-with-covid[/quote]
In one part says they can go back to school if they are well enough, but in another says advisable to avoid others if have symptoms.
'Children and young people who are unwell and have a high temperature should stay at home and avoid contact with other people, where they can. They can go back to school, college or childcare when they no longer have a high temperature, and they are well enough to attend.’

and…

‘That is why it is sensible to wear a mask in enclosed spaces, keep indoor spaces ventilated and stay away from others if you have any symptoms of a respiratory illness, including Covid.’

@BeenToldComputerSaysNo

Classic clear as mud advice as we have come to expect.

Really helpful guidance that. Yes, do do it, but, well don't do it, at the same time.

Bit like Boris saying don't worry about wearing a mask if you know the people - but do pop it on if you're with strangers in a tube train.

Yeah cause the virus knows to avoid jumping to you from a friend or family member - or indeed fellow employee having cheese and champers - but rubs its little hands with glee if you mingle with those you don't know.

A fine scientific mind at work there.

I don't really care whether everyone does exactly the same things but I wish people would just try a little bit. Opening a window here and there - staying away from people (even if work is unavoidable) when we've got cold symptoms - maybe a mask in a supermarket once in a while? Even if people don't do all of them, if we all do some of them it will help to reduce infections a bit in our local areas. That could make the difference between a week's worth of GCSE revision sessions going ahead or not going ahead because a teacher is ill. Or between someone who's waiting for chemotherapy getting it this week or next week. Covid is so much more disruptive than 'just a cold' would be for education. A significant number of people are much iller, and there's far more of it about. We are kidding ourselves if we think we can just ignore it.

@JohnPrescottsPyjamas

“Just roll with it rather than expect there is some end point.”

Professor Chris Whitty. 24 March 2022.

He said

Let’s have no illusions about that. I’m expecting it to be probably – in the UK – seasonal but interspersed at least for the next two or three years by new variants … I think we should just accept that is what we’re going to deal with and just roll with it rather than expect some end point

So we have to deal with it, not ignore it and act like it doesn’t exist by stopping proper testing and doing fuck all about ventilation and throwing people to the risk of long covid.

I'm sure that if you post in a local Facebook group asking for LFTs so you can visit your parents in a care home, you'll be overwhelmed with offers. I imagine a lot of people have them stockpiled who don't need them. We have one box in case we need them but I'd happily give someone a couple if they asked.

And yes, flu is a serious illness n and I felt grotty for several weeks after having the Millennium flu bug. As for covid, I know some fit youngish people who've felt quite grotty afterwards. But I've not had it, none of my family have had it, and it doesn't sound like any of DH's wider family have had it. But none of us have school-age kids, which seems to be the common denominator with those who catch it.

I also think people should continue to wear masks indoors if they can.

@yellowsuninthesky

I also think people should continue to wear masks indoors if they can.

PMSL

The gift that keeps on giving.

?

my DCs independent school is still asking for twice weekly LF testing and home isolation when positive.

I think maybe this is it now. You take time off work because one of your children is ill with covid, then you take time off work because the other one is ill with covid, then you take time off work because the youngest's class or year has been sent home because the school staff are ill with covid, then you take time off work because the eldest's class or year has been sent home because the school staff are ill with covid, then you take time off work because you yourself are ill with covid, and repeat it all again next year or maybe even next term.
How long before employers decide employing parents is a bad idea?

@TheRealityCheque

Laugh a minute on here isn’t it 😂

@SulaSA

I despair. I am so ill with COVID eight weeks after infection. I'm now on reduced hours from my headship. I just can't get well.

I've no breath, I can't sleep, awful smell of smoke, feel as if I'm choking.
My skin is horrendous with what looks like open burns, on my face in four different patches and on my body. My GP has told me COVID can damage the skin's barrier to infection.

I used to run, now I struggle to walk more than 1k...unless I get better COVID will end my career.

I feel so discounted - 'get on with life, COVID is no more than a cold'. Oh how I wish that were true.

So sorry to hear that you are still this ill @SulaSA

One of my Directors has had to sign off work for a year, he is so unwell post COVID infection. His breathing has also been affected very badly. He is in a very fortunate position that a year off won’t jeopardise his career or financial stability.

I hope you recover soon, it must be quite a shock to go from being so healthy to being so unwell.