covid / other illnesses going through schools

[K73c]

Hi - I know it is that time of year where all the bugs are making the rounds especially in schools but I wondering how much this autumn is covid? I had it August (before the surge) & extremely fatigued still. Teen daughter ill but neg covid (odd range symptoms). Hearing from family who are teachers that a lot of staff and kids are off; i just sense in the media it's being hushed and the gov def going to play it down. But the long covid thing is a real thing and just wondered how bad it is at the mo around the country. I'm in Hampshire.

Of course there's stuff that can be done to reduce levels and viral load. Choosing not to is different. On what grounds is doing nothing a better choice?

It helps some people pretend "covid is just a cold now"

Right up to the point that it puts their own kids back on online learning because of teacher sickness.

Whether the government like it or not Covid is still very disruptive to our daily lives and our economy. Gatwick has cancelled flights due to staff sickness, lots of workplaces are short staffed anyway so having several off sick or WFH to avoid spreading it among colleagues will impact the business. I wish it would just piss off.

Class-ACT study of HEPA filtration in Bradford schools.

The study showed over 20% reduction in illness rates in the HEPA arm v non HEPA in a period including the UK's Alpha wave.

corsirosenthalfoundation.org.uk/articles/class-act/

You don't have to apologise! Of course there do exist some very wealthy schools that can afford all manner of unattainable luxuries (like clean air 🤣🤣)

Ps I'm a teacher - it's almost impossible to offend me.

The thing is after a cold even a bad one, I don't expect I will be chronically fatigued unable to do much for weeks after . Had it mid Aug for 2nd time, seemed to bounce back last time, but this time extremely fatigued every day still and it's been 6 wks. It's horrendous

Try taking Floradix, pharmacist recommended it to me as covid depletes B vitamins, it made a huge difference. Others have said the same - worth a try.

My kid's teacher currently has it as do several kids in different classes at the school. However, as their parents are no longer required to keep them at home, most of them are in school so will presumably be spreading it further in the coming days..... it's the perfect storm which will inevitably lead to these kids having long-term health problems after multiple infections and it doesn't seem like there's anything we can do about it......

At least 10% off at my ds secondary school. Letter to parents saying don't send kids in ill.... Depressing that no measures - like ventilation - are being taken. I've noticed a couple of shops (Post Office, Holland & Barrrett) have their doors wedged open, that's it.

As if the government would spend all that money on HEPA for a 20% reduction in infection rates.

They spent money updating air in government buildings such as DfE, ministry of defence, parliament.

HEPA also helps improve concentration and reduce asthma and allergies. Obviously there are positive knock on effects - reduced short and long term illness on workforce, health, mental health and economy. I think Lib Dems did an estimate that it would cost 1/2 of the cost of the royal yacht.

Ironically the filters the government recommended to schools were quite expensive (dyson) and poorly recommended by Which.

I know of a few cases of students and staff having it so far this term, but most people just aren’t testing.

The council has told staff that it will be counted the same as any other illness in terms of absence management, so people are worried about facing disciplinaries for absence. There’s inspections on the horizon for most schools, and the government is keen for schools to push attendance back up to where it was pre-pandemic. With all that to consider I don’t think I’d want to test either.

It's such a batshit mindset from them.

Most of the illness going around right currently is likely to be Covid, whether you test or not. The UKHSA is now doing a shared dashboard for all respiratory viruses, and it's pretty obvious from the data that at the moment Covid is pretty much the only virus in high circulation. Regardless of governmental denial, in the long run I think it will be impossible to continue treating Covid like "everything else" because it's not like everything else. It's an illness with no seasonal pattern and serious after-effects for a significant proportion of people.
https://ukhsa-dashboard.data.gov.uk/

An idea for teachers: if appropriate for the subject and age you're teaching, you could build Corsi-Rosenthal boxes with the pupils as a science/engineering workshop. https://engineering.ucdavis.edu/news/science-action-how-build-corsi-rosenthal-box

Rife here at the moment but so are normal colds and flu.

I currently have flu 🤧 and praying I now don't pick up covid with my immune system already fighting this

Colds have been extending for years, i clearly remember in 2018 going to the doctors on week 4 of a virus and being told 'they last 4/5weeks now' and then commenting when family members had the same.

I'm ill now, partner and everyone at his workplace has been, daughter has, mum at the other end of the country and all her colleagues - none of us covid positive

I work on a ward ( non medical) the swabs we do for respiratory symptoms were coming back with know cold viruses like Rhino, nothing or covid. However last couple of weeks RSV seems to going up which is totally normal this time of year. I haven’t seen one patient test positive for flu yet… so if you you think you have ‘flu’ it’s probably not.

i dont think its being hushed - it is on the rise, it is autumn so it is to be expected.
it is about
we have to work round it though - you dont need to test for it.