Schools might not go back after the holiday - yippee!

[Chrysanthemums]

I just heard this on Sky news, which I don't normally watch but the dc's had it on somehow by mistake.

They said that in order to prevent it spreading further they might not open schools again in September. I wondered if this was being reported anywhere else and what people think about it.

I'm pleased as anything that makes it less likely people who are compromised or pregnant etc will catch it, is great.

I know most of us don't need to panic but those people are more at risk and therefore it merits a measure of effort to control it as far as possible, IMO.

I think the schools have been containing it to a degreee.
I heard that 'they; are worried tabouthte spread now the schools are closing....
I don't feel too hot myself

Well i hope they will be issuing prescriptions of valium of the kids are off any longer than 6 weeks.

the country will grind to a halt if people cannot go to work as their children are not in school or childcare

Oh I hadn't thought of it like that Popsy. D'you reckon?

There was an eminent virologist saying he thought the school hols would provide some respite. I think when people are crammed into enclosed spaces ie schools, there's far more chance of spread.

Sounds like media-induced hysteria to me.

Good point Lulu - although, is that necessarily so? Might we find more ways to adapt?

Well I sincerely hope they don't close or I will have no way of earning any money and supporting DS and I.

doubt it. my DD starts full time school in september, if schools are closed , i can't go to work. i am sure lots of people are in the same position.

I can't see it happening.

I am a teacher and this is what we were told hthis morning a=fter our probable first case of swie flu amongst the staff....

we had a letter from our school saying that they are xpecting cases to increase and asking if children get it ti keep them off but siblings can go in

cant sdee schools staying closed though

we had a letter from our school saying that they are xpecting cases to increase and asking if children get it ti keep them off but siblings can go in

Sorry to hear you aren't feeling great Popsycal.

I had heard from a lady who works in a school that they had been told to prepare for a school being closed for a few weeks in the autumn. Would be an absolute nightmare for many parents but I can't imagine that 'they' would do this unless they really thought the benefits of slowing it down outweighed the huge problems it would cause.

Models of Pandemic flu do seem to show that if schools are shut then both the peak of infection and the rate of infection are reduced. I think they are seriously concerned about keeping basic services going if too many go down with it at once.

should do. While its not mutated then yes probably. If/when it does mutate then infections should be milder and should have some protection depending on far it shifts.

Sorry that you have diagnosis though, hope its a mild one for you.

It's a ridiculous idea.
We have already been told at work that our priority must be to deliver the service, rather than stay at home looking after dependents (unless they are very ill of course). I can see people having to take unpaid parental leave.

Actually, when dd2 saw the children's nurse re swine flu, she said that there was some concern that when schools go back, there will be a mass outbreak of it again.

Like when they go back and they all get colds/tummy bugs etc?

There are research papers comparing flu epidemics in the US for states/towns where schools were closed and those where they weren't. The fatality rate was significantly lower in those where schools were closed.

I do hope HR depts will be sympathetic though: what are working parents supposed to do to cope?

I'd have thought vaccinating the kids while actually at school, first week back would be a better idea myself

But I was told today (by DS' asthma nurse) that two doses of vaccine are needed for full immunity WMMC, so that wouldn't work to limit spread in the community which would surely be the main objective?

Wmmc - I don't think there will be a vaccine ready by then unfortunately. WHO say there won't be an approved one til the end of the year and they are also having manufacturing problems - getting much less than they needed so WHO are supplying them with a slightly different variant of the virus to see if that grows better.
Perhaps thats why they are considering keeping the schools closed (if indeed they are) - to try and wait til there is a vaccine??

It's a difficult situation. Work have produced contingency plans eg minimum numbers of staff to provide essential services, who can work from home, who will be available to support other departments, that kind of thing. I should imagine this is going on across the business world. If you remove great chunks of fit people from the workforce for the sole purpose of caring for their own school-aged children, services will grind to a halt. It's a different matter if parents are off only when absolutely necessary, ie when their child is ill.

I'm glad its not my responsibility to decide!