Study in the time of COVID-19 (2019/20 intake): online learning, the rule of six and who knows what's next? Anything could happen!

[NewModelArmyMayhem18]

Following on from the previous thread as our young adults start their second year at universities up and down the land (and some overseas too!).

@Monica53 try to just take things a day at a time as it's impossible to have any clear handle on what might happen even a week hence at the moment. It's feasible that there will be a vaccine within six months. Things are changing on a daily basis. We know that generally young people have COVID-19 mildly so in a sense that is reassuring for while they're away. By Christmas, you'd like to think that if the levels of infection/positive test predictions are correct, many more of us will have had it too (if we've not already done so) so their spreading of it might not be anywhere near as bad as current thinking (by some) may suggest.

I guess we'll have to cross the bridge of students mingling all over the UK when it gets to December.

@bengalcat Mine is back at college today helping see the new freshers in too.

@Monica53 I feel your anxiety. I'm not particularly worried about students and Christmas as that's still ages away and government have not fully appreciated how frequently students return home before end of term. I feel more concerned for the absolute loss of control second time round. I'm turning down social invitations and being very careful with hygiene, my poor hands are in a bad way....

@Jano69 @bengalcat My DD also up early helping freshers settle in - says it is great fun!
Glad to hear the govt is going to ‘let’ our kids come home at the end of term. They really need to take the pressure off our poor children - my DD said the police are driving round the viaduct area in vans literally scaring the living daylight out of her friends. I do feel it would be a far better use of scant police resources if they focused on crime prevention rather than terrorising our kids.

Just taken DD16 for a covid test. She’s had a cold all week but now a new cough. I had to google to see whether we had to self isolate and yes the whole household has to. Not told at test centre on in any of the texts/emails they sent. Makes me wonder how many people carry on going to work when a family member is awaiting results.

@Baytreemum Lots of MN offspring doing their freppers but then, DS hasn't mentioned the police sirens but I don't think it would phase him.

@Benjispruce2 sorry to hear you're all in isolation until DD2's test result is known. These are truly stressful times...

I think quite a lot do Benji and those that know they shouldn't minimise symptoms and avoid tests. It's a bit of a disaster waiting to happen...

DS now has a stinking cold which I am observing. No temp, no cough, can't smell because of blocked nose. He is rarely ill . So far, DH and I are fine, but as DH is vulnerable we are sitting far away from each other!

The bit in the current gov rhetoric that bothers me is their various flow charts urging parents to send kids with colds in to school. Classic British presenteeism. No one wants the colds either!! It adds to illness, but also anxiety, at the moment.

If DS still snotty tomorrow, I guess it's a day off. He had his first ever Lemsip (blackcurrant actually) and was NOT enamoured.

Sorry, should have made it clear that was my DS2 16 year old, too!

Good luck with your DS2, Benji.

DS1 has broken phone AGAIN. You couldn't make it up...

If any of your DCs are Frepping at Durham, a big thank you from a new student’s mum for making drop off so painless, happy and (for want of a better word) normal!!

Oh no @Piggywaspushed.... sorry to hear of another family in an anxious situation with good reason to be. I agree with the your analysis of the governments rhetoric regarding common colds.

@KingscoteStaff - that's is lovely feedback, thank you. I hope Durham have learnt from recent events and do a better job of freshers week.

If a child has a manageable common cold why would you not send them in to school? Having a cold doesn't make you more likely to catch covid. I never kept them home unless they had a temperature, and runny nose isn't a covid symptom. If all DC with colds are expected to stay home at this time of year school will be empty.

Yes but if they have a cough or fever, it needs to be checked. Some parents are saying that because a cold is present, the cough can’t be Covid, but we just don’t know that. Children have milder symptoms.

Btw a runny nose isn’t on our list of symptoms but many people do have only that as a symptom.

There are a lot more than usual and the colds are definitely bigger colds. I wasn't suggesting it made them more likely to catch covid, just that we could do without every other bug laying everyone low!

If someone is ill, rest is what is routinely prescribed...

To put it in perspective, DS has 100% attendance since about year 5 so I am not a keep them at home for a small sniffle type! But there are kids in school at the moment with stonking colds and it is spreading like wildfire because they don't wash their hands!. Attendance is really low.

Under normal circumstances I send mine in with minor colds. But ds3 (age 11) had a cold a week or so ago. It started on the Saturday. No cough or temp. I kept him off Monday simply because so many of his peers had had colds and their parents had sent off for covid tests. They were negative. But I just thought keeping him off might stop him passing the cold on and more parents panicking. Maybe he should have gone in 🤷‍♀️

@KingscoteStaff - thanks - the hatters freps have been working their socks off and the freshers seem to be having a good time!
@Benjispruce2 - sorry to hear about your DD - hope the test comes back negative

I do see the potential for immune systems being weaker as a result of having a cold, and I always kept mine home if they were feverish, but parents sending DC for covid tests when they have just a cold has been blamed for the shortage of tests.

You can’t get a test for just a cold though. You have to have one of the 3 main symptoms. DD has a cough. She also has a cold but as a GP friend told me, having a cold does not mean you can’t catch Covid.

My son got a test because he panicked that his best friends brother had a positive test and he'd been out for dinner with the brother. It was before the schools went back and the tests became hard to get. I told him to wait to see if his friend tested positive first. But he wouldn't, all his friends told him to get one. So I think a few weeks ago it was quite easy to get a test. So I expect ds3's peers got tests for colds quite easily a few weeks ago. But that is one of the reasons there is such a shortage of tests.
But as the same time I can see why people are worrying. Someone on our local Facebook group had her child sent home with a runny nose. School said he had a temperature, but the mum had taken it and it was fine. School wouldn't have him back without a test. She ordered a test to prove them wrong and was shocked it was positive. His only symptom was a runny nose. She said if he had a temp. it must've been for an hour or so. After reading that it made me realise why so many are getting tests for children.

Basically, we need more test capacity. The BBC reported only 1% of tests in young children cam back positive but there are all sorts of reasons for those The number of tests that came back positive in teens was roughly the same as for any age group.

They’re talking about a third wave now and it becoming endemic with lockdown not working.

Does anyone have a DC who is an only child?

DD is an only, and loves her house share friends, but she has asked to come home for a weekend before lectures start as she just wants some breathing space on her own.

I'm not sure it's a good idea as she is in Newcastle, and now our postcode has been flagged as high risk on the NHS Covid app.

@ginfordinner DD in Newcastle not an only, but a natural loner. Has Covid in Newcastle so wouldn't come home at the moment. DS has also promised not to come back before Christmas.

@Ginfordinner, how long has she been there? Did she come back regularly last year before lockdown?