Scottish schools opening

[chocciechocface]

I was ready for schools opening, but this new research has given me pause for thought. I think this came out after Sturgeon's decision. What do you all think?

www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/07/31/georgia-children-covid-outbreak/#click=t.co/Y9gSG9zENz

Quote from the article:

"A new report suggests that children of all ages are susceptible to coronavirus infection and may also spread it to others — a finding likely to intensify an already fraught discussion about the risks of sending children back to school this fall.

The analysis, released Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, details an outbreak at a sleep-away camp in Georgia last month in which 260 children and staffers — more than three-quarters of the 344 tested — contracted the virus less than a week after spending time together in close quarters. The children had a median age of 12. The camp had required all 597 campers and staff members to provide documentation that they had tested negative for the virus before coming. Staff were required to wear masks, but children were not."

I've come to the conclusion that the only thing I can do is check temps. DC1 is pretty tough about showing fevers. Neither preschool nor I picked up on a 40 degree fever until I checked before her MMR vaccine that was due that afternoon 🙈.

Doesn't often pick up colds, so hope she'll keep that up - although I expect a fair few 1 day absences with her brother needing to be tested (not going to be fun a second time!!!)

Three pupils have been diagnosed tonight at my children’s school. Not in their class but school is open as normal tomorrow with the affected classes being told to stay at home. They will all get tested on Wednesday and can only return after a negative test and no symptoms.

Must admit it has spooked me slightly. I want them to go to school and I will send them but I’m nervous.

Are you in a cluster area or is this a big shock Join?

Of course you will be spooked. Do your DC know yet?

@IncludeWomenInTheSequel

"I am seriously pissed off the DC are sick within two weeks of school starting. It suggests to me that someone sent in a sniffly child"

Thing is though - are we really expecting people to keep kids home every time they have a runny nose? FWIW I did keep mine home last week, but given that they're fine apart from very mild cold symptoms, they have to go back now!

People will lose their jobs in droves if they're expected to keep them home every time their children demonstrably have a cold and not Covid.

I agree with Lidl: "None of us can self diagnose if this is to work."

I really think we all have to either flexibly manage the situation - including employers - and accept kids are going to be home with their sniffles. Or it really won't be long until we're back into full time homeschooling again, which is far worse.

@Jointheteam

Three pupils have been diagnosed tonight at my children’s school. Not in their class but school is open as normal tomorrow with the affected classes being told to stay at home. They will all get tested on Wednesday and can only return after a negative test and no symptoms.

Must admit it has spooked me slightly. I want them to go to school and I will send them but I’m nervous.

That's really tough team. Have you been told how it has been contained?

But why are we keeping our kids home with sniffles? I'm not being goady in any way - I actually don't have a set stance on this so I'm just just typing to think.

A cold isn't Coronavirus; a kid with a headache and sore ears doesn't have a respiratory infection. What choice is there but to make your best guess as a parent, when you can't get tested as easily as the briefings and adverts would have you believe?

But as soon as a temperature features you have a symptom. And you cannot ignore that. I found it very easy to get a test and don't have symptoms . When did you experience a hard time getting one?

Neither of mine have temps so I was told last Thursday they don't need tests or to isolate. I was really looking for reassurance that I could send them back to school safely and not spreading Coronavirus, but without a temp, cough, or loss of taste/smell it was a flat no.

In fact the woman on the phone was pretty clear I was wildly overreacting. 🤷🏻‍♀️

We had no trouble booking a test even if the temperature was kind of marginal. I don't really want to risk it being coronavirus. What is less clear to me is if I have to report a negative result to the school. The only indication that I might have to was from the test communication but it was very vague...

Fortunately my school aged DC only shows signs of illness with something properly nasty. She had a cough for ages in January (as did her entire class and most of the pareo), couple of ear infections (discharge on pillow type obvious) or she had a temperature - she doesn't seem to get noticeable sniffles. DC2 is more prone to sniffles, had a cough from September onwards, but seems to run a temperature really easily, so I guess I have a canary in the family...

Hopefully there will be less general illness, more handwashing and fewer toys to share might reduce the number of sick bugs (please please please - as they are her Achilles heel - we have yet to pass a fluid challenge without ondansetron which is not ideal!)

They will all get tested on Wednesday and can only return after a negative test and no symptoms
If their classmate tested negative at the end of this week then isn't there a risk of testing the class too early? iirc there was research from John Hopkins that said if tests were carried out too soon then they could show false negatives.

@IncludeWomenInTheSequel

But why are we keeping our kids home with sniffles? I'm not being goady in any way - I actually don't have a set stance on this so I'm just just typing to think.

A cold isn't Coronavirus; a kid with a headache and sore ears doesn't have a respiratory infection. What choice is there but to make your best guess as a parent, when you can't get tested as easily as the briefings and adverts would have you believe?

Because if they pass on a cough to 5 other kids, that's 5 kids, potentially 10 parents and however many siblings that need to stay off work/school and isolate for 24-48 hours until those 5 kids get test results back.

I went online to book a test this morning and got one for me while I was getting my son who has a temperature checked. I figured if I was driving him there I might as well get tested. Ended up taking husband and other son with me as it said to have an extra adult with you if possible for the test. When we got there they recommended we all got tested even without symptoms so it’s very easy to get a test from what I can see.
I think the best thing is just to book an online test with any symptom that could possibly be coronavirus and yes we will all need to keep our kids home more than normal which is a pain but what else can you do.

But if they pass on a runny nose and an earache, none of these are cv symptoms so shouldn't require isolation surely? I thought (although I know other symptoms can appear) it was just the big three that required isolation and testing.

(Again, not being goady, just interested.)

The list of COVID symptoms is very long though. Our school highlights three in particular, but sore throat is a symptom on the ZOE app; so is 'scratchy/ light sensitive eyes', headaches etc. I wouldn't want to risk being responsible for someone else being seriously ill if all I have to do is keep the kids home a little. Nor do I want someone else to go through the anxiety we have - with DH's health - worrying it's COVID.

Honestly, if the children keep coming home sick, we're going to have to take them out of school.

@waitforitwaitforit

But if they pass on a runny nose and an earache, none of these are cv symptoms so shouldn't require isolation surely? I thought (although I know other symptoms can appear) it was just the big three that required isolation and testing.

(Again, not being goady, just interested.)

True, but some kids will often get a temp with an earache. My DC seems to always get a bad cough with a cold, even if no one else in the house does. There is a big overlap in symptoms.

Also, DC will often just have a runny nose for the first few days of a cold, but then it develops into a cough or temp. By that point he could have already passed it on. And yes, it's just a cold. But it is passing on stress, inconvenience and anxiety to other people along with a cough.

This conversation proves how shambolic the whole thing is, really.

It's not shambolic at all. We have a set of symptoms to be wary of and a procedure of what to do if we see them. Some people are being extra cautious and are keeping their children home for any sign of illness. There might be a bit of uncertainty of who to tell what but I'm sure with time we'll get to know all the details. The test centres are quick and efficient.
Even with blended learning we'd still have the same issues just a lower risk. 12 or 24 kids you'd still have some coming home with a cold.

This conversation proves how shambolic the whole thing is, really
Yy when you break it down, it's as though the schools have been reopened by people who have never met any children or teens or been inside schools.
There's no social distancing and DCs get ill all the time. Every teacher and every parent knows that coughs and temps run rampant through schools from Sept onwards.

Re being tested for a cold which is in the "probably not" box. If the first member of the class to get the suspect sniffle tests negative then does it reassure everyone else when they get the same sniffle a fortnight later?

Nice that the outbreaks are already being blamed on teachers not following social distancing guidelines out of school.....

But that's the issue: you can't get tested for cold symptoms, but there are people on here furious that kids are going to school with runny noses.

As far as I can see, if your kid has a very mild cold and can't be tested, there is no more reason to keep them home than in any other year.

Now, I've kept DD home today with her cold, but I'm 'lucky' enough to have been made redundant so I'm around for such eventualities. What about working parents who don't have it so easy? It's isn't as clear cut as get a cold, get a test, get back to school at all.

Nice that the outbreaks are already being blamed on teachers not following social distancing guidelines out of school....
If it's any consolation, I've had a few texts from friends/family about this and we're all saying the same - it's nonsense to blame this on teacher's actions outside school.
It's also only an excuse they can use for so long. It's only been a week and it's already wearing thin.
Does anyone know what the policy is if someone tests positive? Do they need to wait until symptoms recede then get tested again before they're allowed to return to school?

Do they not just stay off for 10 days and as long as temperature/symptoms have gone they can go back?