Thread 14? Corona Cohort Yr 12 2021 - 'Vaccinations and Eliminations'

[orangecinnamon]

Just place marking for the New Thread!

DDs school tested 700 pupils Thursday/Friday (Y11 & 13 not done as they are doing online exams next week so not in school). Not a single positive test result.

Seeline, is that good? Or just bullshit? What do you think?
So no positive tests? In any child? Returning to school. Across the whole country? Hmmmmm

We've had no positives either. In our huge school........

Allegedly same at DH's school.

I guess we have to assume that is a consequence of lockdown . The second and third tests may be different as behaviours change in households.

@Oblomov20. I've got no reason to think it's bullshit? We are on the edge of London so previously had higher rates, so was just reassured that cases had dropped over lockdown. The school seemed to do a good job at keeping cases very low last term though.
I'm sure cases will be found in other schools though.

It doesn't altogether surprise me that numbers are so low. It's only going to pick up asymptomatic cases as those with symptoms will get tested the normal way and will be SI. Anyone who has a family member who is positive will also be SI. Most kids won't have seen anyone except their immediate families apart from very limited contacts with friends unless they have a pt job.

A friend involved with LFT said they have been told they are reliable at picking the virus up on those with symptoms. But not good for asymptomatic people.

Mine both have to have their first test before starting lessons on the first day, they are being done a form group at a time and I guess they wait on marked spots or similar for the results. Pity the supervising staff.

We’ve been testing since January & no positives either. Obviously smaller numbers up to now. Will see what next week reveals!

I thought I said this here but perhaps on another thread. Researchers tested the ‘school type’ tests on Birmingham Uni students who didn’t have any symptoms and they also made them do the ones you send off in the post and get lab tested. The ‘school type’ tests only picked up 3% of those who continued to be asymptomatic but got a positive with the other test. If a ‘positive’ person does develop symptoms, in other studies they have be shown to get 40-50% of cases. I assume it’s going to pick up more in the older age groups like Yr12 more as I assume the older a child gets, the more likely they are to show symptoms.
That’s why they are doing 3 tests then continuing to do tests I think. The more tests, the higher the probability of getting a positive.
Can you imagine all the probability maths exam questions that are going to be based on virus infection rates in the future?

Tbh I think the rationale behind 3 tests at school is more about getting them to practice under supervision. I have a feeling a lot of parents will struggle with processing the home tests.

I don’t think they will be ‘processed’ because I don’t think they’ll be done at home. I think a few will end up on eBay.

Ours have been told they have to bring an umbrella and wait on the football pitch for half an hour after their test and then they can go in for lessons. Or possibly do a walk of shame if positive to a holding area until someone picks them up. Don’t know what happens if they come on the school bus and their parents don’t drive? I have visions of a poor designated teacher driving them home in full PPE with all the windows down!

@Fiddlersgreen that is an unusual approach. We have a week of testing and nobody can attend lessons without 2 negative tests.

@Piggywaspushed @Monkey2001

It doesn’t seem right to me but I can’t find anything official that applies specifically to colleges and not school 6th form

They ahve always had different rules : eg allowed rotas . So it will be buried somewhere. However, I'd be querying it!

I ahve been watching some online Open Day videos. I honestly thought lecturers might have better, more lively presenting voices!

DS doing a mock trial via Zoom this morning - he’s terrified! 😂

@Piggywaspushed

They ahve always had different rules : eg allowed rotas . So it will be buried somewhere. However, I'd be querying it!

I ahve been watching some online Open Day videos. I honestly thought lecturers might have better, more lively presenting voices!

You definitely get the air of 'why am I bothering / just want to get back to my research' with some.

Some Universities put the most prestigious, instead of the most engaging, in front of cameras. It is really quite silly, especially since some of them spend most of their time doing research projects and getting their lecturing duties bought out.

Yes, this must be why!

I went to a lot of in person gigs with DS1. By far the best was Hull. It was really slick and lots of staff were there. there was a buffet and lecturers came and sat with us and spoke with us (well, not DS who grunted and went pink). The presentations were very good (save the usual annoying parents who thought the whole thing was for them and asked -and ANSWERED!- all the questions!). NTU wheeled out a charismatic presenter, too, to be fair. Hull really does do a good Open Day. OBU was meh and UEA, much as I liked it, was not great.

I forgot Aberystwyth which was quite like Hull (cake!) but the presenters were not as good. Plus, DS hated the place as soon as he arrived so there was much sighing and sulking!

The whole thing sounds very painful, free food and cake sounds better!

Oh yes, cake always helps.

I'm pretty sure that DD chose her secondary school based on the selection of biscuits at the open day!

Biscuits and cakes? We have been going to the wrong open days!

I think there was free tea at Sheffield accommodation, but other than that, a lot of university branded canvas bags (we have Leicester, Newcastle and 2 Cambridge) and syringe pens (for medics). St Andrews gave us stress balls, we chose a smily one for me and a grumpy one for DS1.

DS2 chose sixth form which did not require suits because......... they did not require suits! But it has been the right choice for him

I've been missing out on open days and choices. Where I grew up we had to choose secondary schools. But where we live now all the primaries feed into one catchment secondary. There is a nearer secondary but it's over the border. The most annoying thing is that free transport is provided to the catchment secondary in Suffolk. But when they go to 6th form they have to get transport to the nearest 6th form, so that is the one across the border. So transport on the school bus is refused. There is no transport to the nearest secondary as all the buses go to the one in the Suffolk. It's so stupid. Anyway...both ds's just carried on 6th form at their secondaries. They all do the same round here for A levels.

Ds1 only wanted to go to UEA our nearest university. So we did an open day there. Plus Essex as he wanted to try one other (he regrets staying so near to home now, though he does live there) So we've not done much in the way of open days.

Back to 6th form today for ds2. I think he's looking forward to it. But he's not going to want to get up.

Ds3 has one more day online. I hope they all enjoy their return.