Coronavirus and schools

[21TonyK]

Having planned, re-planned, scrapped those and planned again we're going to whole hog.

New building opening in September for 30+ extremely vulnerable kids with dedicate team of 40+ staff.

Rest in main school, all educated and eating in single classes and in (what I hope) are very tight bubbles.

[sim72]

smashing said:

I thought masks weren't needed for teachers in schools?

If the masks-in-shops order is still live in September, I'd like to see the amount of logical manoeuvering the Government would have to do to explain how a short period of minimal contact with people in shops needs masks, but spending a whole day in a single room with up to 30 others doesn't.

I don't think the July 24 date for masks was random - it's the last possible school day for any school in England, and they'd have had to explain it now rather than kicking the can down the road.

[Mining Subsidence Man]

We should close schools for at least a year in order to be absolutely safe

[Brave Fart]

sim72 said:

If the masks-in-shops order is still live in September, I'd like to see the amount of logical manoeuvring the Government would have to do to explain how a short period of minimal contact with people in shops needs masks, but spending a whole day in a single room with up to 30 others doesn't.

You make a good point, and I expect the teachers' unions to be asking the same question.
However, the government has long passed the point of logic, in my view. I imagine they will say "nah, it's OK, the science says that children can neither suffer seriously from, nor transmit, Covid. It's all good; we've seen the evidence. Which has changed lately."
When you ask "sorry, what evidence? How has it changed?", they'll be vague and unclear. Just like they have with social distancing, quarantining, and now masks.

[MaxFromage]

sim72 said:

If the masks-in-shops order is still live in September, I'd like to see the amount of logical manoeuvering the Government would have to do to explain how a short period of minimal contact with people in shops needs masks, but spending a whole day in a single room with up to 30 others doesn't.

I don't think the July 24 date for masks was random - it's the last possible school day for any school in England, and they'd have had to explain it now rather than kicking the can down the road.

Shops involve huge numbers of multiple crossing interactions every day. Schools don't compare before, and certainly not after bubbles are applied.

Other places of work don't require face masks, only shops. It's pointless comparing your place of work with shops. Let's face it, we all could, whatever our profession.

That's before we consider the ever-mounting evidence that kids appear to be a barrier to infection from COVID-19.

Edited by MaxFromage on Tuesday 14th July 23:23

[JagLover]

Brave Fart said:

You make a good point, and I expect the teachers' unions to be asking the same question.
However, the government has long passed the point of logic, in my view. I imagine they will say "nah, it's OK, the science says that children can neither suffer seriously from, nor transmit, Covid. It's all good; we've seen the evidence. Which has changed lately."
When you ask "sorry, what evidence? How has it changed?", they'll be vague and unclear. Just like they have with social distancing, quarantining, and now masks.

There is plenty of evidence for those who choose to try and find it.

A German study was reported on by the Guardian just yesterday that said children were a very low risk group. Which adds on to the growing number of similar studies.

[Lucas CAV]

Newspapers suggesting that "Face masks may soon have to be worn in all public places including offices and other workplaces" -
Which will presumably include schools -

[HTP99]

Lucas CAV said:

Newspapers suggesting that "Face masks may soon have to be worn in all public places including offices and other workplaces" -
Which will presumably include schools -

Just been announced on Sky News that face coverings won't be compulsory in offices and workplaces.

[JagLover]

HTP99 said:

Just been announced on Sky News that face coverings won't be compulsory in offices and workplaces.

.............................which means that tomorrow they will announce they will be compulsory in 15 days

[smashing]

Mining Subsidence Man said:

We should close schools for at least a year in order to be absolutely safe

Until we get a vaccine surely? although we may need to keep them shut whilst it's administered through the population so let's go vaccine +18 months.

[Biker 1]

Lucas CAV said:

Newspapers suggesting that "Face masks may soon have to be worn in all public places including offices and other workplaces" -
Which will presumably include schools -

HMG really think that 11 year olds are going to stick to this? Kids under 18 being fined £100 for losing their mask on the school bus??
I have a horrible feeling masks WILL be compulsory at schools (& everywhere else) - welcome to the 'new fking normal'

[PurpleTurtle]

Biker 1 said:

HMG really think that 11 year olds are going to stick to this? Kids under 18 being fined £100 for losing their mask on the school bus??
I have a horrible feeling masks WILL be compulsory at schools (& everywhere else) - welcome to the 'new fking normal'

Why is it a horrible feeling? Countries (admittedly with stronger Governments/more subservient populations) that imposed face masks and other stronger measures have shown a significantly lower rate of Covid-19 infection and death.

Nobody wants to wear a mask but it's a bit of short term pain.

[MaxFromage]

https://twitter.com/apsmunro/status/12832932916315...

Alasdair Munro
@apsmunro Paediatric Registrar | Clinical Research Fellow Paediatric Infectious diseases
@southamptonCRF| @DFTBubbles #COVID19 evidence review lead

'I was very skeptical of pre existing immunity explaining childrens relative resistance to COVID19, but I’m increasingly leaning towards this being a valid explanation'

[RammyMP]

MaxFromage said:

https://twitter.com/apsmunro/status/12832932916315...

Alasdair Munro
@apsmunro Paediatric Registrar | Clinical Research Fellow Paediatric Infectious diseases
@southamptonCRF| @DFTBubbles #COVID19 evidence review lead

'I was very skeptical of pre existing immunity explaining childrens relative resistance to COVID19, but I’m increasingly leaning towards this being a valid explanation'

They may be immune but can they carry the virus and pass it on, that’s the worry.

[hotchy]

RammyMP said:

MaxFromage said:

https://twitter.com/apsmunro/status/12832932916315...

Alasdair Munro
@apsmunro Paediatric Registrar | Clinical Research Fellow Paediatric Infectious diseases
@southamptonCRF| @DFTBubbles #COVID19 evidence review lead

'I was very skeptical of pre existing immunity explaining childrens relative resistance to COVID19, but I’m increasingly leaning towards this being a valid explanation'

They may be immune but can they carry the virus and pass it on, that’s the worry.

That's another thing that may be false. Some studies show they do not pass it on. In other words, nobody knows.

[MaxFromage]

[redacted]

[Brave Fart]

JagLover said:

There is plenty of evidence for those who choose to try and find it.
A German study was reported on by the Guardian just yesterday that said children were a very low risk group. Which adds on to the growing number of similar studies.

Oh, I know, and agree. I'd have opened the schools fully, no social distancing, months ago. My point was that the unions won't accept things like that German study. And the government will be too pathetic to argue the case rigorously, because they're buffoons.

[London424]

[redacted]

[Camoradi]

JagLover said:

Brave Fart said:

You make a good point, and I expect the teachers' unions to be asking the same question.
However, the government has long passed the point of logic, in my view. I imagine they will say "nah, it's OK, the science says that children can neither suffer seriously from, nor transmit, Covid. It's all good; we've seen the evidence. Which has changed lately."
When you ask "sorry, what evidence? How has it changed?", they'll be vague and unclear. Just like they have with social distancing, quarantining, and now masks.

There is plenty of evidence for those who choose to try and find it.

A German study was reported on by the Guardian just yesterday that said children were a very low risk group. Which adds on to the growing number of similar studies.

Not forgetting that in the case of transmission via a school classroom, contact tracing is more easily expedited by the fact that there is a known group of people to contact. I was thinking the same about the difference between shops and restaurants, and the same applies in that a restaurant has a relatively low number of people each spending a longer period in the premises, but sat at a controlled distance from others, and having provided their contact details on entry to the premises

[Lucas CAV]

Got to be honest, the kids at our (extremely large urban) high school have been v well behaved throughout the return.