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Covid and Work, Covid Advice and General Chat

Went back to school yesterday and not slept a wink this week. Asked for outside duty as a reasonable adjustment and although I have one outside they need so many duties now, they couldn’t give me two outside and basically said no but it will be in a bigger inside area. I explained I want to minimise contact with other students I don’t teach. Feel really rubbish.
 
London36_ said:
Went back to school yesterday and not slept a wink this week. Asked for outside duty as a reasonable adjustment and although I have one outside they need so many duties now, they couldn’t give me two outside and basically said no but it will be in a bigger inside area. I explained I want to minimise contact with other students I don’t teach. Feel really rubbish.
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https://www.healthline.com/health-n...5088831#COVID-19-cases-increasing-in-children
According to the New York Times, since the end of May COVID-19 diagnoses are up 720 percent in children in the United States compared to 270 percent for all Americans.

In the last month alone, data from the American Academy of Pediatrics found that COVID-19 cases went up 21 percent from August 6 to August 20, rising from 358,469 to 432,629.

Children are still much less likely to have serious COVID-19 symptoms or outcomes, with states reporting up to 0.7 percent of pediatric COVID-19 cases ending in fatalities.

But the data shows that SARS-CoV-2 can spread widely among children, potentially making school reopenings difficult amid a pandemic.
 
My concern has always mainly focused on the children spreading the disease to vulnerable other children and adults. The focus by media and government on the effect of the virus on healthy children is a red herring and a straw man.
 
Give it a few weeks and reality will over take all our reasoned arguments and it may be a costly lesson to learn I sincerely hope all will be well and our government will have finally got something right despite all our misgivings.
 
Had a meeting with the head today. My Year 11 child has been granted an exemption “to wear a mask” in class!! Yes we all know it’ll make him stand out. He’s ok with it, doesn’t seem bothered wearing them, and thinks anyone not wearing a mask indoors/around people are idiots and doesn’t care what they think or if they make fun of him.

Not sure how much use it’ll do without others wearing them but it is fluid repellent Medical iir type so hopefully some benefit still. Also will be sat at the back nearest an open window. Son will be changing and showering on arrival home, isolating uniform bags etc. Not much but something. Feeling sick worrying about it and I’m sure that’s no good for immunity either.

I, suspect out of concern for us, he’ll also be in his room even more than usual for a while til we know how it all shakes out......
 
Tannith said:
since the end of May COVID-19 diagnoses are up 720 percent in children in the United States compared to 270 percent for all Americans.
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"positive test results" not cases.

More people are not being admitted to hospital or dying
 
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JohnEGreen said:
Give it a few weeks and reality will over take all our reasoned arguments and it may be a costly lesson to learn I sincerely hope all will be well and our government will have finally got something right despite all our misgivings.
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Here is my prediction:
September - low cases, hospitalisations and deaths.
October on wards - more testing due to 'symptoms' (in common with colds, flu) prompt more tests, more disruption to schools and local economies due to more tests being done and the resulting case demic not leading to actual illness (hospitalisations and deaths in vulnerable communities but hopefully less so since we have better prevention techniques and treatments).
Badly tested vaccine (government is creating legislation absolving Astra Zeneca from liability and skipping the normal licensing procedure) - if it is like the flu vaccine its efficacy is very hit and miss particularly if you have a weakened immune system.
Also please don't forget that now the corona virus can travel up your sewage pipes (demonstrated by some scientists in China) to get you at your most vulnerable so we should all be really wetting ourselves if we live in a flat.
More daft science arises from the hyper focus on a virus.
How about those of us that are scared stay in a bubble and then let everyone else get on with their lives ?
 
NicoleC1971 said:
How about those of us that are scared stay in a bubble and then let everyone else get on with their lives ?
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Perfect solution - genuinely - if only that would work and could happen without starvation, eviction, job losses, exams and schooling missed etc etc . For that to be an option it needs supporting.
 
Tannith said:
"diagnoses" actually. I would say those were "cases". And I find your comment about me allegedly wishing more people were dying profoundly offensive.
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It is just that you seem keen to prove your idea that children are vectors of infection for this thing when the experience of Europe and latterly Scotland just hasn't shown this. Kids do transmit the flu very easily and the common cold but their innate immune systems seem to repel this one so those cases do not represent hospitalisations much less deaths nor do they link to community outbreaks but please share if you've found any such situations?
 
HSSS said:
Perfect solution - genuinely - if only that would work and could happen without starvation, eviction, job losses, exams and schooling missed etc etc . For that to be an option it needs supporting.
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It would be genuinely cheaper to support those in the shielding category (you know if this is you) than it is to run down the rest of the economy. I would support that in a heartbeat and believe that our communities would do the same but I suspect you are including those that are merely fearful which of course would cast the net too far.
Or perhaps we could ask the very elderly or other shielded whether they genuinely wish for these measures to be done on their behalf?
 
NicoleC1971 said:
It would be genuinely cheaper to support those in the shielding category (you know if this is you) than it is to run down the rest of the economy. I would support that in a heartbeat and believe that our communities would do the same but I suspect you are including those that are merely fearful which of course would cast the net too far.
Or perhaps we could ask the very elderly or other shielded whether they genuinely wish for these measures to be done on their behalf?
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Perhaps those clinically vulnerable and clinically extremely vulnerable could have the option to opt in or out? This making it truly voluntary how to approach the virus.

Putting all those not categorised as fearful in the terms you have is dismissive and derogatory. Only time will tell if fear is warranted or not. Conspiracy is not such if they really are out to get you.
 
HSSS said:
Perhaps those clinically vulnerable and clinically extremely vulnerable could have the option to opt in or out? This making it truly voluntary how to approach the virus.

Putting all those not categorised as fearful in the terms you have is dismissive and derogatory. Only time will tell if fear is warranted or not. Conspiracy is not such if they really are out to get you.
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Sorry because I don't want to belittle anyone's fear which I understand is a very real thing and not a 'mere' thing as i wrongly said. I meet fearful people where i work (elderly members of the gym I work in) and never tell them they are wrong but then equally I won't nod along either!
I am 'clinically vulnerable' too btw and have no wish to die though I am getting the feeling that some on this thread would love 'karma to call'.
My fear is for the consequences of the mitigation measures taken. Perhaps someone can reassure me on this front?
 
Maybe a few of us are just hoping to be around long enough to see what the consequences are Nicole!!

Sure I'm very concerned. Remember though it was the Government who told me originally I am clinically vulnerable. Wouldn't have batted an eyelid otherwise. Now they are saying it's all fine for me to go back to work. If I were still a van driver I wouldn't be worried. If I were still a Football Coach or an Insurance Rep I wouldn't be worried because I know in those jobs I would be able to safeguard myself pretty well. However schools are the big unknown, and I'm not particularly looking forward to being in a Tutor Group with a kid who has a habit of spitting at staff when he is in a mood. Bad enough when there isn't a pandemic about! Not really looking forward to spending days in class with kids and staff who don't have to wear masks either. I'm fearful because my safety is out of my hands in this particular vocation but I don't have a choice if I want to put food on the table and there aren't any other options available to me.

It's not just me either. How can I visit my mum at her care home if I don't know what I'm bringing back from the school? There are many reasons to be fearful, it's not just one reason. As I said if I was out in the open air teaching the kids again how to score a free kick or driving around I wouldn't be over worried.
 
Max68 said:
Maybe a few of us are just hoping to be around long enough to see what the consequences are Nicole!!

Sure I'm very concerned. Remember though it was the Government who told me originally I am clinically vulnerable. Wouldn't have batted an eyelid otherwise. Now they are saying it's all fine for me to go back to work. If I were still a van driver I wouldn't be worried. If I were still a Football Coach or an Insurance Rep I wouldn't be worried because I know in those jobs I would be able to safeguard myself pretty well. However schools are the big unknown, and I'm not particularly looking forward to being in a Tutor Group with a kid who has a habit of spitting at staff when he is in a mood. Bad enough when there isn't a pandemic about! Not really looking forward to spending days in class with kids and staff who don't have to wear masks either. I'm fearful because my safety is out of my hands in this particular vocation but I don't have a choice if I want to put food on the table and there aren't any other options available to me.

It's not just me either. How can I visit my mum at her care home if I don't know what I'm bringing back from the school? There are many reasons to be fearful, it's not just one reason. As I said if I was out in the open air teaching the kids again how to score a free kick or driving around I wouldn't be over worried.
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Wishing you all the best for tomorrow Max. Hopefully all will work out well for you and all the others in similar situations.
 
Good luck for tomorrow Max and London36!
I walked with an even more elderly friend today who lives alone; she’s had hardly any social contact since lockdown was called. We now meet weekly and she says our walking and talking is the highlight of her week, not just because humans are social animals but because she feared she was losing the ability to interact after spending so much time alone.
We agreed that younger people than us were very likely to recover and, we hoped, gain some immunity, though it’s too early for that to be known.
We also agreed that unless there’s a good vaccine, there was a real danger that we elderly people would become psychologically and socially damaged, and suffer a physical decline if we were to give up distanced meetings, walks and the like for an extended period.
We wouldn’t mind wearing good PPE as long as we were able to walk and talk.
 
NicoleC1971 said:
It is just that you seem keen to prove your idea that children are vectors of infection for this thing when the experience of Europe and latterly Scotland just hasn't shown this. Kids do transmit the flu very easily and the common cold but their innate immune systems seem to repel this one so those cases do not represent hospitalisations much less deaths nor do they link to community outbreaks but please share if you've found any such situations?
Click to expand...
https://www.healthline.com/health-n...5088831#COVID-19-cases-increasing-in-children
I think it is unsafe for vulnerable/over age 60 teachers and school support staff to go back to work. You go back if you want to, that's your choice.
 
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