Mr_Pot
Well-Known Member
As I asked in a previous post, what would you suggest as a solution, would you keep all children off school until there is a vaccine?
As I asked in a previous post, what would you suggest as a solution, would you keep all children off school until there is a vaccine?If I can get the virus from hand transmission from a tin of beans in a supermarket, how can I not get the virus from hand or clothing, or schools items transmission from children of any age? If I can get the virus from my post or shopping, how does it mysteriously jump off children or is rendered safe by touching their items or bodies? Do they have an invisible force field which renders the virus inert?
There is no logic to the claims that schools and children are safe. It is merely that we consumer units (people) are being driven back to work at the risk of ourselves and our children's lives or future health.
As I asked in a previous post, what would you suggest as a solution, would you keep all children off school until there is a vaccine?
I don't think most of us are suggesting this but rather that the guidance is too loose and to vague.Deliberately so IMHO as has been suggested so that the government don't carry the can but the poor pressurised head teacher who unwittingly does is deemed to have sparked a cluster.As I asked in a previous post, what would you suggest as a solution, would you keep all children off school until there is a vaccine?
How about giving them the same protection and guidelines that the rest of the country have for starters, ie social distancing of at least 1m, masks/visors, smaller classes (alternate days/weeks with half classes possibly), barriers like supermarkets have etcAs I asked in a previous post, what would you suggest as a solution, would you keep all children off school until there is a vaccine?
Thankyou for your kind comment which I've only just seen,its been a strange few days! There are so many ripples with how this virus affects people both physically and emotionally. Sometimes it just hits me what a complex process it would be for any government. Groups of people are and will suffer terribly. The concept of shielding was a scary one and I think the limitations placed on those who were shielded probably gave the best indication of how dangerous this virus can be. I think the early news footage of the extent to which countries ahead of us were disinfecting public areas made me feel this was no ordinary flu. In February a friend and I wanted to book a holiday in Italy. She was very keen to go at the end of March, she felt the virus was nothing to worry about ,but I managed to persuade her the end of September. Not going to happen. I bought my travel insurance when we booked and it covers Covid,apparently now it wont if people do travel.Hi, I really liked your post because it gives a personal opinion and an individual experience. That's the point really, we are all in completely different circumstances, different ages/jobs/priorities/financial and so on. One size does not fit all and it's good to see things from the perspective of others, thank you. x
As I asked in a previous post, what would you suggest as a solution, would you keep all children off school until there is a vaccine?
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/...t=144_9985701&CMP=TNLEmail_118918_9985701_144Thankyou for your kind comment which I've only just seen,its been a strange few days! There are so many ripples with how this virus affects people both physically and emotionally. Sometimes it just hits me what a complex process it would be for any government. Groups of people are and will suffer terribly. The concept of shielding was a scary one and I think the limitations placed on those who were shielded probably gave the best indication of how dangerous this virus can be. I think the early news footage of the extent to which countries ahead of us were disinfecting public areas made me feel this was no ordinary flu. In February a friend and I wanted to book a holiday in Italy. She was very keen to go at the end of March, she felt the virus was nothing to worry about ,but I managed to persuade her the end of September. Not going to happen. I bought my travel insurance when we booked and it covers Covid,apparently now it wont if people do travel.
I think quite a few people were surprised at not being included in the shielding group,especially as initially the government stated that everyone in receipt of the flu jab would need to isolate for 12 weeks. It must have been a complex process deciding who should be included and sometimes people have been added or taken off as more is understood. I did wonder if diabetes were not included as they were such a large group. Maybe the government thought there would be too high a demand on voluntary resources. Of course even amongst diabetics there is a vast range of risks depending on comorbidities. I think if I was shielded the apparent advice from August to get back out their would be terrifying. Of course it's not quite that brutal mute Boris and read the fine print and it will be down to the shielded or their carers to negotiate with their healthcare professionals as to whether they individually should return to work/school etc. Of course any financial support via SSP or furlough will disappear. SSP can be accessed via fit note if your GP thinks its warranted. I am beginning to realise that just being categorized as shielded may offer some protection especially when negotiating with employers.
I know their are concerns about diabetic childeren returning to school. I may be wrong but I'm sure Gov.uk says their is little risk so they can return. That of course is debatable as to whether enough known. Parents certainly shouldn't be fined. However once again you see the ripple affect. What happens if the child does remain at home but employers insist the parent returns to work. What if it's the parent who is vulnerable? What's happening to individuals with learning disabilities, dementia,those who struggle with mental health who attend day centres and their carers? I worked in a day centre for 30 years and so I am very aware of the challenges faced by carers and service users. Day centres are shut for the foreseeable future but I know the staff are working desperately hard supporting people as much as they can. My late father was diagnosed with dementia in 2010 and I saw first hand how sevices were decimated by the time of his death.
There is tremendous concern about the mental wellbeing of childeren and young people. Yet again support services cut to the bone.
For 18 months I worked in research and campaigns for the Citizens Advice. Fantastic organisation and a job I'd always wanted. When funding meant my role absorbed elsewhere I was to be honest relieved. For anyone who has seen I daniel Blake and thinks its exaggeration it isnt, maybe everything wouldnt happen to one person but I personally came across every scenario. Add to that homelessness, housing shortages,unscrupulous employers breaking as many rules as they could get away with, zero hours contracts, rising child poverty. The icing on the cake was Universal Credit a brilliant way to make those already suffering suffer more. Dont even get me started on PIP.
So the services that are needed to support people ,the safety net,is pretty much on its last legs before the pandemic. For the past ten years I've been shaken on how little people seemed to care about it. Of course on the whole we dont pay a lot of attention unless we need something. If the economic forecast is true and we have an unprecedented recession a lot of people are in for a bit of a shock. Need childcare because grandparents cant do it,or have realised after having a break maybe they dont want to. Good luck with that. Employer not complying with being Covid Safe? Fewer places have Union reps in workplace and to be totally honest they can give advice but usually pretty toothless. In current situation have to experience the risk and report to HSE who also been affected by cutbacks. Zero hour contracts ,reduction in workers rights. Unemployed? 5 week wait for UC although they will offer a loan but this will place you in debt before you start. Rent caps mean you will find it hard to find somewhere to rent that you can afford. Housed by council? In Dorset even those with the highest need of accommodation due to health needs faced up to 5 years wait for suitable accommodation. It's all quite grim and all the individual can do is start to arm themselves with as much information as possible. If your not in one join a Union, they cant work miracles but gives some protection. Citizens advice are excellent. Their website is a source of excellent information. Face to face support isnt happening at the moment but you can call Advice Line or email them. They cant answer legal questions but can point you in direction of solicitors who offer free advice for half an hour. Turn to Us and Entitled to can offer benefit calculators and Advice on debt. Shelter for housing problems and debt. In general whatever problem CAB can point you to someone who can help. Everyone's circumstances are different and sometimes problems can seem totally overwhelming but in these difficult times there are people who can help and often just the act of acknowledging and sharing the problem really helps. Even in dark times theres always help,and hope if you know where to look.
can’t say our, usually rated outstanding, school has done a great job of distance learning. No live classes via zoom at all. No lessons prerecorded by teachers. All worksheets and videos to watch. Tutors only making contact for the first time last week. For those in their gcse year I’m not sure it’s a great option to be at home any longer either.There is one solution that is obvious. In a school setting you have a percentage of clinically vulnerable staff. You will also have a percentage of clinically vulnerable children or children with vulnerable parents. Rather than declare "all back to school" allow those children whose parents "want" them to remain at home to continue their home schooling which would be run from home, by the clinically vulnerable staff. If working from home is a continuous option for other companies why not schools?
Our school has done this home schooling part brilliantly whilst also remained open for other students. When teachers have home lessons I have been supporting them in zoom, so why this can't be a continuous ongoing option "for those who want it" baffles me.
If the Government wants to protect the NHS then protect the vulnerable - simple!!
https://www.livescience.com/coronavirus-should-schools-reopen-fall.html?utm_source=notificationcan’t say our, usually rated outstanding, school has done a great job of distance learning. No live classes via zoom at all. No lessons prerecorded by teachers. All worksheets and videos to watch. Tutors only making contact for the first time last week. For those in their gcse year I’m not sure it’s a great option to be at home any longer either.
I just wish they’d do school safely for teachers, pupils and families and not make it the one environment that ignores the risks of legally forced proximity/large groups mixing prohibited and avoided elsewhere. Surely there’s some human rights violation or parental medical choices violated.?
Hi Max68 sadly your experience par for the course, although recently DWP has been prosecuted over disability benefits so there is hope. I think they are expecting record claimants and have appointed thousands of new staff. I must admit someone phoned me about my UC claim and they were incredibly lovely. Maybe they were new. Time will tell!@JRT The DWP are an unsympathetic shambolic group who literally are there just to tick boxes and lord only knows how they are to deal with in this pandemic! I (on top of everything else!) suffer with Bilateral Vestibular Hypofunction, which is basically Vertigo where my inner ear balance organs are - I think the technical term is knackered! - So I have to use just my eyes and my feet to balance. Had several "attacks" over the years lasting up to 8 months where I basically can't walk in a straight line and continuous spinning episodes. Think of the Waltzer in a fairground and that basically happens when I am stationary. Thankfully I found a wonderful consultant in London who fully diagnosed it and I had some rehabilitation done that helped quite a bit until lockdown where I'm pretty wobbly in my head still but it is cope able.
However back in late 2015 - 2017 I think, I couldn't work. In a nutshell I had a two year battle with the DWP over Employment and Support Allowance. Rather than try and recover I was constantly battling them. The Health Professional (I use the term loosely) who did my Assessment lied about various things, and I had the assessment recorded!, they accused my GP of lying, they used a GP who was no longer registered as a Medical Professional on the Tribunal Committee so after I found proof of that they rearranged another Tribunal, the whole thing was a shambles of lies and deceit on their part. In my final Tribunal the Judge declared me fit for work, but as she closed her file and turned off her tape recorder she uttered to me "You have my sympathies though as no-one will employ you in your current condition". So I had to apply for Universal Credit where I had to declare I was fit for work which would have been a lie on my part. Even the girl at the Job Centre asked why I was there and I couldn't find work because as soon as you revealed it as a medical condition that was it. I was on UC for 18 months!! I better enter the word Allegedly here for the above paragraph!!
Thankfully I received a bit of luck when a company rang out of the blue to say I might have been miss old investments years earlier. Wouldn't usually listen to companies like that but I had no choice and surprisingly I received a tidy lump sum that saved me. Was a fair percentage the company took as payment mind you!! The irony being that if I had received the DWP support I could have concentrated on recovery, rather than worry about how I was going to survive and as stress is very high risk with regard to symptoms with their support I would have probably recovered in half the time.
Not looking forward to possibly having to deal with them again!!
The evidence certainly doesnt seem to indicate in any way a mass return to school is possible in a safe way. As with return to work a lot of businesses seem happy for people to work at home with maybe people going into office occasionally if needed. Sadly cafes and restaurants in inner cities not survive. I think a lot of people are prepared to think creatively how they want to live and work. Still it will all be over by ChristmasSomewhat concerning to read in that article that the one of the three teachers who died in Arizona had asthma, diabetes and lupus.. All three wore masks, gloves and social distanced. It's becoming more apparent to me that this thing is airborne rather than just droplets from coughs and sneezes.
Interestingly I visited my mum in her dementia care home earlier where we social distanced outside. Heart-breaking not to be able to give her a hug, but that's another story! However one of the carers told me that back in November/December/January they had a higher death rate in the home than any other period for years and many staff were off with what was assumed at the time colds or flu. May just be coincidence as since all have been tested at the home and are clear (for now) but one strange coincidence anyway.
Hope you all don't mind but I thought we might see a few threads popping up regarding returning to work and Covid and thought it may be a good idea to start a thread for that purpose.
I'm due back in the classroom in September and to be honest am very anxious about it and am expecting calls from both my Union and GP over the coming days with "hopefully" some advice. Spoke briefly to the Union this morning and they said the Government really has cut down on the protection for those they classed as vulnerable not so long ago so she said she understands that there will be confusion, concern and worry. So I will place any relevant info here which might help someone else.
If the mods don't think the thread is appropriate etc please remove, but I think if we have a work thread in one place it might help flooding the forum with different posts!
I went back to work last week. I was terrified, im Receptionist in Vet Surgery. Not as bad as I thought it would be to be honest. All things that should be in place are. Try not be to scaredHope you all don't mind but I thought we might see a few threads popping up regarding returning to work and Covid and thought it may be a good idea to start a thread for that purpose.
I'm due back in the classroom in September and to be honest am very anxious about it and am expecting calls from both my Union and GP over the coming days with "hopefully" some advice. Spoke briefly to the Union this morning and they said the Government really has cut down on the protection for those they classed as vulnerable not so long ago so she said she understands that there will be confusion, concern and worry. So I will place any relevant info here which might help someone else.
If the mods don't think the thread is appropriate etc please remove, but I think if we have a work thread in one place it might help flooding the forum with different posts!
Very glad it went well for you. I was reading an article on the Guardian online about how peoples employment has been affected. Focused on a cafe, television and a gift shop. The cafe and gift shop really struggling as no hardly any footfall. Cafe said had done take away service but not the same. Gift shop had done some orders but not enough. It is heartbreaking but I can imagine why people are reluctant. There are viewpoints that the government scared people so much that they are reluctant to go anywhere. I think it's more mistrust in the government whose messages are usually so mixed and non sensual people dont trust them. As ever people vary massively. There are always those who want or need to believe everything is back to normal and even if it isnt act as though it is. For me a socially distanced dining experience or holiday doesnt appeal. For the first time I'm quite envious of those with caravans or motor homes which seem to be an ideal solution. As is camping,although after a few disasters never again. I think a lot of people are reevaluating how they live and what they buy and how. Many will have no choice and I wonder if service industries be the industries of the 1980s . No one knows really how this pandemic will go. For years we have been told jobs will disappear due to technology. We are still facing climate change etc. My gut feeling is we will limp on for a while with government continuing to follow their misguided instructions. It will be interesting to see what happens with sports events. I personally would have thought a live football match with spectators would be insane. It does however generate income,from transport, food etc. It would be a typical Boris feel good statement. I remember at the beginning of all this when people questioned the advisability of a race meeting a local saying how it meant millions in local income would be lost if it didnt go ahead.I went back to work last week. I was terrified, im Receptionist in Vet Surgery. Not as bad as I thought it would be to be honest. All things that should be in place are. Try not be to scared
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