I was heartened to read this about covid.

BTW I'm not nervous. I'm accepting and realistic.

Yes, let pupils go back to school, but look at the experience of other countries. In the UK, there will be no social distancing. There can't be because classes are too big and classrooms too small.

In Crépy-en-Valois, France, there was an outbreak within days of the schools reopening. The virus spread rampantly through the secondary school. 38% of students were infected, along with 43% of teachers and 59% of non-teaching staff.

I don't understand how you can call facts hysteria. I prefer to acknowledge them rather than sticking my head in the sand.

Incidentally, the YouTube link I posted has loads of original facts.

Thanks Springy for your welcome link, a pity it seems to have started a bit of mass hysteria. I find it better, and more interesting, to read the actual figures on independent sites and make my own conclusions. As in BlueBelle's area, all our local hospitals are now down to a single ward of Covid patients. Also, Schools in some countries went back in April and there's no media handwringing going on about those countries so, backed up by science and good sense, let our kids to go back too. Definitely for their mental health (and that of some of their vulnerable parents) it's time they got back some routine in their lives, with friends! Surely it's simple - if you are nervous about all this, continue to self-isolate, but don't try to deny young people a life too. Like sparklingsilver28, I count my blessings and also turn off the owner/editor-pleasing journalists.

Ohm Bluebelle, I do envy you the swimming. Where I am (also few cases), the swimming pools have not opened - as they say they cannot afford to do so and have lesser numbers than usual using it. My. g.children have swum in the sea - not for me though. I find it rather silly that the ONE place covered in bleach (chlorine), and giving such excellent exercise are all still closed.
I have very limited mobility for walking, etc. but could swim a little in a pool. The only real exercise I could do safely.
No idea what the local obesity rate is and how many cardiac arrests/strokes etc. I would guess a awful lot more than cases of Covid.

This is just over an hour, but well worth watching if you want to find out about real difficulties on the ground:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DZWAJNq1Ro

Spike in Aberdeen has been a blot on the landscape for now. So disappointing after all the care people have been taking.

Peardrop50

Good to read a positive take on things and the writer may be right but for now I prefer to err on the side of caution, hand washing, no face touching, mixing with as few as possible, not gathering in crowds, social distancing wherever possible and mask wearing where appropriate.

I prefer to err on the side of caution too. I'm afraid articles such as that one make me quite cross because people are likely to become complacent and take more risks.

It's all very well blaming "others" and the government blaming the public, but the truth is that the virus is still in the community (except BlueBell's) and every single one of us needs to be responsible and carry on with social distancing, hand washing and masks.

BlueBelle

Our local hospital which is used by a very very large area (2 counties)has had no cases throughout July/Aug
Most of the time I have forgotten about the lockdown I ve been swimming and on the beach we have a big beach and everyone is in their own small groups but having a good time in the fresh air
The sea is beautiful not at all cold

How nice! Must be a strange area.

I live in an area where cases and deaths have been about average and there have certainly been hospital deaths in July.

Ellianne

I guess so, if that's how it works. It will be pretty disruptive for working parents of younger children. I don't know the answer, but as a grandparent I think many will seriously have to consider helping out with childcare.

The government have had their heads in the sand for months about this. It's why they should have worked with local health authorities and got an efficient test, track and isolate system in place. It would have, in my opinion, been better to aim for a blended face to face/online offering, which would have made social distancing possible.

It's quite likely that a child will be sent home form school because somebody in the class has tested positive. The child will need to be tested and the results awaited. Until it's known for a certainty that the child is negative, anybody would be at risk of catching an infection from the child. A grandparent, unless living with the family, would be an extra risk. It's also possible that the grandparent him/herself would be at greater risk. Many parents don't have family to help out anyway. The risk might be low, but it will happen. That's what I meant by Russian roulette.

Our local hospital which is used by a very very large area (2 counties)has had no cases throughout July/Aug
Most of the time I have forgotten about the lockdown I ve been swimming and on the beach we have a big beach and everyone is in their own small groups but having a good time in the fresh air
The sea is beautiful not at all cold

Good to read a positive take on things and the writer may be right but for now I prefer to err on the side of caution, hand washing, no face touching, mixing with as few as possible, not gathering in crowds, social distancing wherever possible and mask wearing where appropriate.

Don’t see why we should ever give up on the hand washing as it is basic hygiene and can stop other viruses spreading as well such as flu and gastroenteritis.

I think hand washing and sanitizer is so important still

I guess so, if that's how it works. It will be pretty disruptive for working parents of younger children. I don't know the answer, but as a grandparent I think many will seriously have to consider helping out with childcare.

If a young child is placed in quarantine, presumably one parent will need to be at home and maybe not able to work anyway.

Ellianne

^whole families being in quarantine^
Why is that necessary? If a child us sent home with all the year group plus teacher to be quarantined for 14 days because another pupil has the virus, then mum or dad and siblings could surely continue going to work and school?

I said that they need to be prepared. It's possible that a child could become infected from another child, in which case the family will need to quarantine.

Alexa

Are school teachers more likely than most to be carriers?

I don't see why they should be more or less likely. Schools have been told that they must be kept two metres away from pupils, but I don't see how that's going to be possible, especially for teaching assistants.

whole families being in quarantine
Why is that necessary? If a child us sent home with all the year group plus teacher to be quarantined for 14 days because another pupil has the virus, then mum or dad and siblings could surely continue going to work and school?

Here's another link, published two days ago:

www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/publications-data/children-and-school-settings-covid-19-transmission

While transmission is likely to be low, it does still occur, and depends on social distancing, which will not be possible in UK schools.

I stand by my unwillingness to go anywhere near a child who has been attending school. It would be up to others whether they want to take the risk.

One thing I do know for sure is: if we carry on like this we are well and truely stuffed.

Are school teachers more likely than most to be carriers?

The Lancet article confirms that infection rates amongst secondary age pupils are high. It also confirms that there was some transmission from younger pupils. Lastly, it points out that mitigation measures were in place to prevent further infection and emphasises that there must be effective Test, Track and Isolate, which the UK doesn't have.

Parents hoping to go back to work need to be prepared for schools' closing at short notice and whole families being in quarantine.

At the moment, children aren't being taught in full classrooms with no social distancing, so the theory hasn't really been tested. It has also been reported that older children, who currently have generally not been at school, spread infection in the same way as adults.

In September, pupils will be sitting about a metre away from other children for 5/6 hours a day. Nobody actually knows whether they can spread it amongst themselves and take the infection home.

It's like playing Russian roulette and, personally, I wouldn't want to play.

And this is from The Lancet.

Here's one link, to the Pasteur Institute in France. This must be one of the places where the information I saw came from.