Children with covid

It's very difficult in families, and I guess until your DD's friends test positive that's what will happen. My DGD had covid and although her brother continued to attend school he never caught it, nor did the parents, so I guess other family members just carry on regardless.

I think the trouble is they are allowed to send them, like I am allowed to go into work if someone in my household has it

As an aside, how will the parents get the children to nursery without coming into contact with anyone? That would be out of order.
When DD had to take DGS to school and we weren't allowed to help, she had to leave the infected child home alone (on video call all the time) while she was absent from the house. Not a good scenario.

This is ludicrous when the PM has just dramatically declared the spread of the Omicron variant to be an emergency...

Omicron is different to Delta in that it is far more transmissible in the home so once it really takes over from Delta the chances are that it will rip through families.

In my opinion they should have closed the schools today, (and I am one who is against school closures in general).

Josianne

In my opinion they should have closed the schools today, (and I am one who is against school closures in general).

I agree as schools are winding down anyway. We have to isolate for 10 days if any family contact has covid (Scotland). One of our local primary 7 classes are now home schooling as there are over 13 children in the class with covid.
DD1 teaching colleague has developed an auto immune disease months after having covid - she has been very ill and will have long term effects. Doctors have confirmed it is as a result of covid - she wasn't hospitalised. Had flu like symptoms.

Josianne

In my opinion they should have closed the schools today, (and I am one who is against school closures in general).

Whilst I can see your point of view on closing schools this week, for some children this week in school with the Christmas activities, Christmas lunch and general fun will be the closest thing to Christmas joy they have.

School is a safe haven for many and until the wider social situation is sorted schools need to remain open.

Josianne, exactly, I've always called children 'walking germ dispensers' so, of course, with schools open, Omicron will spread so rapidly. No amount of booster jabs will slow it down, there's just the benefit of keeping more people out of hospital.

We test twice weekly - but I know so many who have never bothered - or only before family gatherings. Early data shows a booster dose prevents about 75% of people getting any Covid symptoms - so they won't even know that they're spreading it - and don't seem to care either.

I'm so with you on the fun element, GG13, because that is what the children remember about school, not the lessons! Sadly these activities have now been reduced at many schools anyway, with no nativities for example. I wish I had the answer.

I can go into work even if one of my family is positive. Those are the current guidelines. Out of courtesy I would ring the places I work and let them know. But that family are doing nothing wrong.

'Walking germ dispensers'? I look at this way. They are building up their own immune systems each time they catch something. I understand the fear some of you clearly have in relation to children spreading covid. However, I do not feel using children as 'an adult shield' and stopping them going to school and or isolating them is the way forward.

love0c, they've only got another week before the Christmas holiday anyway - so why not an early end of term?

I have no 'fear' for myself, just great concern for the elderly, frail and vulnerable, out and about doing their Christmas shopping, posting cards etc. - as they always do - there's no stopping them.

Believe it or not, they asked me to take the children into school (via my DD). They know my opinions about covid. I'm surprised they asked.

It WAS supposed to be a fun week at nursery, which my DGS will miss because of them. Fortunately, he's too young to understand.

Believe it or not, they asked me to take the children into school (via my DD). They know my opinions about covid. I'm surprised they asked.
No way!!

Yes. Really.

I know we all have differing opinions, but I gave up in-person teaching AND work from home to try to avoid it. As if I'm going to take on risk from an external source! I accept the risk from DGS going to nursery usually because he needs the interaction with other children.

DD's friends know this.

GagaJo, there's two sides to this, the official advice - and what we decide to do as individuals. One of my sons just took his children out of school, for a year, to teach them at home. That's what he felt comfortable with, working from home himself.

That's true Hetty. Originally, DD decided DGS wouldn't go to nursery due to covid. But it's been going on for so long now, it was affecting his social and emotional development. So now he goes and it's good for him.

But this is just a bit too close to home. I'm shocked at the friends though. Very selfish. TBH, I don't even know if they've tested the children. They only do PCR tests when the school requests it. Whereas we get my DGS tested if he shows any symptoms.

I'm not sure about this. I know so many families where one or two members have tested positive for Covid and the other members have never shown symptoms or appeared to contact it. There is the possibility particularly with children that the others in the family have already had it and were asymptomatic. But it certainly doesn't seem to automatically infect close family members. As if the children have contacted it they will already have spread the infection and there is also the possibility they may never get it I think on balance they should go to school.

Like all Covid threads this one shows the different levels of risk people are prepared to take, although I suspect most don't think of it like that. Like you if I still had small GC here I would not send them to nursery this coming week. Eldest DD runs a nursery and is hoping many parents will decide not to send their very small children for the last week of term, not so easy for the over 5's of course. Parties have been cut right back and no Father Christmas is coming to the nursery this year very sad but hopefully they will be able to enjoy Christmas with their families.

No, exactly Luluaugust. They were my thoughts exactly. It's only nursery. My work this week is less, because much of my private work has finished for Christmas, so where is the harm? Better than ruining the holiday by him maybe picking it up from the friend's daughter (who is a particular friend of his and we usually walk to school with) and making either me or his mum seriously ill.

luluaugust, yes, everyone has their own opinion on things. My eldest daughter thinks that any attempts to 'avoid the virus' are pretty futile (laughable, even) yet still tests, wears masks, socially distances etc. to 'be polite'.

She says that, obviously, the official advice just aims for herd immunity, always has, with any restrictions meant to slow down/limit peaks of infection, to help the NHS. I believe she's right. She always judges by actions, rather than words.

Haven’t we been told that if a member of your household has Covid, it maybe just the Omicron variant, I’m not sure, but haven’t we been told that from Tuesday, daily testing is required if a member of your household has tested positive?

I agree with you GagaJo, I think if someone in your house is positive then the other household members should isolate. Unfortunately I wasn’t consulted about this though.