Covid in Schools

Rosita

RTÉ website reporting that there have been 123 cases among children under 4 years old in the past two weeks. I think the spin put out by Philip Nolan among others that children are somehow immune has been shown up for the risible fiction it is

Treppen

A lot of mention of ages of cases , but no reference to clusters in schools, maybe we're immune?

wirelessdude01

Treppen wrote: »

A lot of mention of ages of cases , but no reference to clusters in schools, maybe we're immune?

The magic fairy dust!!

rainbowtrout

Treppen wrote: »

A lot of mention of ages of cases , but no reference to clusters in schools, maybe we're immune?

Give it a few more days.

https://roscommonherald.ie/2020/09/23/elphin-publican-did-not-realise-he-should-have-been-self-isolating/#.X2uwv2hKjIU


Students from at least four secondary schools were at this at the weekend.

History Queen

rainbowtrout wrote: »

Give it a few more days.

https://roscommonherald.ie/2020/09/23/elphin-publican-did-not-realise-he-should-have-been-self-isolating/#.X2uwv2hKjIU


Students from at least four secondary schools were at this at the weekend.

This type of negligence is unbelievable, unfortunately people just won't act responsibly. Kildare school having issues with parents sending students in when they shouldn't.


https://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/kildare-school-sends-urgent-letter-22727524

wirelessdude01

You'd have to wonder whats going on at the test centres. Not the first time I've heard stories similar to the above.

Having said that you'd think people would just go online and find out for themselves. Ignorance is no excuse.

TheValeyard

Treppen wrote: »

A lot of mention of ages of cases , but no reference to clusters in schools, maybe we're immune?

I've heard (now it came from management, but still hearsay) but they were taking about over 10 small clusters in schools. Think celbridge was mentioned.

khalessi

A few clusters mentioned on the facebook page

wirelessdude01

I personally am aware of 5 schools with clusters. They are all in close proximity to each other. One of them never appeared on that Facebook group.

mirrorwall14

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

You'd have to wonder whats going on at the test centres. Not the first time I've heard stories similar to the above.

Having said that you'd think people would just go online and find out for themselves. Ignorance is no excuse.

No one actually verbalised anything to me at the test centre. It was all in a packet of information I was explicitly told not to open until I got home. Which incidentally included the mask I was supposed to be wearing. I had my own on anyways

Treppen

Nobody seems to be monitoring cases of students. They're just framed as under 19s

They all have nothing in common only their age ?

tiberium

Hi All,

All parents have just received a communique from the school that we should dress up the children even better because they are "keeping the windows open so the fresh air keeps coming..." and they will continue to do so over the winter...

Who makes those rules and based on what?

Let's have something abundantly clear here:
Based on what we are seeing so far it is not the healthy children who are at the most risk from Covid but the (1) elderly or (2) anyone else with "a weak or weakened immune system".

A sure way to weaken someone's immune system is to get sick.

Sooner or later there could be zero or sub-zero temperatures as it happened many times over the last few winters.

What we are talking about here children sitting in school rooms at ice cold temperatures.

So they are going make our children "intentionally and certainly sick" in other sicknesses so that they "may" not get Covid?

Are we being serious here?

Cold, pneumonia, pyelitis (cold related sickness of the kidneys caused by the common root cause of sitting for long period in a cold temperature)...that last one can be really life threatening.

Any sickness the children will get from the cold will certainly weaken their immune system for the duration of the sickness hence making them "more" prone to get Covid.

I think that "keep the window no matter what rule" is really controversial and it may turn out to be counter-productive and actually do more harm than good!!!

Opinions?

coillsaille

tiberium wrote: »

Hi All,

All parents have just received a communique from the school that we should dress up the children even better because they are "keeping the windows open so the fresh air keeps coming..." and they will continue to do so over the winter...

Who makes those rules and based on what?

Let's have something abundantly clear here:
Based on what we are seeing so far it is not the healthy children who are at the most risk from Covid but the (1) elderly or (2) anyone else with "a weak or weakened immune system".

A sure way to weaken someone's immune system is to get sick.

Sooner or later there could be zero or sub-zero temperatures as it happened many times over the last few winters.

What we are talking about here children sitting in school rooms at ice cold temperatures.

So they are going make our children "intentionally and certainly sick" in other sicknesses so that they "may" not get Covid?

Are we being serious here?

Cold, pneumonia, pyelitis (cold related sickness of the kidneys caused by the common root cause of sitting for long period in a cold temperature)...that last one can be really life threatening.

Any sickness the children will get from the cold will certainly weaken their immune system for the duration of the sickness hence making them "more" prone to get Covid.

I think that "keep the window no matter what rule" is really controversial and it may turn out to be counter-productive and actually do more harm than good!!!

Opinions?

I presume the heating system will be turned up or left on longer to try to compensate to some degree. The rooms certainly won't be cosy but I wouldn't expect them to be freezing either. Although of course there will be variations between schools.
Air flow is crucial in trying to stop the virus spreading from one student to everyone else in a classroom.

wirelessdude01

tiberium wrote: »

Hi All,

All parents have just received a communique from the school that we should dress up the children even better because they are "keeping the windows open so the fresh air keeps coming..." and they will continue to do so over the winter...

Who makes those rules and based on what?

Let's have something abundantly clear here:
Based on what we are seeing so far it is not the healthy children who are at the most risk from Covid but the (1) elderly or (2) anyone else with "a weak or weakened immune system".

A sure way to weaken someone's immune system is to get sick.

Sooner or later there could be zero or sub-zero temperatures as it happened many times over the last few winters.

What we are talking about here children sitting in school rooms at ice cold temperatures.

So they are going make our children "intentionally and certainly sick" in other sicknesses so that they "may" not get Covid?

Are we being serious here?

Cold, pneumonia, pyelitis (cold related sickness of the kidneys caused by the common root cause of sitting for long period in a cold temperature)...that last one can be really life threatening.

Any sickness the children will get from the cold will certainly weaken their immune system for the duration of the sickness hence making them "more" prone to get Covid.

I think that "keep the window no matter what rule" is really controversial and it may turn out to be counter-productive and actually do more harm than good!!!

Opinions?

So what is your solution to provide ventilation to classrooms?

Our parents were given the same message a week or so ago. Told to make sure that the children wore appropriate layers of clothing.

tiberium

coillsaille wrote: »

I presume the heating system will be turned up or left on longer to try to compensate to some degree. The rooms certainly won't be cosy but I wouldn't expect them to be freezing either. Although of course there will be variations between schools.
Air flow is crucial in trying to stop the virus spreading from one student to everyone else in a classroom.

Well, well, well. I don't think so the heating system can compensate when there is really cold (because all the central heating systems have a fixed speed pumps and thermal cutouts to prevent the boilers from overheating)!!! Also some children will be sitting close to the windows (because they have to maintain social distancing).
So better to start worried!!!

That is why they should be open to answer questions and doubts from parents!

But the real problem is that they do NOT care about us! They just want all of us to accept blindly whatever new rules they throw at us in the name of the common good and we can't get our questions answered.

Things are never black & white.

It is not uncommon in families that in some cases they are genetically more prone to certain cold related desease like the ones I mentioned above.
So if serious harm comes to child due school windows constantly open even at ice cold temperatures to these rules who will be responsible?

You might ask why we feel that way that we are not being asked, listened to or represented by our own government?
Why people took the streets to protest in Dublin against the Covid rules (what the government media failed to cover)?

Because of the lack of communication!

Let me give you my personal example...tried to call school to get a better explanation and the phone still going to voicemail. It is saying the school is closed for the summer holidays, hahaha - that is how much they care - and that is one of the best of the many schools in the city.

Calling HSE helpline they are saying they are there to help those in need and not to listen or respond to personal questions about policy decisions.
I should ask the school...
Yeah, really? But the school is non-contactable via phone, teachers never gave out their phone numbers...and no one is allowed on the school grounds due to Covid...so no walk-ins in to ask questions...

The government will keep going that way: (1) ignoring people interests, (2) denying them answers, (3) destroying small businesses, (4) denying media coverage for emerging problems in our society due to the Covid rules - i.e. basically burying their heads in the sand and trying to sweep things under the carpet then sooner or later they will be facing a revolution (just as riots already happening in other countries).

And that is all due to poor communications what has always been the Achilles's heel of our government!
Please note a more increasing number of people stopped watching RTE (can't ask question via the TV anyway...)

PhoenixParker

History Queen wrote: »

Seriously...what the hell is going on with contact tracing and schools?!

This sounds like it's in line with what the HSE have said they're doing and does make sense.

Student got results Friday and was in school Monday/Tuesday.

We don't know why student was tested.

If you test positive and have symptoms. They will ask about people and places you have visited 48 hours before your symptoms started and until you started self isolating.

If you test positive but do not have symptoms they will only ask about people and places you have visited 24 hours before your test took place and until you started self isolating.

https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/coronavirus/testing/contact-tracing.html#:~:text=If%20you%20test%20positive%20and,until%20you%20started%20self%20isolating.

They contact trace this way because the 48 hours before your symptomatic seems to be the point when spread happens.

If student was tested themselves as an asymptomatic contact after Wednesday evening then per the HSE guidelines they publish the school doesn't need any further action. If that is the case it's also very unlikely they were infectious in school and further testing really is unnecessary.

History Queen

PhoenixParker wrote: »

This sounds like it's in line with what the HSE have said they're doing and does make sense.

Student got results Friday and was in school Monday/Tuesday.

We don't know why student was tested.



https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/coronavirus/testing/contact-tracing.html#:~:text=If%20you%20test%20positive%20and,until%20you%20started%20self%20isolating.

They contact trace this way because the 48 hours before your symptomatic seems to be the point when spread happens.

If student was tested themselves as an asymptomatic contact after Wednesday evening then per the HSE guidelines they publish the school doesn't need any further action. If that is the case it's also very unlikely they were infectious in school and further testing really is unnecessary.

Close contacts were notified when my friends mother tested positive. She was asymptomatic . Why would they decide not to identify close contacts in a school setting? Or if it is a change of policy why not say so instead of having people worry?

PhoenixParker

History Queen wrote: »

Close contacts were notified when my friends mother tested positive. She was asymptomatic . Why would they decide not to identify close contacts in a school setting? Or if it is a change of policy why not say so instead of having people worry?

They're only close contacts if they're in contact the 24 hours before test or the 48 hours before symptoms.

Before that they are not regarded as close contacts. The school weren't in contact with student in the 24 hours before test therefore they're not close contacts and there is no need to get in touch.

The guidelines have changed over time so maybe they were going back further for your friends mother, I can't speak to her case. It just seems very likely to me that the HSE are following what they said they'll do in all cases for the case described here.

mirrorwall14

I’ve definitely heard of HSE doing only 48hrs from test instead of symptoms which is madness. I can understand the 48hrs for close contacts better

shesty

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

So what is your solution to provide ventilation to classrooms?

Our parents were given the same message a week or so ago. Told to make sure that the children wore appropriate layers of clothing.

Genuinely not meaning to be smart here, but part of the treatment for Tuberculosis was open windows, fresh air and time outdoors.Certain hospitals were built specifically with this in mind to treat it. We have forgotten all this.

I can understand sitting in a freezing room all day is not fun at all.Equally though, maybe adopting the Nordic attitude of loads of fresh air, and just making sure you have the right clothes is no harm to adapt.Honestly though having worked in buildings with ventilation systems, they are infintely worse than open windows, and they spread germs in the winter like nobody's business.

But again...I appreciate standing around in a classroom in the freezing cold is not ideal, although it is probably not as unhealthy as some people seem to believe.

History Queen

PhoenixParker wrote: »

They're only close contacts if they're in contact the 24 hours before test or the 48 hours before symptoms.

Before that they are not regarded as close contacts. The school weren't in contact with student in the 24 hours before test therefore they're not close contacts and there is no need to get in touch.

The guidelines have changed over time so maybe they were going back further for your friends mother, I can't speak to her case. It just seems very likely to me that the HSE are following what they said they'll do in all cases for the case described here.

Thanks for the explanation. I didn't realise this. My friends mam was back in early August so must have changed since then.

Again not sure it explains this xase though. Student got result Friday so surely tested Wednesday? I don't think there's 24 hour turnaround in general population but maybe parts of the country have? 2-3 days fir results whete I am. The student had been in school Monday and Tuesday so if tested Wednesday must have had close contacts in school.

Regardless of the above case school staff parents and students should be aware of the protocols. Why is it a mystery? Adds to tension and anxiety for all.

PhoenixParker

History Queen wrote: »

Thanks for the explanation. I didn't realise this. My friends mam was back in early August so must have changed since then.

Again not sure it explains this xase though. Student got result Friday so surely tested Wednesday? I don't think there's 24 hour turnaround in general population but maybe parts of the country have? 2-3 days fir results whete I am. The student had been in school Monday and Tuesday so if tested Wednesday must have had close contacts in school.

Regardless of the above case school staff parents and students should be aware of the protocols. Why is it a mystery? Adds to tension and anxiety for all.

It's not a mystery it's on the HSE website.

They've a lot of info to get across so they have to rely on you to go looking somewhat but it's right there if you look for anything about contact tracing.

Not sure what more they can do.

As for timing of test results. It can vary a lot but 24-48 hours is pretty common. My daughter had one come back in 28 hours 2 weeks ago and they had said 2-3 days.

Polka_Dot

Regarding windows being open etc, in our school at least the heating will be on and students will be asked to wear extra layers to compensate for this. Contrary to popular belief, what causes a lot of illnesses in winter is not the cold air itself, as colds/flus are viral infection. Rather, being cooped up indoors with people is what causes the spread as people are simply inside more often than during the warmer months. If anything, having increased ventilation will help with this problem.

That said it is definitely not a perfect solution but probably the best that most schools can do given the way they are set up. Students definitely will be uncomfortable, even in the last week some of the classrooms in my school have been freezing. But I don't know what else we can do.

shesty

History Queen wrote: »

Thanks for the explanation. I didn't realise this. My friends mam was back in early August so must have changed since then.

Again not sure it explains this xase though. Student got result Friday so surely tested Wednesday? I don't think there's 24 hour turnaround in general population but maybe parts of the country have? 2-3 days fir results whete I am. The student had been in school Monday and Tuesday so if tested Wednesday must have had close contacts in school.

Regardless of the above case school staff parents and students should be aware of the protocols. Why is it a mystery? Adds to tension and anxiety for all.

Makes no sense at all.In our kid's school a couple of weeks ago, a child was in on a Friday, at home from the following Monday, tested and came back positive by around the next Thursday, and the class were all sent home that Thursday for 2 weeks from last contact.....last contact was the previous Friday.ie, much longer than 48 hours,it was 6 days previous to them actually being sent home by the HSE.Is this 48 hour thing a new-ish criteria?

PhoenixParker

shesty wrote: »

Makes no sense at all.In our kid's school a couple of weeks ago, a child was in on a Friday, at home from the following Monday, tested and came back positive by around the next Thursday, and the class were all sent home that Thursday for 2 weeks from last contact.....last contact was the previous Friday.ie, much longer than 48 hours,it was 6 days previous to them actually being sent home by the HSE.Is this 48 hour thing a new-ish criteria?

Was the child symptomatic?

If they were in school and symptomatic or became symptomatic before Sunday evening, then everyone gets tested and 2 weeks isolation.

History Queen

Link to the HSE contact tracing information for anyine that wants it:


https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/coronavirus/testing/contact-tracing.html

@phoenix parker, you seem tohave a good understanding of this so I'm going to ask another question if you don't mind...

In a situation where a class of secondary school students have been identified as close.contacts as a classmate teated positive, what woukd the rational be for sending all the class home for testing and self isolation, but none of their teachers? I'm guessing it's a time thing but only guessing, I'd appreciate your insight.

rainbowtrout

tiberium wrote: »

Hi All,


Let's have something abundantly clear here:
Based on what we are seeing so far it is not the healthy children who are at the most risk from Covid but the (1) elderly or (2) anyone else with "a weak or weakened immune system".

A sure way to weaken someone's immune system is to get sick.

Sooner or later there could be zero or sub-zero temperatures as it happened many times over the last few winters.

What we are talking about here children sitting in school rooms at ice cold temperatures.

So they are going make our children "intentionally and certainly sick" in other sicknesses so that they "may" not get Covid?

People who are 'most at risk' might be the elderly but it doesn't stop children getting the virus.... or passing it on. The point is not to pass it on.

Nobody is going to be sitting in sub zero temperatures in schools. For the moment doors and windows will be open. That will have to change in the middle of winter.

You're being over dramatic.

tiberium wrote: »

Yeah, really? But the school is non-contactable via phone, teachers never gave out their phone numbers...and no one is allowed on the school grounds due to Covid...so no walk-ins in to ask questions...


Please note a more increasing number of people stopped watching RTE (can't ask question via the TV anyway...)

I also don't have the personal phone number of my doctor, dentist, any member of staff of my local bank, or anyone else who I do any sort of business with. Why would you expect teachers' phone numbers?

What has people not watching RTE got to do with anything? People don't watch cos they think it's crap.

:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

brooke 2

rainbowtrout wrote: »

Give it a few more days.

https://roscommonherald.ie/2020/09/23/elphin-publican-did-not-realise-he-should-have-been-self-isolating/#.X2uwv2hKjIU


Students from at least four secondary schools were at this at the weekend.

'The virus has struck many places. It was due to come to Elphin sooner or later.' :eek:

Not the only arrogant comment from this guy. :mad:

wirelessdude01

brooke 2 wrote: »

'The virus has struck many places. It was due to come to Elphin sooner or later.' :eek:

Not the only arrogant comment from this guy. :mad:

Is it true that his wife is a primary teacher?

brooke 2

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

Is it true that his wife is a primary teacher?

I read that elsewhere. Don't know if is true, though.