Schools and Covid 19 (part 5) **Mod warnings in OP**

iamwhoiam

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117934176#Comment_117934176

I dont think it’s irrational to at least be informed if your child is a close contact . They can then choose to do what is right for their situation . For example choose not to visit an eldery relative or choose to do an antigen test before they go to dance class etc

Snooker Loopy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117934176#Comment_117934176

And why should they not have the right to pull their kids out of school if they don't think it's safe?

It would seem very rational to me.

"Not telling people" isn't transparent and neither is it honest. It's deceitful.

TomOnBoard

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117934290#Comment_117934290

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117933415#Comment_117933415

Any parent has the right to pull their child out of school if they feel it is unsafe, or if they feel that they are being misled by the authorities as to facts and policies regarding Covid in Schools.

Foley and her Dept have not acted in a trustworthy manner and it is wise to question their intentions. NPHET's imminent changed strategy in respect of close contacts flies in the face of previous strategy and also ought to be questioned. The "Trust Me" attitude that worked 12-18 months ago no longer prevails today .

That said, the morbidity/mortality landscape has changed utterly. 73% of the population is fully vaxxed, which massively reduces the overall risk of serious illness or death. The 2020 strategy of keeping kids out of school was not as much about preventing Covid infecting the kids - it was more about preventing spread among older and vulnerable cohorts. The kids were never hugely affected by the disease, and this has only changed marginally with Delta, although transmissability has increased many fold. At this stage, most/all of those at risk of serious illness/death have been fully vaxxed, IF they chose to be so. Similarly, most/all teachers have also been fully vaxxed, if THEY chose to be. Accordingly, the school landscape has changed a lot. However, Foley's assurances around safety in schools are largely empty - witness the promises around CO2 monitors... What an absolute faff- whats going to happen when the cold weather hits and windows cant be left open all day???

So, now anyone with kids in school and vulnerable/immuno-compromised ppl at home is very wise to remain on high alert. Indeed, with the contact tracing changes incoming, they'd need to be even more alert. For everyone else, its a matter of risk tolerance and balancing risk vs reward. I do feel the authorities have quietly decided that the general population is as well- protected as possible, so testing & isolation among school-going children is no longer viable. Its now up to ppl to decide for themselves. IMO, it is a poor approach given the continued unforgivable lack of State support for antigen testing, and that is definitely a NPHET failing. The reliance on a PCR-only strategy, with a 'one per county' testing centre is simply wrong and arrogant!

@seamus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117933415#Comment_117933415

Would you have argued that children should not go to school if not vaccinated against influenza. Because that is more serious in kids as per the data from @seamus

expectationlost

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117934648#Comment_117934648

whats the risk of hospitalisation and death from flu for _all ages_ vs delta variant of covid?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117934806#Comment_117934806

So basically you want to compare apples with oranges. The rate of hospitalisation and deaths in unvaccinated kids is lower with Covid than influenza. The rate of hospitalisation and death in vaccinated non medically vulnerable adults is lower with Covid than influenza

Goldengirl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117934857#Comment_117934857

While I agree with this , I do think it is a little previous to be stopping notifying close contacts of school cases and monitoring levels in school , with cases riding in this only unvaccinated age group .

It is probably only going to get worse in the next while , especially as @TomOnBoard says with the lack of proper ventilation in schools going into the colder months .

Foley is an incompetent who has not managed to get CO monitors installed even with the summer break .

My youngest is in secondary and vaccinated .

I would not be happy if my youngest was in primary and being disregarded as of any consideration , as appears that the HSE and Minister of Education ..AND NPHET ...are doing at present .

The only reason testing of close contacts is being stopped so abruptly is not reduced transmission, raind, because that has increased, and from an already high level going back in August , but because they are not ready ideologically to propose vaccination in children , or economically to keep them ( and their now back to work parents) at home isolating .

This is learning from the pingdemic in the UK , fair dues but at what risk to children ?

Cases will be rising , but it won't be obvious until there are high numbers , because they won't be tested . Parents who don't or can't keep their kids at home will allow them go in even with mild symptoms which will exacerbate spread further .

But sure it's only a 'mild illness in children '?

I hope so or there will be a lot of trouble down the line from parents after this .

History Queen

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117934176#Comment_117934176

If that's the rationale it's scandalous. They don't know people's circumstances. I mind my grandmother on Fridays when I get home from work through til Sunday mornings to give my mam respite. I don't want to go near her if there's been a case in my class or my children's childcare. Leaving me in the dark takes away my opportunity to make an informed choice. I'm sure that there's lots of people in similar or more challenging circumstances than us.

The HorsesMouth

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117935241#Comment_117935241

But you do realise that you could bring home flu or RSV or any other random virus to your grandmother? She is protected as much as she can be from covid (provided she's vaccinated). So why are you so worried about bringing covid in particular back to her?

History Queen

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117935597#Comment_117935597

Absolutely. So if anyone in contact with me has RSV or the flu I don't go near my grandmother. I want to do the same thing with Covid.

The HorsesMouth

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117935685#Comment_117935685

But how do you know if its flu or rsv? People don't get tested for these things. Kids come into school with coughs etc that could be a flu or another virus but we never know. That's the way we've been living for years and years.

History Queen

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117935703#Comment_117935703

Well I don't know if you've cared for a vulnerable person before but how we handle it is we don't go near her if we've been in contact with anyone with symptoms of cold/flu/ has a known illness etc or have symptoms ourselves. Not a perfect system but it's the best we can do. Not unreasonable to want to do the same with covid.

The HorsesMouth

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117935725#Comment_117935725

I'm a teacher and yes I have vulnerable family members. But if a child in my class has a cough and I didn't go see them...I would probably never see them! The point I'm making is you don't have a clue what you encounter everyday and spread around. It's not unreasonable to want to do the same with covid if that's how you want to live but I believe now it's unreasonable to single out one virus to be tested when there's a load of other ones out there equally dangerous to vulnerable or elderly.

History Queen

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117935778#Comment_117935778

Why single out measles/mumps/chickenpox/slapped cheek etc? Covid is absolutely dangerous to the vulnerable and known to be in wide circulation at the moment. Why not let people know of cases and let them risk assess themselves according to their particular circumstances? What harm does that do?

The HorsesMouth

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117935817#Comment_117935817

Massive difference between measles mumps etc and the virus's we're talking about. It doesn't do any harm but every test costs €100. That's near 2 million a day we're spending on testing. It's not sustainable and people need to move away from the fear of covid and start living life as you normally did before.

History Queen

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117935912#Comment_117935912

I'll happily pay for my own testing given a choice. We regularly use antigen tests. Pretending the problem isn't there won't make it go away.

I think it's fair to say we are coming from completely different perspectives and won't agree. I see your perspective I just fundamentally disagree with it.

iamwhoiam

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117935956#Comment_117935956

Not ideal but maybe an idea for you would be to do antigen test once finished school on Friday and before you go to mind your gran .You will have some peace of mind then ?

beveragelady

Can anybody tell me how to stop getting notifications from a particular thread?

Lumen

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117936681#Comment_117936681

https://www.boards.ie/categories/help-desk

History Queen

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117936557#Comment_117936557

Ya that's the conclusion we've come to. Better than nothing, but just don't understand why the secrecy around positive cases. Think I'm going to give mam respite from Saturday afternoon through to Sunday night now instead, and take an antigen test Saturday morning.

SusanC10

Question !

If a fully vaccinated 12 year old gets a cold, stays out of school and gets a PCR Test with a negative result - at what point can s/he return to school ?

Is it straight away after the negative result ? Or is it 48 hours after the symptoms disappear ?

the corpo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117937940#Comment_117937940

Pretty sure it's always been the case to wait 48 hours after symptoms disappear for returning to school, even in the before times

SusanC10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117938161#Comment_117938161

But kids would have gone to school with a cold pre-Pandemic

Vaccinated30

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117938329#Comment_117938329

Kids who just have a cold with no temp or cough are fine to go to school as per the hse advice.

the corpo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117938329#Comment_117938329

Sorry yes, meant anything possibly viral, so with an accompanying temp etc

Leftwaffe

Any word on muzzles being dropped for teachers on October 22nd? I’m assuming they won’t be But would love to know.

Fecking hate the mask, it’s impossible to do my job right. Just let us make the choice now, get in with it.

Vaccinated30

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117943313#Comment_117943313

My school said Schools will be keeping the covod response plan in place which includes masks, although my son has a speech delay and I feel he would benefit greatly feom seeing his teachers mouth as they talk.

Sammy2012

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117943313#Comment_117943313

There has been nothing about it at all. But I totally agree with you. Anyway they are sort of pointless when everyone else in the classroom isn't wearing one and I am fully vaccinated. It's not possible to teach younger children phonics and sounds without showing them your mouth. Would love if it was up to each teacher to decide for themselves.

seamus

Health measures in schools will be a matter for the DoE. While the proposed guidelines on 22nd October say that masks aren't required, that doesn't mean the DoE will drop the requirement.

That said however, I'm expecting them to use the Halloween break as an opportunity to change the rules so that schools arrive back with new rules/guidelines in place.

With almost everyone over 12 vaccinated, it seems unlikely that the mask requirement in schools will be maintained.

appledrop

1st Covid test for our child, one month into school for a cough, no other symptoms.

Hopefully it comes back clear, but if not I'll be informing school and parents so they can keep an eye on their child despite government not caring about close contacts.