Observation (rather than data) but it defientely feels like it’s significantly worse in Leicestershire schools than the end of last term.
We are currently working with some of the education dept folk in Leicester, and 26 different schools. My spreadsheet of our staff recording concerns shows a significant increase this morning...
While it’s going to be a mess for many kids (again) this term, just think about the clinically vulnerable kids, or kids with vulnerable people in their households…
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/dfe-threatened-with-legal-action-over-unlawful-covid-attendance-rules/
Legal advice for families
The Good Law Project has commissioned written legal advice for families who do not want to send their children into school, stating fines or prosecution for not attending school could be unlawful – depending on the facts.It states vulnerable children or children who belong to vulnerable families may have a legal right to be provided with education at home.
The campaigning organisation also claims schools worried about attendance have bullied vulnerable families into deregistering children in these situations.
THE biggest risk factor for poor Covid outcome is obesity.
Yet it was deleted? Why?
Maybe because it's fake news like most of what you post. The biggest risk factor is age, after that:
https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus#tab=tab_1
Influenza is a bigger risk to children than Covid
More fake news, a quick Google says the risks are similar in children.
The fake news was saying that obesity is th emost imporatant factor when age is. Obesity is also a factor.
From your own link:
Age has emerged as a major factor to predict the severity of the disease and mortality rates are significantly higher in elderly patients. Besides, patients with underlying conditions like Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, and cancer have an increased risk of severe disease and death due to COVID-19 infection. Obesity has emerged as a novel risk factor for hospitalization and death due to COVID-19. Several independent studies have observed that people with obesity are at a greater risk of severe disease and death due to COVID-19.
Edukator, poor play. If you don't agree then why not discuss. This place is an echo chamber at the best of times. Most people don't comment on here because it's the same anxiety ridden few who post over and over and anyone else gets shot down. You can argue other wise to your hearts content but it's true.
We're aware of all this, Cranker, read back through the thread. However only you choose to go the distateful stigmatisation route.
Yes obesity is a factor, but not as significant as age. Can the government do anything about it, well not much.
There's a soda tax here in France, coding of food stuffs, health warnings run over TV adverts... just like alcohol. Spending billions is not the answer. Education helps but there are limits to that too. An Oxford education didn't stop Boris over eating.
Not to put to fine a point on it @cranker, but that is a terrible study. One normally compares cases with matched controls, and for the PHE and others, the sample size will be tens of thousands not tens of tens. Anyway, the data shows that age and obesity are key risk factors for COVID morbidity.
One sample… https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/11/1/e044640
Being male increases your risk by 8% straight away.
If the government was really bothered about saving lives
Makes you think......
rather than addressing the underlying issues of the generally poor metabolic health of the population?
Whilst getting people fitter would certainly have a lot of advantages it does run into a few minor difficulties not least the time required.
Anyway if that is too difficult, here’s a very easy win. Ban smoking and we’d save an estimated 80,000 excess deaths in the UK every year. And that’s without all the extra pressure on the NHS from smoking related health conditions. I mean why not? Surely better than banning people from going to work or school, or from seeing their relatives. If the government was really bothered about saving lives then why have they not done this already?
The tax revenue from tobacco per year is greater than the cost of treating smokers to the NHS.
I don't quite follow the argumentation, but at least there is now something material, so thanks for that.
Yes, obesity is a factor - in Covid as well as other conditions as mentioned. But it's a long term health improvement needed there. I agree we should be doing it but it's as well, not instead of.
Covid 19 was, still is, a rapidly growing and spreading disease with significant morbidity - my estimate about 0.2-0.4% currently based on case rate to death rate - and non-inconsequential long term non-fatal effects.
The responses to the pandemic need to be quick (quicker!) and far reaching.
If your house catches fire, the fire brigade don't refuse to douse it because you didn't have smoke alarms. Sure, they're also running a campaign to get people to fit them, but right now there's a more immediate problem.
The tax revenue from tobacco per year is greater than the cost of treating smokers to the NHS.
As pointed out 40 years ago in Yes Minister.
Excellent analogy about the house fire though.
@martinhutch that graphic has me rolling around in laughter with tears in my eyes. Thanks for posting, it’s come during a tough time (things other than COVID also) although I don’t really know why it’s set me off. Something about the look on that bloody squirrels face, ha ha.
Sorry to anyone who feels my childish hilarity is offensive given the subject, I needed to laugh at something currently.
^^ No need to apologise to anyone I suspect. It's a good time to find a little fun or distraction wherever you can these days.
Hence on our first wild camping night together (her first ever) with my partner a couple of nights back I let out a huge butt vibrating fart just as she finally got snuggled up in the sleeping bag.
I felt like a monster but is was SO worth it.
Totally worth the slap.
Any thoughts? Was inevitable given the wasted Summer perhaps?
As for mask wearing enforcement, I was in a rock bar on the Cowgate in Edinburgh on Friday.
Anyone who came in without a mask on got an immediate, loud "oi, mask on" shout off the barman. Any quibbling or hesitation and it was "get the F out" from bar man quickly followed by the same from the punters.
Any thoughts? Was inevitable given the wasted Summer perhaps?
Not a chance of it!
I sorta can't see it happening, but apparently there is a press conference later today. Gotta be honest I would rather see other rules come in than another total lock down.
there is a press conference later today.
I believe that’s to announce the 1.2% rise in NI to help fund the NhS. It’s a conflicting issue, no one wants to pay more taxes, yet I’d rather it went to the NHS which then wasn’t sold of to US equity. Given this governments history it needs audited clarity; I don’t want to find out any portion of my 1.2% has been farmed of to a Conservative “friend” or retirement fund.
Any thoughts? Was inevitable given the wasted Summer perhaps?
Pretty sure we all thought this was a nailed on certainty last October, what with the Sage committee calling for it, and Starmer backing them with a televised call for it that looked dangerously like competent and decisive leadership.
So no chance really.
Pretty sure we all thought this was a nailed on certainty last October, what with the Sage committee calling for it, and Starmer backing them with a televised call for it that looked dangerously like competent and decisive leadership.
Even something as simple as mandatory mask-wearing in schools and on public transport feels like a major political defeat to Boris and his chums, and as such must be dithered over until there is no alternative.
If the government had any interest in protecting the academic year from disruption, why aren't we doing the simple things now rather than waiting until we are losing an entire week of term ((with all the childcare/productivity problems that causes for parents) at some point in the future?
Instead they are only now considering mass vaccination of teenagers which will not deliver substantial benefits until next term at the earliest, cost a lot more, and potentially do relatively little to curb spread.
Ministers are asleep at the wheel, as usual.
Something about the look on that bloody squirrels face
Sorry about that. Seems a bit random with half the posts above it vanished.
At the Manchester Utd v Newcastle Utd game on Saturday, the club will ask supporters through the turnstiles if they've been vaccinated. They stress that nobody will be turned away if the don't want to answer. Aarrrgghhh.
In the future I think vaccination passports were mentioned in the news report.
At the Manchester Utd v Newcastle Utd game on Saturday, the club will ask supporters through the turnstiles if they’ve been vaccinated. They stress that nobody will be turned away if the don’t want to answer. Aarrrgghhh.
Thats the same at all games though right? father in law goes to the odd Brighton game is supposed to show his covid passport and sister in law show her negative lateral flow (shes like 14/15) they rarely get asked.
I believe that’s to announce the 1.2% rise in NI to help fund the NhS. It’s a conflicting issue, no one wants to pay more taxes, yet I’d rather it went to the NHS which then wasn’t sold of to US equity. Given this governments history it needs audited clarity; I don’t want to find out any portion of my 1.2% has been farmed of to a Conservative “friend” or retirement fund.
Probably needs a separate thread, but there has never been a better time to push through tax/NI increases to fund the NHS and social care system. If we want it, we have to pay for it at some point. There's surely a middle ground between using assets/selling houses to fund care while state/tax funded investment builds up to help future generations and those without assets.
But yes, I don't trust this lot - or any other lot - to not divert the revenue into whatever short term vote winner they fancy next.
no one wants to pay more taxes
I'm quite happy to pay more taxes, for sure, but I'd also like to see it being fairer. Don't just take more from people who earn, when the wealthy retired folks will not have to contribute, just reap the rewards.
The problem with NI is who DOESNT pay it. Anybody aged over 65 doesn't. Also, NI isn't payable on income from rental properties.
Remind me again who votes Tory???
Certainly a review of tax is required rather than NI, to make it fairer.
And I have no problem with people with assets/property having to use it to fund their care. They can't take it with them, after all.
Flip side being they've bought those assets with the proceeds of work one imagines after paying tax.
I'm currently smashing as much money, before tax, in to my pension as I can. As it's salary sacrifice I'm also paying less NI and even better in addition to the contribution our company makes to my pension they also chip in their NI saving as well.
I've seen the care system up close and personal so I'm very much in support of the idea that this needs sorting. Those who look likely to end up paying for it are probably those who helped this lot get in to power. I hope they're happy with the results.
We're probably all going to have to use it, and two thirds of us didn't vote for this lot, so that seems harsh.
However, I see there's now a separate thread, so back to the virus!
Two weeks after Jnr first started with "a bad cold" and 12 days since he tested positive, he's back to normal and the rest of us still negative. His second jab is booked end of September before he goes to uni.
A colleague sounded rough in a Teams call this morning and is off to be tested this afternoon. Please tell me this isn't one of those computer viruses that you can catch via Teams?
Just had the expected letter from the head at the secondary school...
- no masks
- full school assemblies
- no distancing of any kind
and...
- pupils can attend school in full on site even if someone in their household has Covid
That last one is running around my head. Seems like they've taken the loosening of the legal obligations on people to mean "do nothing" to stop infections spreading in the school.
^^ That's more than a little disheartening to read.
Sounds like a total abdication of care.
From my girl's school's risk management plan
The school will co-operate with NHS Test and Trace who have now taken over the
responsibility for tracing of close contacts Close contacts no longer need to isolate if
they are fully vaccinated or are below 18.5 years. If contacted by NHS T and T,
contacts will be advised to take a PCR test. Close contacts who do not need to isolate
should therefore attend school as normal
It's not the schools setting this policy, it's the government. The schools are stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Yup, that’s the legal situation, I was hoping schools would do more. At risk kids at the school (including mine) are waiting for the nod from GPs to get the vaccines, but they won’t have gained any protection from illness ‘till, what, November at the earliest? And could be sitting next to a kid with all their family at home ill or positive many times between now and then. And what about at risk parents?
The other thing is no requirement for testing.
Asymptomatic infection won't be picked up.
It's as if they're trying to avoid finding any cases.
Until it hits anyone vulnerable.
As above. My wife has just had the email from her school, she’s a TA, that mirrors that above. It’s from the Local Authority, meaning “we’re not going to do anything until everyone is in hospital or dead”
The one upside is there won’t be any rise in infections if you don’t test. World beating.
Staff testing is now voluntary.
But for kids, the changes to the isolation rules actually discourage continuing testing.
If little Johnny is asymptomatic, and there's no close contact isolation, then him getting a positive lateral flow really means asking for time off work to look after him. It's going to be easier for most parents to not test routinely.
Should keep case numbers down.
I guess the thinking is most kids don't get severe symptoms.
And most staff should be double jabbed so shouldn't get severe symptoms.
And there's some space in the hospital at the moment for the rest.
Yeah the close contact emails we got from the school we basically "Test if you like or not, up to you".
We are by the way.
In my eldest's class (Yr9) currently about a 1/3 of the class is off. About 5 off in Y7 kid's class.
I guess the thinking is most kids don’t get severe symptoms.
And most staff should be double jabbed so shouldn’t get severe symptoms.
And there’s some space in the hospital at the moment for the rest.
That's the way it comes across. There's an increasingly small number of unvaccinated vulnerable people. I'm just not convinced we've got the number low enough to be making that call yet. Maybe I'm too cautious.
Flatten the curve by pulling it forward.
There’s an increasingly small number of unvaccinated vulnerable people.
Seeing as most vulnerable people that could have the vaccine would have been jabbed last winter, then that number should really should be a stable constant.
"Increasingly small" is worrying.
The percentage of positive testing folk coming through our centre is now north of 25%. I'm now starting to debate whether I want to continue in the work unless the PPE is upgraded. Of course I'm on zero hours with Serco so f all chance of that.
Back to school … an international comparison …
The very first part of that article is misleading, I don't know about Germany, but Scots schools started back at the same time as 'vertical drinking' and nightclubs reopened, as well as fans going back to football, concerts etc.... Our schoolkids also have top wear masks not only in between classes, but during classes too.
