School return on 8th filling me with dread!

[Ivostas66]

So... interesting that yet more news was leaked late last night and it looks like all schools will return on 8th March. I must admit, the news fills me with dread!

One of my main concerns stems from the fact that many of my work colleagues without any underlying health conditions, some younger than me (45), have had their first vaccination. Schools are set up to keep students as safe as possible, but many have little in place for protecting staff. The thought of being in a packed school again, in an area with a high proportion of the SA variant, with surge testing taking place across the locality is one that worries me. I have had cold/ flu symptoms for 11 days now, had to take my inhaler several times as breathing has been difficult and my BG levels have been through the roof (only in range for 20% of the time!) 2 Covid tests have come back negative. Not had a letter telling me to shield and not heard anything about vaccination.

I pinged an email to my doctors surgery this morning, outlining some of the above. Hopefully I will hear back soon!

 

[SB2015]

Sorry to hear you are feeling unwell @Ivostas66 , and I can understand your concern about the return to work. I hope that you get a response from your doctor.

Have you had your vaccination yet? It is likely that you qualify now as they are rolling it out to Group 6, although I realise that there are differences in different areas.

 

[Ivostas66]

Not had my vaccination yet. No reply from my doctors after contacting them at 8am and being promised a call back by 4pm today.

 

[Drummer]

If they do get in touch maybe enquire about being 'done' if there is spare vaccine left at the end of the day.
I have a large extended family and several have been given their first jabs whilst taking older relatives to the centres - they are travelling long distances in some cases, over 10 miles is not unusual, so they are making appointments late in the day to have the best chance of getting there if there is bad weather.

 

[JohnWhi]

Some people have simply been left off the GP lists. A family member aged over 75 was never called, though his wife (similar age) was. An enquiry to the GP produced no response. She telephoned the hospital where he was undergoing treatment for a heart condition. They sorted it out pretty quickly.

 

[Ivostas66]

My Mum was a practice manager for years and yesterday was at a 'zoom baby shower' for a friends daughter. One of the young ladies there was a type 1 in her 20s who said she was fit and healthy and was vaccinated about 4 weeks ago - she said her GP contacted her and said he was keen to have all of the vulnerable vaccinated asap. I also have a colleague from work who had gestational diabetes about 15 years ago and she has been vaccinated and also told to shield - she has ignored the advice re: shielding as she has no health conditions at all.

My practice have still not got back to me despite being told I would definitely be contacted yesterday. It all seems a bit shambolic really!

 

[Bruce Stephens]

I also have a colleague from work who had gestational diabetes about 15 years ago and she has been vaccinated and also told to shield

That seems to have been some kind of mixup, though I'm not quite clear what exactly happened. I think the intent was to include women who currently have gestational diabetes, not those who had it years ago.

 

[Ivostas66]

Practice Manager just replied to me via email, but only answered one of my questions - 'You are in group 6 for the vaccinations & I hope to send off the list of patients in that cohort to the NICS by the end of the day..."

Distinctly unimpressed!

 

[freesia]

@Ivostas66 are the school taking part in the twice weekly lateral flow testing for staff? I'm assuming its a secondary school. How are they going about testing the students? I understood it to be 3 tests initially then testing to be done at home. I think the results of the tests have to be reported to the gov and school

 

[Bexlee]

I’m intrigued to see how mass testing of 1000+ kids is done 3-5 days apart. One year group a day? Except on day 4 we need to do year group A again and on Day 5 year group B so when do C and D get done?? 30 min per time. Waiting round in “isolation” while they wait for result ...... right lot of teaching will go on while we get that sorted for the 1st 3 tests IN school before they do them at home. A good idea but practically???!!!! Oh I’m imagining it now I wonder how many places you can stick a swab?!....let you know something around 8th March!

 

[Ivostas66]

I’m intrigued to see how mass testing of 1000+ kids is done 3-5 days apart. One year group a day? Except on day 4 we need to do year group A again and on Day 5 year group B so when do C and D get done?? 30 min per time. Waiting round in “isolation” while they wait for result ...... right lot of teaching will go on while we get that sorted for the 1st 3 tests IN school before they do them at home. A good idea but practically???!!!! Oh I’m imagining it now I wonder how many places you can stick a swab?!....let you know something around 8th March!

The lateral flow tests aren't the most reliable and tests are only good at the time they are taken; it only tells us that the student does not have the virus at that exact moment in time, they don't predict the future! Also, schools have to seek written consent from parents to test and the average agreement across schools over the past couple of months for those children of key workers is just 30%. Parents clearly do not want to be told that they have to isolate!

I think that remote learning is going to have to continue in some guise for the first week or two, whilst testing is sorted. 240 kids in each year group? It takes a whole morning each year for injections for a year group and the testing will take longer than a simple jab. What happens with Year 7? Children over 12 can conduct the test themselves under supervision, but those under 12 have to have an adult conduct the test. I have a feeling year groups will be given a day/ time during the first week when they attend so that they can come in for a test and then head home for remote learning.

 

[freesia]

@Bexlee and @Ivostas66 what a nightmare. The kids won't have time for teaching. A staggered start would have been easier.
In primary we all go back on the same day but at least thats a smaller amount. Although we don't know whether we have to wear masks in class or not.
There was talk at one time of the army stepping in and helping testing. Not heard anything about that for a while.
I do think we need to get the children back into class. Hopefully in the next 2 weeks we'll be given the guidance.