Sending child back to school? Impact on diabetic family member who they live with.

[Dandy]

Hello
Is there any info out there on. Sending children back to school. When a member of your family is diabetic. (Not) the child.
I’m worried if my child goes back to school the increased risk on my husband who is not in the shielding group but is type 1 diabetic over 40years. I contacted my gp for advise but they told me to go on government guidelines but I’m struggling to find info direct info.
Any help or advise appreciated.

 

[Robin]

Hello
Is there any info out there on. Sending children back to school. When a member of your family is diabetic. (Not) the child.
I’m worried if my child goes back to school the increased risk on my husband who is not in the shielding group but is type 1 diabetic over 40years. I contacted my gp for advise but they told me to go on government guidelines but I’m struggling to find info direct info.
Any help or advise appreciated.

As with all things covid at the moment, if you find one scientist saying one thing, you’ll find another saying the opposite. The general consensus seems to be that children don’t get infected as much, and don’t spread it even if they are. It also depends on what the community transmission rate is in your area of the country at the moment.(in some areas, especially in he Souuth, there’s very little of it around at the moment)
I found this article, which mentions a study where they found that in infected households, (and before lockdown restrictions) it was never the child who had brought it in. And the case of the spread from the French alps, there was an infected child who was in contact with several schools and other groups, and didn’t infect anyone.

How do children spread the coronavirus? The science still isn’t clear

Schools are beginning to reopen — but scientists are still trying to understand what the deal is with kids and COVID-19.

www.nature.com

 

[Amity Island]

Some schools have done surveys on how the parents feel about their children returning to school. It all depends on your view of the risk and also if anyone in the family has conditions which would be exacerbated if a child was to bring the virus home.

The results look something like this. For the schools returning as per government advice.

Parents definitely sending their children back - 37%
Parents probably sending their children back - 18%
Parents possibly sending their children back - 22%
Parents probably not sending their children back - 12%
Parents definitely not sending their children back - 9%

At the moment, 135 local councils are advising against the schools returning, which the government are saying there is no scientific reason not to open the schools. There is constant conflicting advice, parents worried about their child and the family catching it from them, teachers unions advising against teachers returning.

Who knows where this is all leading....

 

[Thebearcametoo]

Yeah I think the majority of kids won’t be going back this school year even without wider health concerns in the family. I would wait until your school reopens fully and decide then but I can’t see how there can be any penalties for families not sending their kids back this year.

 

[Carlos]

We are in the same situation, and struggling to make up our minds. The long and short of the scientific opinion seems to be that we just don't know what is the level of risk.

We haven't been impressed with what we have seen regarding social distancing with the children that are currently attending, so despite assurances, we are doubtful about how it is going to work. On top of that, we are being asked to make a decision by tomorrow. Another type 1 parent have said they will initially send their child in, but pull them out at the first sign of trouble with the numbers. We will probably do the same.

 

[Bexlee]

Speaking as a teacher ........ there is a lot of thought going into the social distancing aspect in schools with increased numbers from 1st June rather than with just the key workers children who have been there and together for 9 weeks. You’d think if they have NHS parents there would be a high chance of them having caught it and passed it to others. I think children to some extent will surprise us with their ability and unseratanding of keeping distances. Schools are working hard to work it all out With constantly changing directions and suggestion no matter what their view on the return to the classroom.

I don’t know what decision I’d make as a parent because I’m not one but after a long discussion with my sister who is also a teacher in a primary school and has 2 children eligible to go back from 1st June she’s decided not to send them.

 

[Inka]

There won’t be any fines if you choose not to send your child back to school. I get the impression many schools are hoping not too many children will return on June 1st.

I won’t be sending my children. For their sakes really. I doubt it’ll be much like normal school and the psychological effect of that shouldn’t be underestimated.

The scientific advisers have warned against it, and I think it’s simply not safe yet.

 

[Carlos]

Our nephew in Germany has been back for a week, every other day with half of his class. Only his year are in school, strict distancing, masks, not particularly fun.

Ours is quite looking forward to go, but we expect that it will be a shock.