OT. Schools...normality and Coronavirus.

[swaledale]

Yes we continue to get mixed messages about practically every thing Apparently now we don't need the 2mtr rule it should only be 1mtr because France Hong Kong and China have done it The W.H.O have always said 1mtr. If we do adopt it should really help in a lot of businesses even pubs and cafes But a lot of 2mtrs apart signs being made redundant

Aint that typical of the way the Government has handled this? Not taking information from elsewhere, not adopting the tracking app that works but developing our own, not taking action based on what was happening abroad? Its as if Brexit nationalistic policies have got in the way of a coordinated approach tackling the pandemic based on all available information.

[Geoff Parkstone]

Teachers need similar PPE to shop workers then? Wouldn't the big astronaut suit type stuff make the kuds scared and communication difficult?

I don't understand the logic of littluns not passing on either, but it seems valudated (Swale said so!). But consider this: they are low to the ground and so droplets get there with less opportunity to get at humans. Just a thought.... It might be as simple as that

[ramAnag]

Teachers need similar PPE to shop workers then? Wouldn't the big astronaut suit type stuff make the kuds scared and communication difficult?

I don't understand the logic of littluns not passing on either, but it seems valudated (Swale said so!). But consider this: they are low to the ground and so droplets get there with less opportunity to get at humans. Just a thought.... It might be as simple as that

Haven’t seen any shop workers in ‘big astronaut suit type stuff’ tbh, GP.

Think there’s a place for masks/face shields and possibly gloves at the least. Doesn’t seem too much to ask for those confined in a room with up to 16 others for a likely minimum of forty minute blocks. Masks may indeed make communication more difficult, but surgeons always seem to do okay and I could always understand the Lone Ranger...kemosabe.

[Trickytreesreds]

Haven’t seen any shop workers in ‘big astronaut suit type stuff’ tbh, GP.

Think there’s a place for masks/face shields and possibly gloves at the least. Doesn’t seem too much to ask for those confined in a room with up to 16 others for a likely minimum of forty minute blocks. Masks may indeed make communication more difficult, but surgeons always seem to do okay and I could always understand the Lone Ranger...kemosabe.

I don't think a surgeon, needs to try to get everyone's undivided attention when he's working.
If they aren't listening to him, they really shouldn't be there.

[swaledale]

I don't think a surgeon, needs to try to get everyone's undivided attention when he's working.
If they aren't listening to him, they really shouldn't be there.

Gloves are pointless - just wash your hands. Masks stop you infecting others, but so does social distancing. No key workers are doing their jobs using full PPE!

[ramAnag]

Gloves are pointless - just wash your hands. Masks stop you infecting others, but so does social distancing. No key workers are doing their jobs using full PPE!

I’m not sure how familiar you are with classrooms, Swale, but ‘just wash your hands’ isn’t that easy. I’m not an expert on infant classrooms, having spent the vast majority of my career working with 13-16 year olds, but generally speaking Science and Art rooms should be equipped with sinks, the majority of others aren’t.

Gloves aren’t useless. They may not be the height of PPE sophistication but they seem pretty ubiquitous in hospitals and when teachers have to touch children, books, pens, pencils, crayons, keyboards, touch screens etc they are a form of defence against the virus.

Likewise masks are likely to become compulsory on public transport, whats’s the difference? Classrooms, like buses, trains and planes all have in common the collection of a number of people in a closed and confined space. A basic requirement for teachers and possibly pupils too,imo.

Social distancing is very difficult in a classroom situation and some ‘key workers’ - those in the NHS at least - clearly are wearing full PPE...even though I’m not actually advocating ‘full PPE’ in schools

I understand your anxiety over when the economic world can begin turning again and that the reopening of schools is ***** to that, but I cannot understand you being so obstructive where staff/pupil safety, and the avoidance of a second ‘wave’ is concerned.

P.S. How come dentists have escaped the wrath of you, GP and Tricky? They downed tools almost straight away and aren’t showing any signs of reopening. I suppose they’re a bunch of self centred ******** too.

[swaledale]

Teachers need similar PPE to shop workers then? Wouldn't the big astronaut suit type stuff make the kuds scared and communication difficult?

I don't understand the logic of littluns not passing on either, but it seems valudated (Swale said so!). But consider this: they are low to the ground and so droplets get there with less opportunity to get at humans. Just a thought.... It might be as simple as that

Its not me saying so, its what the current evidence is, and nobody seems to know why, its the same as why it tends not to be detrimental to most fit adults, though they can of course be spreaders.

[MadAmster]

The R rate is 0.5 in some places in the UK. It is above 1 in others like, but not limited to, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle and Middlesbrough.

Surely, in places where R = >1 the schools should NOT go back. Ease restrictions where reasonable and sensible. Areas where R = >1 should say locked down.

[Geoff Parkstone]

I’m not sure how familiar you are with classrooms, Swale, but ‘just wash your hands’ isn’t that easy. I’m not an expert on infant classrooms, having spent the vast majority of my career working with 13-16 year olds, but generally speaking Science and Art rooms should be equipped with sinks, the majority of others aren’t.

Gloves aren’t useless. They may not be the height of PPE sophistication but they seem pretty ubiquitous in hospitals and when teachers have to touch children, books, pens, pencils, crayons, keyboards, touch screens etc they are a form of defence against the virus.

Likewise masks are likely to become compulsory on public transport, whats’s the difference? Classrooms, like buses, trains and planes all have in common the collection of a number of people in a closed and confined space. A basic requirement for teachers and possibly pupils too,imo.

Social distancing is very difficult in a classroom situation and some ‘key workers’ - those in the NHS at least - clearly are wearing full PPE...even though I’m not actually advocating ‘full PPE’ in schools

I understand your anxiety over when the economic world can begin turning again and that the reopening of schools is ***** to that, but I cannot understand you being so obstructive where staff/pupil safety, and the avoidance of a second ‘wave’ is concerned.

P.S. How come dentists have escaped the wrath of you, GP and Tricky? They downed tools almost straight away and aren’t showing any signs of reopening. I suppose they’re a bunch of self centred ******** too.

Dentists? Not sure how widespread this is but a friend of mine went to her local (NHS and private) dentist last week and was seen and referred to another dental practice for a procedure which happened Thursday. They had some unusual PPE I'm told but otherwise all went well.

So I'm not even going to point out the difference between getting into people's mouths and doing things inside them, and sitting at a desk socially distanced from your charges and periodically caning them! .

Perhaps my understanding of dentists being open is not reflective of national experience, but doesn't look like down tools to me.

[swaledale]

Dentists? Not sure how widespread this is but a friend of mine went to her local (NHS and private) dentist last week and was seen and referred to another dental practice for a procedure which happened Thursday. They had some unusual PPE I'm told but otherwise all went well.

So I'm not even going to point out the difference between getting into people's mouths and doing things inside them, and sitting at a desk socially distanced from your charges and periodically caning them! .

Perhaps my understanding of dentists being open is not reflective of national experience, but doesn't look like down tools to me.

At the moment most dentists are closed if not all, and they have set up hubs where special measure are in place to be able to treat dentists safely.