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COVID in school being hidden

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  • 13-12-2020 7:36pm
    #1
    SnrInfant
    Registered Users Posts: 85 ✭✭


    Two cases in my school have been discovered, friends of the students themselves have told us.
    According to the Principal, as the HSE haven’t contacted the school, we are not a ‘concern’ so he hasn’t told anyone!
    One of the kids hasn’t been in school for a while so I can see how they wouldn’t be a concern but the second one was in last Thursday, went home feeling sick and her Mam confirmed to the school Monday.
    Should I contact HSE myself as my family are at risk? The Principal has no interest whatsoever!!


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    #2
    RealJohn
    Registered Users Posts: 2,099 ✭✭✭RealJohn


    SnrInfant wrote: »
    Should I contact HSE myself as my family are at risk? The Principal has no interest whatsoever!!
    Yes, but I doubt you’ll get any joy. If this pandemic has shown us one thing, it’s that the conspiracy theorists are not always wrong.


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    #3
    2011abc
    Registered Users Posts: 1,686 ✭✭✭2011abc


    Gotta comply


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    #4
    byhookorbycrook
    Moderators, Education Moderators, Regional South East Moderators Posts: 12,498 Mod ✭✭✭✭byhookorbycrook


    The principal can’t tell you anything . I’m a teacher too and when I was out for testing , she couldn’t even tell staff members . I told them myself via WhatsApp
    The HSE contact those they deem ( using a very inconsistent metric) to be close contacts .
    What extra do you want to know ? ( High risk teacher here, BTW)


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    #5
    SnrInfant
    Registered Users Posts: 85 ✭✭SnrInfant


    I just thought parents would be informed via text as seems to be the norm?
    My own child had a case in his class and a text was sent to parents straight away.


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    #6
    byhookorbycrook
    Moderators, Education Moderators, Regional South East Moderators Posts: 12,498 Mod ✭✭✭✭byhookorbycrook


    SnrInfant wrote: »
    I just thought parents would be informed via text as seems to be the norm?
    My own child had a case in his class and a text was sent to parents straight away.
    No, not at all. I'm aware of cases whereby an SNA or children seated on either side of a case didn't count as " close contacts."


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    #7
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    RealJohn wrote: »
    If this pandemic has shown us one thing, it’s that the conspiracy theorists are not always wrong.

    :rolleyes:


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    #8
    emilymemily
    Registered Users Posts: 343 ✭✭emilymemily


    byhookorbycrook wrote: »
    No, not at all. I'm aware of cases whereby an SNA or children seated on either side of a case didn't count as " close contacts."

    Its extremely inconsistent, ive heard of similar in my school but then know of sna's who were tested because they had worked with a child that tested positive.
    The principal of the school im in is trying to close the school early before Christmas because of a massive outbreak. BOM wont allow the school to close for more than 3 days despite a huge number of staff and students testing positive in the last number of days. Another 25 have been tested since Saturday or will be tested this week so we still dont know the true numbers but everyday we're getting told of atleast one student or staff member testing positive.
    The BOM, department of education, unions and minister for education have allot to answer for. They had months during lockdown to come up with a viable plan of action but did nothing.
    They could have rented out community buildings & prefabs to accommodate smaller classrooms and social distancing. Or developed an emergency curriculum to accommodate shorter weeks, class times & online learning but did nothing
    They threw us in the line of fire and now outbreaks are occurring in schools and theyre reprimanding principals for taking action.
    They are nothing short of a disgrace.


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    #9
    CCP24
    Closed Accounts Posts: 53 ✭✭CCP24


    Could it be from the uptake of the nasal flu vaccine that we are seeing a rise in children getting ill at this time? It is hard to decipher between the flu and the covid as the symptoms are similar unless people are getting tested.


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    #10
    P2C
    Registered Users Posts: 251 ✭✭P2C


    How many is huge? How big is a massive outbreak? Closing a school has knock on effect to every parent and child in a school community and I am sure the decisions are not taking lightly. For example if 10% of school tested positive but they were all in the one class then why would you close the school. However on the other hand if there were random cases unexplained across teachers and pupils in every class you would be really concerned and look at the minimum of testing the whole school. If another 25 are out for testing it sounds like their taking action . I am sure PH do a risk assessment and advice the principal and BOM accordingly and since we have the lowest level of covid in Europe they must get doing something right some of the time.
    emilymemily wrote: »
    Its extremely inconsistent, ive heard of similar in my school but then know of sna's who were tested because they had worked with a child that tested positive.
    The principal of the school im in is trying to close the school early before Christmas because of a massive outbreak. BOM wont allow the school to close for more than 3 days despite a huge number of staff and students testing positive in the last number of days. Another 25 have been tested since Saturday or will be tested this week so we still dont know the true numbers but everyday we're getting told of atleast one student or staff member testing positive.
    The BOM, department of education, unions and minister for education have allot to answer for. They had months during lockdown to come up with a viable plan of action but did nothing.
    They could have rented out community buildings & prefabs to accommodate smaller classrooms and social distancing. Or developed an emergency curriculum to accommodate shorter weeks, class times & online learning but did nothing
    They threw us in the line of fire and now outbreaks are occurring in schools and theyre reprimanding principals for taking action.
    They are nothing short of a disgrace.


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    #11
    P2C
    Registered Users Posts: 251 ✭✭P2C


    If the child was covid symptomatic in the school on Thursday the principal should be concerned and contact the HSE ASAP or if you feel that won’t happen contact the HSE and the information will be passed onto public health. It can happen that the parent has not informed the national contact tracers that the child was in school or they have deemed that the child went home with some other illness and was not symptomatic for covid.
    SnrInfant wrote: »
    Two cases in my school have been discovered, friends of the students themselves have told us.
    According to the Principal, as the HSE haven’t contacted the school, we are not a ‘concern’ so he hasn’t told anyone!
    One of the kids hasn’t been in school for a while so I can see how they wouldn’t be a concern but the second one was in last Thursday, went home feeling sick and her Mam confirmed to the school Monday.
    Should I contact HSE myself as my family are at risk? The Principal has no interest whatsoever!!


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    #12
    emilymemily
    Registered Users Posts: 343 ✭✭emilymemily


    P2C wrote: »
    How many is huge? How big is a massive outbreak? Closing a school has knock on effect to every parent and child in a school community and I am sure the decisions are not taking lightly. For example if 10% of school tested positive but they were all in the one class then why would you close the school. However on the other hand if there were random cases unexplained across teachers and pupils in every class you would be really concerned and look at the minimum of testing the whole school. If another 25 are out for testing it sounds like their taking action . I am sure PH do a risk assessment and advice the principal and BOM accordingly and since we have the lowest level of covid in Europe they must get doing something right some of the time.

    Theres random positive cases across the entire school in different classes and its a small enough school. Almost every class has had atleast one positive case so far in the last 2 weeks, allot of the classes have had multiple positive cases. Ive been notified of 3 in my class since Tuesday, another class had 5 positive cases. I dont know the exact number of positive cases among staff but atleast several have tested positive in the past week including me. 3 of us where a symptomatic. More staff and students are awaiting test results.


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    #13
    jimbobaloobob
    Registered Users Posts: 5,153 ✭✭✭jimbobaloobob


    byhookorbycrook wrote: »
    The principal can’t tell you anything . I’m a teacher too and when I was out for testing , she couldn’t even tell staff members . I told them myself via WhatsApp
    The HSE contact those they deem ( using a very inconsistent metric) to be close contacts .
    What extra do you want to know ? ( High risk teacher here, BTW)


    Are you not eligible to be signed off sick if your high risk?


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    #14
    Daisy 55
    Registered Users Posts: 511 ✭✭✭Daisy 55


    Have to be very high risk!


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    #15
    jimbobaloobob
    Registered Users Posts: 5,153 ✭✭✭jimbobaloobob


    what is considered very high risk?


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    #16
    spurious
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Education Moderators Posts: 27,222 CMod ✭✭✭✭spurious


    jimbobaloobob wrote: »
    what is considered very high risk?
    From the HSE:

    The list of people in very high risk groups include people who:
    • are over 70 years of age - even if you're fit and well
    • have had an organ transplant
    • are undergoing active chemotherapy for cancer
    • are having radical radiotherapy for lung cancer
    • have cancers of the blood or bone marrow such as leukaemia, lymphoma or myeloma who are at any stage of treatment
    • are having immunotherapy or other continuing antibody treatments for cancer
    • are having other targeted cancer treatments which can affect the immune system, such as protein kinase inhibitors or PARP inhibitors
    • have had bone marrow or stem cell transplants in the last 6 months, or who are still taking immunosuppression drugs
    • are on dialysis
    • have unstable or severe cystic fibrosis. This includes people awaiting a transplant
    • severe respiratory conditions including Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, severe asthma, pulmonary fibrosis, lung fibrosis, interstitial lung disease and severe COPD
    • have a condition that means you have a very high risk of getting infections (such as SCID, homozygous sickle cell)
    • are taking medicine that makes you much more likely to get infections (such as high doses of steroids)
    • have a serious heart condition and you're pregnant
    • have specific inborn errors of metabolism

    High risk groups
    The list of people in high risk groups includes people who:
    • are over 60 years of age
    • have a learning disability
    • have a lung condition that's not severe (such as asthma, COPD, emphysema or bronchitis)
    • have heart disease (such as heart failure)
    • have high blood pressure (hypertension)
    • have diabetes
    • have chronic kidney disease
    • have liver disease (such as hepatitis)
    • have a medical condition that can affect your breathing
    • have cancer
    • have clinically stable cystic fibrosis
    • have a weak immune system (immunosuppressed)
    • have cerebrovascular disease
    • have a condition affecting your brain or nerves (such as Parkinson's disease, motor neurone disease, multiple sclerosis, or cerebral palsy)
    • have a problem with your spleen or have had your spleen removed
    • have a condition that means you have a high risk of getting infections (such as HIV, lupus or scleroderma)
    • are taking medicine that can affect your immune system (such as low doses of steroids)
    • have obesity
    • are residents of nursing homes and other long-stay settings
    • are in specialist disability care and are over 50 years of age or have an underlying health problem


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