COVID-19 hugs/ranty thread.

Dancer

I disagree with that but I do agree that they should be worn in corridors. 

Former Member

You disagree with protecting yourself?

Former Member

I think it's okay for people to have an opinion on this for sure! But face coverings protect other people, not yourself! 

Past User

I don't think anyone disagrees with protecting themselves.

I've been wearing a mask when out and about and I still managed to catch COVID.

Like Zen says masks don't actually protect YOU from owt, they protect others and i cannae see folk wearing them correctly in class all day.

Former Member

And this is why schools should close. It's not fair for us staff to fear going into work daily..

Former Member

I think masks should be compulsory in schools, it’s just extra protection for staff and students especially if schools are going to be open. Like Liam said it doesn’t reduce the risk to 0 and you can still catch it with masks, especially when people don’t wear them but it definitely reduces the risk. 

Former Member

Thing is, in my opinion, you could say that about a lot of professions. I used to work in  a shop and I wore a mask for 9 hours a day around customers who didn't social distance or follow half the rules and people got covid because of that, let alone the poor NHS staff who have to mix with people with covid every single day! 

Past User

Things are all a bit horrible right now, it’s like we’re stuck between a rock and a hard place. Closing schools would do a lot of harm but keeping them open is also causing people a lot of distress. 

Unfortunately I don’t think students would manage keeping their masks on all day, and masks aren’t 100% effective and can give people a false sense of being completely protected, I know after wearing masks became compulsory in school more people at school started to break the 2m because they thought wearing a masks meant they were protected. 

Big hugs to everyone, things are far from good right now. Here if anyone ever needs anything 

Former Member

Ima just quit my job. Seems everyone thinks educational staff are robots. Teachers are dying too. Educational staff are dying and nobody seems to notice that. The government don't give a shit. Nobody seems to. Feel like my fears and anxieties are constantly not acknowledged and I feel so done with everything. 

Past User

Hey @GreenTea big hugs. We care about you and other teachers. The problem is right now no matter what the government does someones going to get hurt, there are a lot of things they should have done differently but it’s too late to think about.  Right now we’re in a difficult  predicament. 

 I’m really sorry about how hard everything is right now green tea, I know it won’t fix anything but I’m always here if you need someone to listen. 

Dancer

Liam said:

I don't think anyone disagrees with protecting themselves.

I've been wearing a mask when out and about and I still managed to catch COVID.

Like Zen says masks don't actually protect YOU from owt, they protect others and i cannae see folk wearing them correctly in class all day.

That is what I mean with people not wearing them correctly in class as it can get very hot with wearing face coverings all day so then people will start playing around with their face coverings and not wearing them properly which will not give the correct protection. That is what is influencing me to disagree with face coverings being made compulsory in classrooms.

Former Member

@Dancer I agree, and you're in senior school, imagine what it would be like in infant and junior schools! You've also got to think, just because it's not the rules to wear a facemask everywhere, you can still choose too if you want to - if it makes a person feel safer theres nothing stopping them from wearing one in whatever environment they see fit  

Dancer

Eleanor said:

@Dancer I agree, and you're in senior school, imagine what it would be like in infant and junior schools! You've also got to think, just because it's not the rules to wear a facemask everywhere, you can still choose too if you want to - if it makes a person feel safer theres nothing stopping them from wearing one in whatever environment they see fit  

You would really struggle with being able to get a child to keep their face covering on in lessons and teenagers would just want to rebel against the rules. Many people in my year choose to wear face coverings in lessons and I sometimes do that as well depending on if the classroom is big or small (in smaller classrooms I prefer to wear a face covering as it can feel very crowded but if there is more space then I might not wear one.) I don't think that it would really be realistic to enforce face coverings being made compulsory in class as well. It just wouldn't work.

Former Member

It should be made compulsory and those who choose not to wear them, or wear them correctly should be sent home and fined. 
Educational staff have families too.

Dancer

Why should someone's education have to suffer though just because they don't want to wear a face covering or are unable to wear one but are too scared of judgement to speak up

Former Member

@GreenTea But don't you think that's a little unrealistic for primary children, it seems a little over the top to expect them to wear a mask all day correctly! Even in shops the age is 11 and over

Former Member

GreenTea said:

Ima just quit my job. Seems everyone thinks educational staff are robots. Teachers are dying too. Educational staff are dying and nobody seems to notice that. The government don't give a shit. Nobody seems to. Feel like my fears and anxieties are constantly not acknowledged and I feel so done with everything. 

You are definitely in such a difficult situation @GreenTea. Nothing that's going on right now is perfect (far from it in most ways!) and I can only imagine the emotion surrounding your role and chat in the media. Just wanted to say I see you and I hope you find a choice that gives you as much peace as possible. 

Former Member

Dancer said:

Why should someone's education have to suffer though just because they don't want to wear a face covering or are unable to wear one but are too scared of judgement to speak up

Why should teachers and other educational staff have to die doing their job?

Former Member

I think the same risk is there for the pupils too, and the lateral flow testing will help massively with test and trace at school. In the big picture, no one is safe from it - at my university we all wear masks in class yet people still get covid, we do the majority of work online yet people still get covid. The liklihood of passing away from covid if you're healthy is very low! People die from different things everyday, walking to the shop even! 

I'm not undermining your situation, an im not saying working in education isnt a risk but pretty much everything is a risk today!

Former Member

You can't mix indoors unless you are in a bubble..but you can mix with 30 other kids from other families per class with a teacher who also has a family. 
The rate of educational staff dying, has increased over the Christmas period. The rate of children catching covid has increased extremely. Educational staff have not been provided with PPE like care homes and hospitals. We have to provide our own. Educational staff aren't a priority for the vaccine, but are expected to mix with multiple different households in a small building. 
Unions are taking legal action against the government to protect us. Nobody else seems to give a shit about educational staff. Nobody seems to give a shit that we work day in and day in environments where illnesses spread like wildfire..the common cold for example. I'm in Facebook groups where educational staff feel so fearful of returning because nothing is in place to protect them. Having students wear masks in a classroom can and will provide a small sense of feeling safe. Educational staff are people too. Educational staff have families they go to, some educational staff are high risk and still forced to work (government guidance) kids come from all sorts of households. All it takes is one of them to pick up the virus and carry it to school..
27th December a well loved teacher with no underlying health conditions..died of covid. Covid he caught at school from a pupil who went to school with covid. 
Nobody is there to protect us. Nobody seems to want to hear or see how fearful, stressed, worried, angry, anxious educational staff are. Everyone just expects us to go into school and teach daily.. we aren't robots. We get poorly too. Everything seems to be "oh the students" the government is all "oh the students"
What about the staff? When do they matter? Seems to be..when it's too late.

Dancer

I understand what you are saying but the government want to be able to prioritise education and it is impossible to be able to permanently do remote learning especially as many people struggle to access the internet. Also, there are many people who are unable to wear face coverings and there is a different between not wanting to wear a face covering and not being able to wear one. I understand that it can be frustrating for you as you work at a school but yes the staff do matter. I think that it will be impossible to be able to get everyone to wear face coverings in class although it would be ideal. 

Dancer

Eleanor said:

I think the same risk is there for the pupils too, and the lateral flow testing will help massively with test and trace at school. In the big picture, no one is safe from it - at my university we all wear masks in class yet people still get covid, we do the majority of work online yet people still get covid. The liklihood of passing away from covid if you're healthy is very low! People die from different things everyday, walking to the shop even! 

I'm not undermining your situation, an im not saying working in education isnt a risk but pretty much everything is a risk today!

Exactly.  You can die from anything although it is mainly noticed that people are dying from covid at the moment. You can die from going to the shops if you get a heart attack. You can die from going to sleep. It can be really scary.

Former Member

I'm sorry Dancer, but peoples live are more important than education. You can learn any time..

mod edit: member's name changed for anonymity

Former Member

Just gave myself a nosebleed doing my COVID test 🙃

Former Member

Finally schools are closed. Kinda feel a bit safer

Former Member

As much of a personal choice the vaccine is, my opinion is that anyone who doesn't get it is selfish. 

This vaccine has been developed by the best scientists in the world. It has gone through extensive testing - the reason we've got it so fast is because this is a PANDEMIC which means the WHOLE world is racing to find a vaccine. 

Most people that are saying they don't know what's in it are the same people that go to bill up the block for something else to shoot in their arms. 

If you're happy enough to get in a car or on public transport, happy enough to live in a house, happy enough to literally do every day things then you should be happy enough to get the vaccine as science is everything these days. 

By choosing not to get the vaccine because you believe you are safe, you're the problem - you could get the virus and pass it onto someone less fortunate than yourself. 

I can't wait until it's my chance to get the vaccine. Not to protect myself but to protect those around me, so I can do my part. 

Therefore yes I believe it's selfish not to follow the rules and not to get the vaccine. People like this are the reason we're as bad as we are and the reason it won't get better any time soon. 

Millie2787

Thanks bojo for cancelling my exam with a weeks notice , not like I spent all my bloody holidays revising  for it 

Dancer

Unfortunately things have gotten really bad at the moment with covid so drastic action is necessary at short notice and that includes cancelling exams and a lot of operations 

Former Member

Millie2787 said:

Thanks bojo for cancelling my exam with a weeks notice , not like I spent all my bloody holidays revising  for it 

Ahhh no  

Former Member

Virtual hugs to all who need em! ❤️
I know it's a blow it certainly appears we're going around and around but it's good news about these vaccines. Hopefully something can be done!