Coronavirus

[hypochondriac]

32 minutes ago, Sergei Gotsmanov said:

I would be delighted. It would take the strain out of the system. This is a numbers game and if a million people privately funded their own vaccine that would mean one million less in the queue for everyone else. 

No idea if he's telling the truth, but Boris said that the supply would be what slowed things down, not the speed of administration. If true then there shouldn't be any available for administration in private. 

[Turkish]

13 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

No idea if he's telling the truth, but Boris said that the supply would be what slowed things down, not the speed of administration. If true then there shouldn't be any available for administration in private. 

Well AZ reckon they can produce 2m a week, so based on that everyone should be vaccinated by end of June. We'll be having orgies in the street come July.

[The Cat]

There's 14 million people who are either over 70 or in the clinically vulnerable category. Give them all the vaccine first and then open everything up while the rest of the population get their jabs. 

[Sergei Gotsmanov]

40 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

No idea if he's telling the truth, but Boris said that the supply would be what slowed things down, not the speed of administration. If true then there shouldn't be any available for administration in private. 

If supply is the issue then that invalidate my suggestion!

[The Kraken]

1 hour ago, hypochondriac said:

No idea if he's telling the truth, but Boris said that the supply would be what slowed things down, not the speed of administration. If true then there shouldn't be any available for administration in private. 

Actually, I’m not sure that’s quite what he said. In particular the fella on the left, ‘JVT’, seemed to say that it was the ambition for vaccination to only be limited to the vaccine production numbers. He didn’t actually say how much was being produced though, and and what rate it will be provided. It could well be that the government’s ambition comes to pass and they keep up vaccination with the full production numbers, in which case the priority system should absolutely take all available vaccines (and private healthcare gets none). On the flip side, it could be that we end up with a big excess of production and not enough vaccination centres to keep pace with that; in such a case I wouldn’t necessarily have a problem with private vaccines being available, so long as it doesn’t hinder the actual priority queue in any way.

[The Kraken]

1 hour ago, Turkish said:

Well AZ reckon they can produce 2m a week, so based on that everyone should be vaccinated by end of June. We'll be having orgies in the street come July.

Is that a promise?

[whelk]

Why did Fat Sam take the WBA job if he is worried about catching Covid? Mind his massive mouth wide open chewing gum probably increases his risk. 

[Turkish]

30 minutes ago, The Kraken said:

Is that a promise?

I’m up for it if you are ❤️

[buctootim]

1 hour ago, Turkish said:

We'll be having orgies in the street come July.

That's Millbrook every summer. 

[View From The Top]

I read an article, Indy/Guardian/Times, can't remember which, suggesting that post COVID, so next summer hopefully, we will see an explosion in hedonism as people cut loose.

 

That said, at my age, it's more likely to be a very small puff of smoke, a small flicker of flame and then back home for nine.

[Lighthouse]

21 minutes ago, buctootim said:

That's Millbrook every summer. 

Typical fair weather doggers. If you’re not out in national trust car parks in January, you’re not a true connoisseur.

[hypochondriac]

3 hours ago, Turkish said:

Well AZ reckon they can produce 2m a week, so based on that everyone should be vaccinated by end of June. We'll be having orgies in the street come July.

Yes but surely that's not 2 million a week solely for the UK? Also I heard the issue is with quality control for each batch which takes time along with actually putting it in vials. 

[Lighthouse]

2 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

Yes but surely that's not 2 million a week solely for the UK? Also I heard the issue is with quality control for each batch which takes time along with actually putting it in vials. 

All true but they’re in conjunction with the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which will push the total numbers up a bit.

[hypochondriac]

11 minutes ago, Lighthouse said:

All true but they’re in conjunction with the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which will push the total numbers up a bit.

Yes but surely not at a rate of 2 million a week. I'm going to guess it will be 1 million a week by the end of January tops. 

[The Cat]

Looks like they are now going to give people on the priority list one dose and delay the second one until 12 weeks later so as to vaccinate as many people as possible over the next few months. 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/30/covid-19-second-stage-nhs-vaccinations-delayed-across-uk

[rallyboy]

From PPE to testing, I've not seen anything to suggest that there is a cabinet minister capable of handling a rollout of this size.

This time they need to get serious logistical help from properly experienced people - not their mate who runs a sweet shop.

This is going to be hugely complex so there will be mistakes along the way - batches not arriving, staff being a bit rubbish here and there, but as a whole, we really need this delivered much better than the rest has been.

[Nordic Saint]

BAD SANTA

A retirement home in Belgium has been hit by a major coronavirus outbreak, which has seen at least 26 residents lose their lives and more than 100 test positive. The outbreak was detected a few days after the 5 December visit to the Hemelrijck home in Mol of a volunteer dressed as Santa Claus.

[buctootim]

2 hours ago, Nordic Saint said:

BAD SANTA

A retirement home in Belgium has been hit by a major coronavirus outbreak, which has seen at least 26 residents lose their lives and more than 100 test positive. The outbreak was detected a few days after the 5 December visit to the Hemelrijck home in Mol of a volunteer dressed as Santa Claus.

Imagine inadvertently becoming the person responsible for 26 deaths, far more than most serial killers.  

[LGTL]

Didn't take long for the first Tory U-turn of 2021. Gav has now decided all Primary Schools in London will shut. 

The most incompetent minister in history. 

[View From The Top]

16 minutes ago, LGTL said:

Didn't take long for the first Tory U-turn of 2021. Gav has now decided all Primary Schools in London will shut. 

The most incompetent minister in history. 

What a shock that they'll take action in London but give no fucks about the rest.

[buctootim]

3 minutes ago, View From The Top said:

What a shock that they'll take action in London but give no fucks about the rest.

Gove lives next door to a primary school in London. Probably just doesn’t want them making a noise during breaks

Edited 1 January, 2021 by buctootim

[Weston Super Saint]

15 minutes ago, View From The Top said:

What a shock that they'll take action in London but give no fucks about the rest.

To be fair, lockdown 1 only happened because of London, so at least they're being consistent!!

[Tamesaint]

2 hours ago, LGTL said:

Didn't take long for the first Tory U-turn of 2021. Gav has now decided all Primary Schools in London will shut. 

The most incompetent minister in history. 

Come on, come on.

Gav may be completely incompetent and top of the U turn league table but he is well behind Chris Grayling in incompetency. 

[hypochondriac]

I wonder if they'll end up closing the remaining primary schools in a few weeks. Early years settings staying open on London also makes zero sense. If anything these are greater risk than foundation in a school as there are typically more staff in a nursery. 

[LGTL]

18 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

I wonder if they'll end up closing the remaining primary schools in a few weeks. Early years settings staying open on London also makes zero sense. If anything these are greater risk than foundation in a school as there are typically more staff in a nursery. 

I imagine they’ll end up closing them within the next few hours, let alone weeks!

[AlexLaw76]

1 minute ago, LGTL said:

I imagine they’ll end up closing them within the next few hours, let alone weeks!

Which would be barking mad.  Kids carry the very lowest risk of this thin (ie, virtually none).  The rest of the population carry a very minimal risk.

What will closing schools achieve? Slow down the spread? that ship has sailed.  Bundles of other key workers have remained at work, why shouldn't teachers, given the importance of kids education?

[View From The Top]

3 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

I wonder if they'll end up closing the remaining primary schools in a few weeks. Early years settings staying open on London also makes zero sense. If anything these are greater risk than foundation in a school as there are typically more staff in a nursery. 

None of it makes any sense TBF.

I'd suggest that they want to keep the early learning open so the minions can work.

Keeping the Special Needs schools open really does seem nuts.

I get why they're closing the primaries but how can you do remote learning for 5 year olds? Perhaps they should have just said remote for KS2.

My lad is in Y13 and attends 2 different 6th forms as we have collegiate 6th form where I live so he'll have live lessons from Monday. ATM, he doesn't know how to access them from one school but has had full details from his "main" school.

My girls are in Y9 & Y10 and they already know that they have a full timetable from W/C 11th.

My wife has no idea yet what they're doing but it's a fee paying school so it's up to them to decide. She's a SENCO so her "darlings" will be in regardless.

I know I'm remote all next week. I'm going in to deliver instead of doing it from home as I want my smartboard. Our problem is, the kids engaging. We've had OFSTED in to look at our delivery and they rated it very highly but if the kids don't log on what can you do?

The elephant in the room though is exams. 

So many have missed so much now, both in Y10 and Y11 as well as Y12 and Y13 that the exam format no longer fits. In addition, the marked difference in closures/bubbles across the country means no level playing field.

Friend of mine is a tertiary teacher in Cornwall. They've had no students lose any learning. I compare that to where I am where both the city 6th form and one of the highest rated FE colleges in the country had to close for 2 weeks due to an extreme amount of + tests, plus Y12 or Y13 bubbles being out over and over again.

Y13 A level maths have only managed 5 weeks in since September. Similar for A level physics.

My own GCSE classes have been hammered. I've had some kids I've seen 4 or 5 times this academic year.

I do believe an awful lot of this could have been avoided if the students had to wear masks all of the time but this should have been modelled and a plan been in place.

[Lighthouse]

8 minutes ago, LGTL said:

I imagine they’ll end up closing them within the next few hours, let alone weeks!

I'd hope so. We need to go in hard with this, short term pain for long term gain.

[hypochondriac]

I had to attempt remote learning for foundation for two weeks in November when a child tested positive. It doesn't work... 

[Lighthouse]

5 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

I had to attempt remote learning for foundation for two weeks in November when a child tested positive. It doesn't work... 

Many things don't work at the moment, I don't see there being an awful lot of choice.

[Lord Duckhunter]

8 minutes ago, View From The Top said:

 

The elephant in the room though is exams. 

So many have missed so much now, both in Y10 and Y11 as well as Y12 and Y13 that the exam format no longer fits. In addition, the marked difference in closures/bubbles across the country means no level playing field.

 

Do you think the time is now right for a permanent reset of the exam system. I’ve never really understood why GCSE’s are still sat when kids have to stay in education till 18. I know they’re a measure of whether kids are capable of A levels, but does it need to be a full on exam? I’d imagine teachers are just as capable of weighing that up as a written exam. As an employer, GCSE’s are now  a meaningless measure.

[View From The Top]

6 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

I had to attempt remote learning for foundation for two weeks in November when a child tested positive. It doesn't work... 

I can well imagine.

It makes no sense bar teacher saying hello and perhaps do some storytelling?

Not a lot of experience with the little ones personally. 

[View From The Top]

2 minutes ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

Do you think the time is now right for a permanent reset of the exam system. I’ve never really understood why GCSE’s are still sat when kids have to stay in education till 18. I know they’re a measure of whether kids are capable of A levels, but does it need to be a full on exam? I’d imagine teachers are just as capable of weighing that up as a written exam. As an employer, GCSE’s are now  a meaningless measure.

You'll not get change whilst those in power look at the Singapore/Korean model and not the Finnish/Estonia model of education.

As for GCSEs, take maths for example.

Foundation maths should only cover the maths that people are going to need in the real world, to make them literate in finances etc. These aren't kids who are going on to do A level maths so there is no need for Pythagoras, algebra or any of the more complex ideas which they simply cannot grasp, and then exam them on them. But no, despite all the professional bodies, both education and maths, telling the DfE this, they insist on them doing it, and then repeating it 2 or 3 times if they go to college and they don't get a grade 4.

I get why the higher maths paper, at the top end, blurs the line with 1st year A level as it's from that cohort that you A level students will come from, but why put lower ability kids through the mill instead of teaching them maths for life? 

I've seen various arguments around exams v predications. It's not as if we sit around having a brew and just make up the grades. My lot have already done 3 short assessments and a mock paper, just in case, and they know that every piece of online work that I set them, the grades "could" go towards a final grade. There are always those, usually lads, who can do no work or revision, cram the night before and pass, but most of us know our students, have seen them working over a period of time, have timed assessments and assessed work to base grades on.

Last year I had to justify, with evidence, each grade I gave to SMT. 150 odd kids. It was a mammoth task but we wanted to be fair and accurate. The vast majority of those involved in delivery will be similar. Yes, they'll be chancers but not many. 

[hypochondriac]

30 minutes ago, View From The Top said:

I can well imagine.

It makes no sense bar teacher saying hello and perhaps do some storytelling?

Not a lot of experience with the little ones personally. 

Yes. Recorded some stories and songs and simple activities and have to get parents involved. Meet at the end of the day to discuss what they had done during the day. Sent parents some suggested activities but that was about the extent of it. Not helped much by someone from year 6 the following week recording their teacher on a stream and uploading it to YouTube... 

[hypochondriac]

So according to the government's own figures nursery practitioners are more at risk. So is the life of a nursery worker worth less than a teacher? Because that's how it looks. 

[Weston Super Saint]

3 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

So according to the government's own figures nursery practitioners are more at risk. So is the life of a nursery worker worth less than a teacher? Because that's how it looks. 

When they shut the schools (if indeed they are doing so to protect the teachers), are they saying that the lives of teachers are more important than bin men / women and recycling workers?

[hypochondriac]

2 minutes ago, Weston Super Saint said:

When they shut the schools (if indeed they are doing so to protect the teachers), are they saying that the lives of teachers are more important than bin men / women and recycling workers?

Presumably they are saying that closing schools will lower the R number and reduce pressure on the NHS. The government's own figures say that nursery workers are at greater risk than primary school teachers yet they've closed the primary schools in London but not nurseries. 

[View From The Top]

34 minutes ago, Weston Super Saint said:

When they shut the schools (if indeed they are doing so to protect the teachers), are they saying that the lives of teachers are more important than bin men / women and recycling workers?

It's about getting the R rate down. Imperial etc have just released studies about this, hence the rush to shut the London primary schools.

That said, binmen aren't in an enclosed room with 30 others, which changes every hour or so, without masks, which are banned. 

I've always maintained that if I can mix with 30 households every hour or so in my working life as it's deemed safe then why can't I mix with my own family?

[Lighthouse]

25 minutes ago, View From The Top said:

It's about getting the R rate down. Imperial etc have just released studies about this, hence the rush to shut the London primary schools.

That said, binmen aren't in an enclosed room with 30 others, which changes every hour or so, without masks, which are banned. 

I've always maintained that if I can mix with 30 households every hour or so in my working life as it's deemed safe then why can't I mix with my own family?

Because what’s ‘fair’ and what will control the virus are two different things. You being exposed to 30 households is slightly better than being exposed to 32 households. 

[View From The Top]

7 minutes ago, Lighthouse said:

Because what’s ‘fair’ and what will control the virus are two different things. You being exposed to 30 households is slightly better than being exposed to 32 households. 

150 households per week, more or less. 

You explain to me the science that says that mixing in a confined space with 150 different households, without masks is safer than mixing with 1 household outdoors, with masks.

I'll wait.

Edited 2 January, 2021 by View From The Top

[Lighthouse]

5 minutes ago, View From The Top said:

150 households per week, more or less. 

You explain to me the science that says that mixing in a confined space with 150 different households, without masks is safer than mixing with 1 household outdoors, with masks.

I'll wait.

Because mixing with 150 households is slightly better than mixing with 151.

[hypochondriac]

16 minutes ago, View From The Top said:

150 households per week, more or less. 

You explain to me the science that says that mixing in a confined space with 150 different households, without masks is safer than mixing with 1 household outdoors, with masks.

I'll wait.

I have agreed with you a lot but I hate this argument. Surely the guidance is all about minimising risk as much as possible whilst accepting that some risk will be necessary in order for society to function properly. Hence people who work in supermarkets come into contact with loads of people but that doesn't mean they can then go and see who they like in their own time. I didn't think that just because I've been in a confined space all day at school that it's suddenly OK for me to go and spend more time with my elderly parents. If anything the fact that you are putting yourself at greater risk than the average person at school means you should be even more careful about who you associate with outside of school. 

Edited 2 January, 2021 by hypochondriac

[View From The Top]

5 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

I have agreed with you a lot but I hate this argument. Surely the guidance is all about minimising risk as much as possible whilst accepting that some risk will be necessary in order for society to function properly. Hence people who work in supermarkets come into contact with loads of people but that doesn't mean they can then go and see who they like in their own time. I didn't think that just because I've been in a confined space all day at school that it's suddenly OK for me to go and spend more time with my elderly parents. If anything the fact that you are putting yourself at greater risk than the average person at school means you should be even more careful about who you associate with outside of school. 

This is the point. We're told there is no risk, that schools and colleges are COVID safe. It's bolloxs.

If it's not safe to mix with 1 family indoors then it's not safe to mix with 150.

Make them wear masks.

We haven't seen our families for months because of what we do and where we do it but the risks to us, and the families of the kids, could be reduced with the simple use of a mask in class.

It's not rocket science.

[hypochondriac]

4 minutes ago, View From The Top said:

This is the point. We're told there is no risk, that schools and colleges are COVID safe. It's bolloxs.

If it's not safe to mix with 1 family indoors then it's not safe to mix with 150.

Make them wear masks.

We haven't seen our families for months because of what we do and where we do it but the risks to us, and the families of the kids, could be reduced with the simple use of a mask in class.

It's not rocket science.

 I don't think it's that practical. You can't have 100 five year old with masks, it's difficult enough with the handful who wear glasses or eye patches. When I've assisted year five, the poor children who have been scared into wearing masks (there's about 5) are terrified and you can barely understand what they are saying. Plus in order to teach properly you have to get close to them in a one to one scenario anyway. Personally I just accept the risk as a hazard or the job the way that other key workers do. 

Edited 2 January, 2021 by hypochondriac

[View From The Top]

8 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

 I don't think it's that practical. You can't have 100 five year old with masks, it's difficult enough with the handful who wear glasses or eye patches. When I've assisted year five, the poor children who have been scared into wearing masks (there's about 5) are terrified and you can barely understand what they are saying. Plus in order to teach properly you have to get close to them in a one to one scenario anyway. Personally I just accept the risk as a hazard or the job the way that other key workers do. 

I accept it's not practical for the little ones, nor is is desirable for the reasons you raise.

It certainly is when you're dealing with KS3/4/5 for example. They have to wear them everywhere around campus except the classroom anyway. 

A 19yo doing A levels or a GCSE resit is a very different proposition from a reception child.

The adult students have to wear them in FE so why no the 16-19yo?

As for the point I've highlighted, it's about minimising risk. 

Edited 2 January, 2021 by View From The Top

[hypochondriac]

1 hour ago, View From The Top said:

I accept it's not practical for the little ones, nor is is desirable for the reasons you raise.

It certainly is when you're dealing with KS3/4/5 for example. They have to wear them everywhere around campus except the classroom anyway. 

A 19yo doing A levels or a GCSE resit is a very different proposition from a reception child.

The adult students have to wear them in FE so why no the 16-19yo?

As for the point I've highlighted, it's about minimising risk. 

You're correct I don't really have much of an issue with them wearing masks at secondary school. I'm not in a secondary school so I don't know how well it would work in practise. I don't think it would be appropriate for primary though. 

[Weston Super Saint]

Just asked my daughter if her school will be holding her classes online from Monday - like lots of other schools up and down the country!

Apparently they aren't. The reason for this is due to "safe guarding". No further explanation given as presumably everyone in the world will know why that would cause issues at her school but not at all the others!

We shall be back to the tried and tested method of the kids being given a little bit of home work on Google classroom and we will only be informed what work (if any) they should have completed, sometime the following week when it will be too late to do anything about...

[View From The Top]

27 minutes ago, Weston Super Saint said:

Just asked my daughter if her school will be holding her classes online from Monday - like lots of other schools up and down the country!

Apparently they aren't. The reason for this is due to "safe guarding". No further explanation given as presumably everyone in the world will know why that would cause issues at her school but not at all the others!

We shall be back to the tried and tested method of the kids being given a little bit of home work on Google classroom and we will only be informed what work (if any) they should have completed, sometime the following week when it will be too late to do anything about...

I really don't get that at all.

[Guided Missile]

I bet David Attenborough, that well known follower of Rev. Thomas Malthus, rubs his bony old hands, every time the daily covid death numbers are announced. 

[Saint_clark]

I cannot fathom the selfishness of parents getting angry at the prospect of schools being closed for 2 weeks, when there are almost 1000 people dying every day, almost certainly many more than would be if schools had been shut. 

Your kids education in the short term is not more important than people dying.