He’s just one expert, after all? In fact, isn’t he a peer of Ms Bauld the grim reaper of the same august institution? I think a mud wrestle is called for?
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Experts do not expect a surge in coronavirus cases when schools reopen, MPs have heard.
Professor Mark Woolhouse said that there had never been a surge in cases following the reopening of schools across western Europe.
But he pointed out that some schools across the continent have kept schools shut to those age 15 and over – because they carry the virus in a similar way to adults.
The professor of infectious disease epidemiology at the University of Edinburgh also said that schools do not appear to drive the epidemic but “reflect the epidemic around them".
But Professor Dame Angela McLean also told MPs that “children are quite often the first person that’s infected in a household".
Prof Woolhouse, a member of the SPI-M scientific advisory group, told the Science and Technology Committee: “One of the stated reasons for keeping schools closed was to avoid some surge in cases when they open – that’s never happened across western Europe.
“There was a different prediction when the universities went back – there a surge in cases was expected and we saw a surge in cases.
“We know what a surge in cases looks like – we saw it in September and October in the universities, we’ve never seen that in the schools, and I don’t expect to.
“We do have to make a distinction, though. There is an issue about the oldest children who are more adult-like in the biology of the virus infection within them.
“So, what countries, other countries in Europe, have done – Sweden is a good example – is to keep their schools open to children up to 15 years old.
“Older children are more of a challenge, but for many of the children I think the contribution that they’re making to the cause of this epidemic has been proven by the data not to be that great."
He added: “My view of schools is … that as much as anything they get caught up in what’s going on in the community, not the other way round."
Asked whether there were concerns about whether schools reopening could drive up infection rates because of increased socialising among parents, Prof Woolhouse added: “I don’t know how many parents would sacrifice the opportunity to have their children back in school, for the sake of socialising at school gates."
On how likely children are to bring infection into their home, Dame Angela, chief scientific adviser at the Ministry of Defence, told MPs: “Particularly when schools are open, children are quite often the first person that’s infected in a household."
Prof Woolhouse said that in hindsight, the Government could have reopened schools sooner during the first lockdown.
But when asked about the easing of the first lockdown, Dame Angela said: “Caution was our friend – we did actually ease it pretty slowly and I would say things went very well.
“From May to September I would give a big tick and say that was well managed. In November we were hit with that new variant and, with hindsight, we came out of the November lockdown too early."
Should we believe the professor?
posted on 18/2/21
comment by Silver (U6112)
posted 49 seconds ago
Never intended this to be another teacher bashing thread. Nor TMQ though he's not a real teacher.
Just sharing opinion contrary to that put by others. No fooking idea what is the reality.
Lots of teachers in my family as it happens. Remarkably, two of them announced at x-mas that they'd signed up for a vaccine trial last summer and had the good news that they'd been in the vaccinated group. I was staggered - teachers getting off their backside and doing something off their own bat about their concerns and not waiting for their union.
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I don’t share the view that teachers are as a career a shower of shiftless bastirts. I know too many to know that’s not the case.
Inevitably there are a few of the “traditional” ones who see it as an easy life and to almost all of them it’s a well rewarded career. All fine by me.
The unions however belong back in the ‘70’s and they destroyed the high level of public goodwill teachers used to enjoy with their strikes at every opportunity and generally just being annoying cwnts.
In other words; fwck them all
posted on 18/2/21
comment by Zachsda( it’s 55, fifty five, LV.cinquan... (U1850)
posted 2 minutes ago
To us it’s a go to
Perhaps because they can now(In theory)tell us we cannot leave our homes.
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Yep.
And in 5 years time it’ll be plod stopping people from sitting in a group in a park in the early hours splitting them up and fining them under a Covid law that is still on the statute books.
posted on 18/2/21
Bashing scientists who change their mind ffs. If anything, that's a sad reflection on where we are as a society that anyone who changes their mind is lambasted.
Scientists give their advice based on the evidence in front of them. If the evidence changes, then the advice changes accordingly. I don't think you'll find any scientist who is worth their salt who has claimed to be the font of all knowledge on this pandemic. What they've done is applied the knowledge they have and interpreted the data accordingly, gave their hypothesis and then based their recommendations on that.
Sadly too many of us - on every side of this debate - are too quick to try to find scientists who support our version of events and what we want to see happen rather than trusting the experts to interpret the data objectively and allowing them to reassess the situation as more and more data becomes available.
posted on 18/2/21
And as ever, I'll reiterate that lockdowns are not and have never been a solution to this problem. They are - and pretty much every scientist has said this, including the ones who are on SAGE and the other advisory boards - a tool to be used to help buy time to implement the real solutions: Track and trace, border controls etc etc.
But again we disregard that they've all being saying that all along.
posted on 18/2/21
Who’s bashing scientists Ivan?
posted on 18/2/21
Stupid boy
posted on 18/2/21
comment by IvanGolacIsMagic (U5291)
posted 14 minutes ago
And as ever, I'll reiterate that lockdowns are not and have never been a solution to this problem. They are - and pretty much every scientist has said this, including the ones who are on SAGE and the other advisory boards - a tool to be used to help buy time to implement the real solutions: Track and trace, border controls etc etc.
But again we disregard that they've all being saying that all along.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Correct. Lockdown was and is a pretty blunt weapon, but pre-vaccine was pretty much the boy weapon, certainly in England where Boris' 'uber-expensive, world beating test and tracesm system is only now beginning to be wffective' .
The vaccine is getting rolled and right now the thing prevents more people getting it quicker are problems in the supply chain.
I see the Brexiteer zealots have now converted themselves into the Covid Recovery Group and are making all sorts of incautious demands - such that even Boris has said 'fvck off' to them.
We appear to be on our way out of this pandemic, I would no more listen to the glassy-eyed CRG than zi would to the owner of pub chains or any other 'captain of industry's wholly seem interested in making money rather than saving lives. This is the ONLY time in my long life when I have heard Tory cants shout about 'mental health' Most of he time they couldn't give a monkey's for the public's mental health, and only use it as an excuse now to promote the ending of lockdown/eading of restrictions. Once this over you'll never hear another tory mutter the world's mental health ever again, they be back to their more normal 'feckless-lazy-malingering-woke-over-sensitive bastirts' diatribe once again.
posted on 18/2/21
Comment Deleted by Site Moderator
posted on 18/2/21
comment by Tully1 (U20686)
posted 30 minutes ago
comment by IvanGolacIsMagic (U5291)
posted 14 minutes ago
And as ever, I'll reiterate that lockdowns are not and have never been a solution to this problem. They are - and pretty much every scientist has said this, including the ones who are on SAGE and the other advisory boards - a tool to be used to help buy time to implement the real solutions: Track and trace, border controls etc etc.
But again we disregard that they've all being saying that all along.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Correct. Lockdown was and is a pretty blunt weapon, but pre-vaccine was pretty much the boy weapon, certainly in England where Boris' 'uber-expensive, world beating test and tracesm system is only now beginning to be wffective' .
The vaccine is getting rolled and right now the thing prevents more people getting it quicker are problems in the supply chain.
I see the Brexiteer zealots have now converted themselves into the Covid Recovery Group and are making all sorts of incautious demands - such that even Boris has said 'fvck off' to them.
We appear to be on our way out of this pandemic, I would no more listen to the glassy-eyed CRG than zi would to the owner of pub chains or any other 'captain of industry's wholly seem interested in making money rather than saving lives. This is the ONLY time in my long life when I have heard Tory cants shout about 'mental health' Most of he time they couldn't give a monkey's for the public's mental health, and only use it as an excuse now to promote the ending of lockdown/eading of restrictions. Once this over you'll never hear another tory mutter the world's mental health ever again, they be back to their more normal 'feckless-lazy-malingering-woke-over-sensitive bastirts' diatribe once again.
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posted on 18/2/21
Day 287 in the Big virus house...