Reopened Thai schools face biggest test as COVID fear stalks classrooms

[webfact]

 

Of the 12,000 or so Thai schools that resumed onsite learning in November, 71 per cent have successfully ensured that students can sit in class and study with their friends at least half of the time. These statistics offer hope, but prospects of a return to normal education were hit by the sudden temporary closure of several schools in recent weeks.

 

Schools where students test positive for highly-contagious COVID-19 respond by closing temporarily to minimize the risk of an outbreak. So far, schools have closed in Bangkok, Nakhon Ratchasima, Lampang, Roi Et and several other provinces after detecting COVID-19 infection.

 

“If you add the Omicron variant to the scene, schools will find it even more difficult to reopen,” predicts prominent educator Prof Dr Sompong Jitradub, a former lecturer at Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Education.

 

Discover Cigna’s range of health insurance solutions created for expats and local nationals living in Thailand - click to view

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/reopened-thai-schools-face-biggest-test-as-covid-fear-stalks-classrooms/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2021-12-06

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

[RichardColeman]

The total destruction of the education of our children for the past 2 years will have huge knock on effects for generations to come. It's totally shameful. 

 

And giving out better grades with no exam as a trade is not helping any either. Just wait till the first wave of kids have to start sitting exams, getting worse grades and being up against inflated grades for the rest of their lives. They will start suing for unfair practice and potential grade discrimination by employers. I certainly would 

[TooMuchTime]

Uh oh, prepare for the sniffles everyone!!

 

Young people have barely been directly affected by covid.  Survival rate is among the highest for that demographic with many not even knowing they had covid.

[cyril sneer]

2 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

The total destruction of the education of our children for the past 2 years will have huge knock on effects for generations to come. It's totally shameful. 

Surely you’re just referring to private schools?

 

I doubt covid will have had much impact to government school learning 

[dr_lucas]

2 hours ago, TooMuchTime said:

Uh oh, prepare for the sniffles everyone!!

 

Young people have barely been directly affected by covid.  Survival rate is among the highest for that demographic with many not even knowing they had covid.

Young people can just as easily infect older people they are in contact with and produce new mutations and variants. 

In China they are killing infected pets for that reason, so closing schools with infections and remote online education isn't as bad. 

[jacko45k]

3 hours ago, TooMuchTime said:

Uh oh, prepare for the sniffles everyone!!

 

Young people have barely been directly affected by covid.  Survival rate is among the highest for that demographic with many not even knowing they had covid.

But they  are extremely instrumental in the transmission of Covid... when attending schools. Why do so many seem unable to grasp this?

[TooMuchTime]

33 minutes ago, dr_lucas said:

Young people can just as easily infect older people they are in contact with and produce new mutations and variants. 

In China they are killing infected pets for that reason, so closing schools with infections and remote online education isn't as bad. 

Well if China is doing it, then it must be the right decision.  Most people tend to do the opposite of whatever China does in regards to almost everything for a reason...

 

Older people had plenty of time to get the vaccine which appears to not be very effective after 6 months.  More variants will occur no matter what you do, time to live with the fact that a virus with a very low mortality rate will be here forever.  Many people don't care about getting infected because they typically have minor symptoms or end up being asymptomatic.

 

Severe cases tend to be elderly and those in terrible shape with multiple ailments.  Maybe the small minority should be taking precautions instead of forcing the vast majority to do something.

[CrunchWrapSupreme]

1 hour ago, cyril sneer said:

I doubt covid will have had much impact to government school learning 

Indeed. If anything, I'd say the online learning helped the good 5 or so students I have per class study and learn better, without the distractions of the other 80% they normally have to endure in the classroom. 

[Tracyb]

Vaccinate, vaccinate, vaccinate.  Then, get on with life!

[TooMuchTime]

7 minutes ago, Tracyb said:

Vaccinate, vaccinate, vaccinate.  Then, get on with life!

I stick with a healthy lifestyle.

 

[4MyEgo]

12 minutes ago, TooMuchTime said:

I stick with a healthy lifestyle.

 

+ vaccinate !

[Stoker58]

1 hour ago, jacko45k said:

But they  are extremely instrumental in the transmission of Covid... when attending schools. Why do so many seem unable to grasp this?

 Because it’s not true. You’ve been lied to.

[jacko45k]

Just now, Stoker58 said:

 Because it’s not true. You’ve been lied to.

Yes, I just have.

[hotchilli]

5 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

The total destruction of the education of our children for the past 2 years will have huge knock on effects for generations to come. It's totally shameful. 

But it will play into the hands of the present regime, who only want subservient children who will grow into mindless robots who do as they're told and do not question those above.

Education is only for the elite who send their off-spring to the highest learning institutions and the abroad for a real eye-opener, and final polish.

[AKJeff]

2 hours ago, dr_lucas said:

Young people can just as easily infect older people they are in contact with and produce new mutations and variants. 

I am fully vaccinated.  I believe that vaccines are a good force in the fight against covid.  But this kind of statement doesn't serve anyone well.  A new mutation might be what we want.  Look at the early information out if South Africa.  Omicron seems to be a net positive compared to Delta.  Less need for oxygen, sorter stays in hospital, no spike in deaths even as cases spike, etc.  It is very early in gather statistics for Omicron so these may not hold but right now this mutation is looking good.

 

Okay now everyone tell me how bad I am and call me an anti-vaccer

 

https://www.samrc.ac.za/news/tshwane-district-omicron-variant-patient-profile-early-features

Edited December 6, 2021 by AKJeff
Add link

[MrJ2U]

Last week they closed our daughters school for one week.

 

Border of Sakon Nakhon and Bueng Kon..

 

No reason givin.

 

Lack of information to the parents contributes to the worry.

[Midwit]

Just 2 more weeks to slow the spread. Temporary lockdowns to protect the health care system. Just close the schools to protect the elderly. Keep your business closed to contain a possible cluster. Get your 5th booster to prevent a variant. Seems to be working after 619 days. 

[sbf]

6 hours ago, TooMuchTime said:

Uh oh, prepare for the sniffles everyone!!

 

Young people have barely been directly affected by covid.  Survival rate is among the highest for that demographic with many not even knowing they had covid.

Well this was not our experience, or rather my 11 year old daughters. She finally went back to school three weeks ago today. School closed a day later due to positive Covid case. Daughter felt unwell on the Friday, was negative to home ATK test at midday. Still unwell in the evening, took her to the local hospital - told there was nothing they could do in the way of testing until the following day. Went to another hospital the following morning - positive ATK. Told to go to the main provincial hospital. PCR tested and sent home. The following morning we were called, she had tested positive on PCR and had to go to quarantine that afternoon for 10 days. All the rest of us had to PCR test. She was symptomatic with severe headaches, aches and pains in muscles and joints and ended up with a terrible hacking cough. She was not well at all for from the Friday until the Sunday and over the first few days of quarantine. And of course the trauma of being dragged off to quarantine - not pleasant. Anyway a little more than the sniffles!!

[TooMuchTime]

1 minute ago, sbf said:

Well this was not our experience, or rather my 11 year old daughters. She finally went back to school three weeks ago today. School closed a day later due to positive Covid case. Daughter felt unwell on the Friday, was negative to home ATK test at midday. Still unwell in the evening, took her to the local hospital - told there was nothing they could do in the way of testing until the following day. Went to another hospital the following morning - positive ATK. Told to go to the main provincial hospital. PCR tested and sent home. The following morning we were called, she had tested positive on PCR and had to go to quarantine that afternoon for 10 days. All the rest of us had to PCR test. She was symptomatic with severe headaches, aches and pains in muscles and joints and ended up with a terrible hacking cough. She was not well at all for from the Friday until the Sunday and over the first few days of quarantine. And of course the trauma of being dragged off to quarantine - not pleasant. Anyway a little more than the sniffles!!

The symptoms sound like something every kid has had growing up.  So she felt sick, had headaches, felt sore, and a cough.  How does that sound severe or something worthy of shutting down economies and closing off schools?  Basically just sounds like a bad hangover.  She isn't dead and isn't now disabled due to covid.

 

And of course, the general outcome is little to no symptoms and very rare death.  Taking one positive or negative experience doesn't change the expected outcome.

 

The worst thing she experienced was probably the quarantine and your paranoia probably wasn't good for her mind. 

 

 

[Ginner]

5 hours ago, dr_lucas said:

Young people can just as easily infect older people they are in contact with and produce new mutations and variants. 

In China they are killing infected pets for that reason, so closing schools with infections and remote online education isn't as bad. 

Natures way of making run for the young. China killing infected pets? More like cooking them! Ha!

[Ginner]

Just now, Ginner said:

room

 

[Ginner]

8 hours ago, TooMuchTime said:

Uh oh, prepare for the sniffles everyone!!

 

Young people have barely been directly affected by covid.  Survival rate is among the highest for that demographic with many not even knowing they had covid.

People seem to forget that the cool season has arrived. i remember years ago at this time of year, and it wasn't as cool, students came to school with runny noses. sniffs and coughs and it went around for months.

[vandeventer]

4 hours ago, Tracyb said:

Vaccinate, vaccinate, vaccinate.  Then, get on with life!

It's as simple as that. now if only the government would get off our backs!!!

[tweedledee2]

3 hours ago, TooMuchTime said:

I stick with a healthy lifestyle.

That interview was more than 6 months before the Covid-19 pandemic began. 

[TooMuchTime]

2 minutes ago, tweedledee2 said:

That interview was more than 6 months before the Covid-19 pandemic began. 

Crazy how politics changes "science".

[peter zwart]

5 hours ago, dr_lucas said:

Young people can just as easily infect older people they are in contact with and produce new mutations and variants. 

In China they are killing infected pets for that reason, so closing schools with infections and remote online education isn't as bad. 

They are killing pets anyway. A (chinees) men have to eat.

[rct99q]

Tin Foil needed, aisle 13!

[edwinchester]

7 hours ago, dr_lucas said:

Young people can just as easily infect older people they are in contact with and produce new mutations and variants. 

In China they are killing infected pets for that reason, so closing schools with infections and remote online education isn't as bad. 

Spot on. Covid has recently swept through my granddaughters school in the UK. Most of the kids were barely affected but we heard a couple of grandparents were very sick in hospital are catching it from their own grandkids.

[Venom]

11 hours ago, jacko45k said:

But they  are extremely instrumental in the transmission of Covid... when attending schools. Why do so many seem unable to grasp this?

That's because the vaccines are ineffective. So we should inject children? 

[sbf]

8 hours ago, TooMuchTime said:

The symptoms sound like something every kid has had growing up.  So she felt sick, had headaches, felt sore, and a cough.  How does that sound severe or something worthy of shutting down economies and closing off schools?  Basically just sounds like a bad hangover.  She isn't dead and isn't now disabled due to covid.

 

And of course, the general outcome is little to no symptoms and very rare death.  Taking one positive or negative experience doesn't change the expected outcome.

 

The worst thing she experienced was probably the quarantine and your paranoia probably wasn't good for her mind. 

 

 

I do feel very sorry for the kids and the interruption to their education. Also we can all see the disruption this virus has caused to economic activity. We as a family have suffered huge disruption to our business and have had the last two years without anything like our normal income, surviving really on our savings. However I think that you belittle the danger of this virus, in deference to the vast majority of the medical community and public health officials around the world. I gave my accurate and honest account of a young Covid patient from my direct recent experience. This was not the sniffles. A normally healthy child was pretty ill. Interestingly now that she is recovered the hospital have asked us to take her back in 3 months. Presumably to check for long Covid.

 

I also thought the quarantine would be traumatic for her. We got a roster of family - grandma's, aunties and uncles, older brothers and sisters etc involved to call her frequently. We delivered food every couple of days although we could not see her. But kids are quite resilient and apart from one moment just after we dropped her off, she remained cheerful throughout. She made friends of course as kids do, and her only complaint was the quarantine food was not very nice. 

 

I find your comment about "my paranoia" not being good for her mind somewhat offensive. On the basis of one anonymous posting you have diagnosed me as paranoid - interesting.