LCK Request COVID Information from English Schools

By Nathalie Pearson

30th October 2021

Long Covid kids have written to almost all 25 000 English schools requesting details of their CO2 monitor use and confirmed Covid cases for the first half of the Autumn term.

The project follows data obtained for Scotland under a similar FOI process where Long Covid Kids found that there are wild disparities between the 32 Local Authorities interpretation of the Scottish Government’s guidance.

Questions on the English Information Request include details on case numbers; CO2 monitors received; CO2 levels set; test and trace; absence codes; procedures when unsafe CO2 levels are registered; ventilation technologies; Local Authority assistance and Long Covid identification.

The data is being collated by LCK Team Data Analyst, Colin Bellamy. Colin built a database containing all schools in England, sourced contact information and checked it. His database made it possible to contact those at the heart of teaching and education directly – not only to ask important questions but to provide useful information on Long Covid in children and to support them.

Colin said, “It was clear to me that the sharing of data would be key to minimising transmission and reducing risk in schools, so I created the Open Data for Safer Schools project to present available data to parents and actively seek access to unpublished data relating to COVID-19 in schools".

Long Covid Kids appreciate the challenges and risks that all school staff are facing. These problems are combined with a limited awareness that Covid is airborne, a government symptom list that does not reflect the common symptoms that children present with, and the ongoing false narrative that children rarely suffer covid harm.

Colin said, “As a parent, I feel let down by schools withholding information that should be freely available to allow parents to assess risk and make an informed choice. A child’s well-being is every parent's primary concern – whilst education is important, minimising the risk of long term poor health is paramount”.

Some of the early indications from the Information Request include the following:

• Almost all schools recorded positive cases, the largest being over 200. Several did not and attributed this to small class numbers per room.

• Test and trace. Varying approaches are being taken by different LAs and schools with a number not sure on the exact process that should be followed.

• Some settings acknowledged Long Covid in pupils. Schools are using several different codes to report absences.

• Many responses refer to tackling poor air quality highlighted by CO2 monitors by opening windows and doors.

• Data suggests that in nearly all cases there is no LA involvement when poor air quality is consistently recorded.

Data analysis is also being provided by Long Covid Kids Data Analyst, James Neill. James has been working with LCK since June 2021 and we are grateful that he has now formally joined our Team.

Long Covid Kids are committed to providing families and caregivers with accurate, evidence-based information so that they can assess risk for their unique situations. James' commitment to comprehensive and transparent data provision on children and Covid-19 has been a beacon of light amongst the misinformation widely shared on social media.

Further details from the FOI data will be shared in our newsletter next week with a final report being sent to The Secretary of State for Education; The Secretary of State for Health and all teaching unions on completion of the project.

Long Covid Kids has been fundraising for CO2 monitors for schools since February 2021 and produces a 60-page awareness pack for families and schools.

Founding Member, Nathalie Pearson began researching CO2 monitors in August 2020 following an article in The Sunday Post. Long Covid Kids formed at around the same time and prevention is now a core component of the Charity objectives.

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Sammie McFarland, Founder and Charity CEO stated,

“We were relieved when the English government followed Scotland and Ireland and finally pledged to provide schools with CO2 monitors. These are a proven scientific method and one part of the multi-layered approach needed to reduce the risk of Covid infection in educational settings. Currently, disruption to education is occurring due to staff and pupil absence through Covid sickness. Child Covid hospital rates are the highest that they have been since the pandemic began. Almost 60% of those have no underlying conditions. At least 1 in 7 will suffer long-term chronic ill-health which has unknown lasting effects on major organs such as the brain, nerves and heart". As research methodology improves it is likely this figure will increase" .

Long Covid Kids has consistently called for children’s wellbeing to be placed at the heart of education. The time to do that for most has almost run out.

By Nathalie Pearson, COO & Founding Member

LongCovidKids.org is a patient-led advocacy and support organisation led by Sammie Mcfarland for families of children with Long Covid. Our story started with a short film on the long-lasting symptoms of Covid in children.

We are supporting research with The Long Covid Kids Study with PeopleWith

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If your child experiences any symptoms that indicate they are unwell, it COULD be COVID-19, and you should get them a test to help identify if it is a current Covid infection. If your child has symptoms and the test is negative it its wise to isolate and treat as if COVID-19 as testing has recently been reported as unreliable. 

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