K-12 Schools & COVID

[Pakuni]

That time when an unvaccinated teacher momentarily took off her mask and infected half her class, who went on the infect other students, siblings and parents.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/elementary-school-teacher-took-off-160807740.html

[pacearrow02]

That time when an unvaccinated teacher momentarily took off her mask and infected half her class, who went on the infect other students, siblings and parents.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/elementary-school-teacher-took-off-160807740.html

So is the problem the teachers union in SF not having a vaccine mandate in place or is the complaint the mask mandate for kids proved to be useless? 

Thankfully the kids are either asymptomatic or have very mild symptoms!

[Pakuni]

So is the problem the teachers union in SF not having a vaccine mandate in place or is the complaint the mask mandate for kids proved to be useless? 

Thankfully the kids are either asymptomatic or have very mild symptoms!

Given that this occurred at a private elementary school Marin County, I'm not sure why you believe the San Francisco teachers union was involved.
And, as usual, you don't understand the point of masks. (Or, perhaps even worse, you understand, but are playing dumb because you like to troll).

[pacearrow02]

Given that this occurred at a private elementary school Marin County, I'm not sure why you believe the San Francisco teachers union was involved.
And, as usual, you don't understand the point of masks. (Or, perhaps even worse, you understand, but are playing dumb because you like to troll).

1) Plenty of private school teachers are members of local or national teacher unions.  But you’re right, I was wrong to assume this teacher is part of one.

2) I guess I don’t know how masks work.  I do understand the talking point of wearing a mask isnt meant to protect you but it will protect others however I have a hard time connecting the dots of how Covid can get into a mask but not exit the mask, unless there is one way air flow technology in these cloth masks I’m not aware of.

3) I’m not a troll, been informed I’m even worse.  A sea lion!!

If you believe masks on kids are justified to protect the unvaccinated teachers.  Do you also believe mask mandates should be dropped in schools where 100% teacher/employee are vaccinated?

[Pakuni]

2) I guess I don’t know how masks work.  I do understand the talking point of wearing a mask isnt meant to protect you but it will protect others however I have a hard time connecting the dots of how Covid can get into a mask but not exit the mask, unless there is one way air flow technology in these cloth masks I’m not aware of.

"In summary, there is laboratory-based evidence that household masks have filtration capacity in the relevant particle size range, as well as efficacy in blocking aerosols and droplets from the wearer (67). That is, these masks help people keep their emissions to themselves"
https://www.pnas.org/content/118/4/e2014564118


Do masks protect the people wearing them or the people around them?
“I think there’s enough evidence to say that the best benefit is for people who have COVID-19 to protect them from giving COVID-19 to other people, but you’re still going to get a benefit from wearing a mask if you don’t have COVID-19,” said Chin-Hong.
Masks may be more effective as a “source control” because they can prevent larger expelled droplets from evaporating into smaller droplets that can travel farther.
Another factor to remember, noted Rutherford, is that you could still catch the virus through the membranes in your eyes, a risk that masking does not eliminate.
https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2020/06/417906/still-confused-about-masks-heres-science-behind-how-face-masks-prevent

[GrimmReaper33]

That time when an unvaccinated teacher momentarily took off her mask and infected half her class, who went on the infect other students, siblings and parents.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/elementary-school-teacher-took-off-160807740.html

So if the teacher never took off her mask, do you believe it never would have been spread?  Did it spread to all kids at once the instant she momentarily removed the mask?  Regardless of them wearing masks, once the virus was in the air they were going to catch it? Or did one kid or a couple kids get it but then still pass it onto other kids, who were all wearing masks?

This is the main reason for all the distrust, misinformation, and just simple controversy over masks.  I've seen this same story/headline grab shared all over, obviously with the intent to stir up outrage and controversy. 

-The teacher is an idiot for not getting the vaccine, assuming there is no legitimate reason she couldn't.

-The mask is not a replacement for the vaccine.  For some reason this has been fed to the public, that wearing a homemade piece of cloth will give you 100% immunity to the virus regardless of any other factors.  Just wear a mask and everything is fine!   Do masks help?  In general, in certain situations wearing them is probably safer than not, but this whole implication that wearing a non N95 mask is some end all, be all protector is not the case. 

These stories just create more speculation and questions that can lead to misinformation on all sides.  If you're eligible to get the vaccine, you should get it, as your odds for severe symptoms is greatly reduced.  Outside that, it seems like the virus is never going to completely stop spreading no matter how many masks are worn.

[Frenns Liquor Depot]

Too much hyperbole in my opinion because we can’t even agree on the simple items.  This is a mesh of risk reduction.  You can do everything ‘right’ and it’s still a risk. 

Vaccines and masks are two really great risk reducers.  As is improving ventilation.

The other one we just decided not to do is rapid testing (don’t get that at all).   One we don’t talk about enough is quality of mask.

This article/anecdote proves what we already know.  An unvaxxed, unmasked symptomatic person projecting into a group of people inside has a high potential to create spread.   

[Pakuni]

So if the teacher never took off her mask, do you believe it never would have been spread?  Did it spread to all kids at once the instant she momentarily removed the mask?  Regardless of them wearing masks, once the virus was in the air they were going to catch it? Or did one kid or a couple kids get it but then still pass it onto other kids, who were all wearing masks?

Your answers lie within.

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7035e2.htm

-The mask is not a replacement for the vaccine.  For some reason this has been fed to the public, that wearing a homemade piece of cloth will give you 100% immunity to the virus regardless of any other factors.  Just wear a mask and everything is fine! 

Can you cite any public health authority who has said anything resembling this?

[tower912]

What speculation leading to misinformation?   Unvaccinated person spread COVID to other unvaccinated people.    And all it took was a moment of not following protocols.    How in holy f@ck is this still a surprise or leading to misinformation or speculation?     

Delta is going to spread through the unvaccinated.   If unvaccinated, the best prevention is masks and social distancing

This is 1+1=2.

[naginiF]

Too much hyperbole in my opinion because we can’t even agree on the simple items.  This is a mesh of risk reduction. You can do everything ‘right’ and it’s still a risk. 

Vaccines and masks are two really great risk reducers.  As is improving ventilation.

The other one we just decided not to do is rapid testing (don’t get that at all).   One we don’t talk about enough is quality of mask.

This article/anecdote proves what we already know.  An unvaxxed, unmasked symptomatic person projecting into a group of people inside has a high potential to create spread.   

To your point, the 'swiss cheese' diagram/explanation on page 4 of this "Guidance for keeping Schools safe for students and staff" is the simplest explanation for why multiple precautions are needed and that even vaccinations are only one part of a comprehensive plan. This is also what guides our schools approach and we were in person 100% of last year.

https://www.childrensmercy.org/siteassets/media/covid-19/guidance-for-school-re-opening-during-the-covid-19-pandemic.pdf

[MU82]

Wow.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/30/us/florida-schools-mask-mandates.html?campaign_id=9&emc=edit_nn_20210831&instance_id=39234&nl=the-morning&regi_id=108420427&segment_id=67674&te=1&user_id=d36dcf821462fdd16ec3636710a855fa

The Florida Department of Education has withheld funds from two school districts that made masks mandatory in classrooms this fall, state officials announced on Monday, making good on a threat that local school boards that required students to wear masks would be punished financially.

The announcement is the latest twist in a political fight over masking in Florida, where Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, issued a ban on masks in school in July, only to be swatted back by a judge last week.

[Pakuni]

Wow.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/30/us/florida-schools-mask-mandates.html?campaign_id=9&emc=edit_nn_20210831&instance_id=39234&nl=the-morning&regi_id=108420427&segment_id=67674&te=1&user_id=d36dcf821462fdd16ec3636710a855fa

The Florida Department of Education has withheld funds from two school districts that made masks mandatory in classrooms this fall, state officials announced on Monday, making good on a threat that local school boards that required students to wear masks would be punished financially.

The announcement is the latest twist in a political fight over masking in Florida, where Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, issued a ban on masks in school in July, only to be swatted back by a judge last week.

A "law and order" governor is violating a court order to punish school board members who are refusing to follow his unlawful decree.

[pacearrow02]

https://mobile.twitter.com/Neoavatara/status/1433750216079990790

So much for that.

[lawdog77]

Our school district has now implemented that if there is a positive Covid case, those deemed "close contact" do not have to quarantine if they were masked, and vaccinated. We will see how this turns out.

[forgetful]

https://mobile.twitter.com/Neoavatara/status/1433750216079990790

So much for that.

The conclusion is that Delta is way more infectious, so kids getting sick far more often, but apparently not sicker.

Actually doesn't change any conclusions or guidance regarding schools. Schools are way more dangerous because of Delta.

Note, there are major caveats to their conclusions.

[TSmith34, Inc.]

The conclusion is that Delta is way more infectious, so kids getting sick far more often, but apparently not sicker.

Actually doesn't change any conclusions or guidance regarding schools. Schools are way more dangerous because of Delta.

Note, there are major caveats to their conclusions.

Chicos never reads past the headline.

[pacearrow02]

The conclusion is that Delta is way more infectious, so kids getting sick far more often, but apparently not sicker.

Actually doesn't change any conclusions or guidance regarding schools. Schools are way more dangerous because of Delta.

Note, there are major caveats to their conclusions.

Nowhere did I say kids aren’t getting sick.  Kids are before of germs, always have been always will be.  My criticism  from day 1 is the incredible overreaction of mitigation measures put towards Covid and the complete unwillingness to factor in some of the collateral damage as a result of these crazy measures.

I feel a majority of people by the end of last school year finally started to acknowledge that what we did to kids in 2020 shouldn't and couldn’t be repeated this year.  Then as luck would have it Delta hit and the same fear mongering tactics from 2020 went into overdrive leading to a lot of repeat craziness to the start of this year, under the justification that Delta is much more lethal to kids than alpha was.  Well turns out that’s not the case.

If the goal is to put policies/mandates into place to make sure kids don’t get sick then why would we ever stop these mitigating measures?

Edit: by dangerous to you mean kids are going to get sick?

[jesmu84]

Collateral damage is unvaccinated taking up hospital beds.

Kids having to wear masks? Psh

[pacearrow02]

Collateral damage is unvaccinated taking up hospital beds.

Kids having to wear masks? Psh

Ya, wearing masks covers all the bases for what they’ve had to go through in most districts.

Thankfully the district my kids go to has remained calm and put in place measured responses and lightened those as we learned more about Covid and the risk it poses to kids.  Not even as much as a mask mandate in place this year.  Upgraded HVAC over the summer and increased sanitation stations throughout the school, let’s roll!!

Haven’t missed a day of school aside from the initial freak out in March 2020.  Each of them have gotten a cold or two during that time and kept strengthening their immune systems.  Blessed be!!

[jesmu84]

Ya, wearing masks covers all the bases for what they’ve had to go through in most districts.

Thankfully the district my kids go to has remained calm and put in place measured responses and lightened those as we learned more about Covid and the risk it poses to kids.  Not even as much as a mask mandate in place this year.  Upgraded HVAC over the summer and increased sanitation stations throughout the school, let’s roll!!

Haven’t missed a day of school aside from the initial freak out in March 2020.  Each of them have gotten a cold or two during that time and kept strengthening their immune systems.  Blessed be!!

I actually agree with you.

Go back and check my posts, but I've said kids need to be in school going back to last spring.

I would argue masks are likely a good compromise vs cost of HVAC/sanitation that some districts may not be able to afford

I'd be interested to hear from parents yelling against masks in school if they'd be fine with a tax increase instead.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

Remote schooling was a burden that will have repercussions for years on our children.

Masks are not a significant burden.

[pacearrow02]

I actually agree with you.

Go back and check my posts, but I've said kids need to be in school going back to last spring.

I would argue masks are likely a good compromise vs cost of HVAC/sanitation that some districts may not be able to afford

I'd be interested to hear from parents yelling against masks in school if they'd be fine with a tax increase instead.

I imagine the cost of say 10 reusable cloth masks or 5 new disposable surgical masks every day would equal the cost of any sort of tax burden put on a community to upgrade hvac when broken down per home.

Position it and pitch it the right way and I imagine you’d get good buy in.  Majority at least.

[Skatastrophy]

https://nbc-2.com/news/health/covid/2021/09/03/15-miami-dade-educators-die-from-covid-19-in-10-days/

15 Miami-Dade teachers have died from covid in the past 10 days (4th largest school district in the nation, and I don't know how many teachers they have). There is a mask mandate at Miami Dade schools and out of 350k students only ~60 have medical exemptions.

$10 that there will be "lockdowns" this winter because parents are insisting on their free childcare via in-person schooling. Not that the US has really had lockdowns anywhere yet.

[Pakuni]

Anti-mask parents continue to be very reasonable.

Police arrested a 40-year-old Arizona dad after he stormed into an elementary school principal’s office with a friend wielding plastic handcuffs, insisting the administration broke the law by asking his child and six others to wear a mask and quarantine after being in close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19.
“I can tell you the end result of that incident was we did make one arrest for trespassing,” Sgt. Richard Gradillas of the Tucson, Arizona, Police Department told The Daily Beast, identifying the dad arrested as Rishi Rambaran.
Two men accompanied Rambaran on Thursday as he ambushed Principal Diane Vargo while she sat with another educator at the Mesquite Elementary School in Tucson. One of the men, Kelly Walker, livestreamed the incident on Instagram, explaining that Rambaran, who is also known as “Reese,” had called him and asked him to be there in case he needed backup. The third man, who has not been identified, stood in the doorway of Vargo’s office with a fistful of “law enforcement-grade” zip ties at the ready—as the trio was prepared to make a citizen’s arrest, Walker said.


https://www.thedailybeast.com/arizona-dad-rishi-rambaran-arrested-after-angry-trio-threatens-to-zip-tie-principal-over-covid-rules?ref=home?ref=home

[pacearrow02]

https://nbc-2.com/news/health/covid/2021/09/03/15-miami-dade-educators-die-from-covid-19-in-10-days/

15 Miami-Dade teachers have died from covid in the past 10 days (4th largest school district in the nation, and I don't know how many teachers they have). There is a mask mandate at Miami Dade schools and out of 350k students only ~60 have medical exemptions.

$10 that there will be "lockdowns" this winter because parents are insisting on their free childcare via in-person schooling. Not that the US has really had lockdowns anywhere yet.

Is free child care really the value you see with in classroom teaching?  You think teachers are nothing more then babysitters?