Sheer scale of new student covid cases (real data)

[Anonymous]

Dec 20- Total Number of DCPS Students Tested Positive: 1954
Dec 16- Total Number of DCPS Students Tested Positive: 1437

It took 3.5 months of school to get almost 1500 cases and 4 days to add another 500. And knowing how overtaxed school admin are doing contact tracing right now (yes it is your principal and other staff in charge of this not DC health or central). I’d be shocked if this isn’t an undercount.

I get some/many are in the camp that they don’t care how many kids test positive anymore. I just want people to own that position in the light of these numbers.

The spike this week has nothing to do with limitations in DCPS mitigation. Is the mitigation strategies great? Meh. But the level of masking, hepa filters, etc DCPS has been doing was good enough for Delta abd earlier variants. This is omicron and the game has changed.

I don’t want extended virtual school. I don’t even want virtual school after break. I do think DCPS should have closed or went virtual these last 3 days. When there is a fundamental change like this a short pause to assess and adjust is completely warranted. DCPS and the mayor should own this too instead of allowing the true scope of cases to be hidden by misleading statements in press conferences and super delayed notifications to school communities due to insane red tape. Just say we think 3 days of school is important enough to override the negative of high covid transmission in school right now.

https://coronavirus.dc.gov/node/1506966

[Anonymous]

It’s clear that omicron isn’t playing

[Anonymous]

The number of positives is probably higher. I don’t want extended virtual school but I also don’t want my kid to get COVID in school. Such a tough spot.

[Anonymous]

This is not data from 12/20 either. Look at the case notifications. They are still reporting cases identified last week. I think I saw one from the 20th.

[Anonymous]

My middle school kid and all friends are positive. They do not have symptoms.
I think this just needs to blow through everyone.

My husband and I got it too and we have the symptoms of a bad cold. Woke up feeling much better today (day #3).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My middle school kid and all friends are positive. They do not have symptoms.
I think this just needs to blow through everyone.

My husband and I got it too and we have the symptoms of a bad cold. Woke up feeling much better today (day #3).

Agree, would just prefer it to blow through my family after Christmas when my in laws leave!

[Anonymous]

Schools are just a reflection of what is going on in the greater society. If schools were closed, there is a good chance those numbers would be the same or higher. You might just not know because they wouldn't be getting tested.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Schools are just a reflection of what is going on in the greater society. If schools were closed, there is a good chance those numbers would be the same or higher. You might just not know because they wouldn't be getting tested.

This. I think people have to recognize that closing schools isn’t going to do anything for overall spread.

[Anonymous]

I am one of the people who doesn't care if kids test positive because it's not a serious illness for the vast majority of them, same as many other illnesses. My middle school DS has a lot of friends who have tested positive now. Most of them have no symptoms, a few have a mild cold.

I also think with omicron we will all get it so might as well get it over with since I don't think anything short of an insane lockdown that nobody would go for would slow this thing much. I might feel different if we were seeing someone vulnerable over the break but we are not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Schools are just a reflection of what is going on in the greater society. If schools were closed, there is a good chance those numbers would be the same or higher. You might just not know because they wouldn't be getting tested.

+1 thank you. This. Schools are not at fault here, this is just something we are going to have to weather as a society in December.

[Anonymous]

So question for the blow through crowd. Should we stop testing and stop requiring people who are positive to stay home? Operationally it is impossible to fully staff many schools and contact trace correctly at this level of case rates.

[Anonymous]

Closing schools should not even be a consideration ever again and certainly not for a mild cold. We saw what an unmitigated disaster that was.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So question for the blow through crowd. Should we stop testing and stop requiring people who are positive to stay home? Operationally it is impossible to fully staff many schools and contact trace correctly at this level of case rates.

It should be like any other virus. Stay home if you are sick. Fever free after 24 hours.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Closing schools should not even be a consideration ever again and certainly not for a mild cold. We saw what an unmitigated disaster that was.

I agree but also believe a few days is more akin to snow days then what occurred last year. Confusing the two muddles the conversation. Many schools are operating in a crisis mode today/yesterday. Students in auditoriums to be supervised. Classes combines. Super high absenteeism among students preventing much meaningful instruction. Make the days up during feb break or spring break or the end of the year.

Doesn’t matter anymore because what we got this week was jyst chaos. Some schools virtual. Some opening fully. Some closing early which is more disruptive than just closing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So question for the blow through crowd. Should we stop testing and stop requiring people who are positive to stay home? Operationally it is impossible to fully staff many schools and contact trace correctly at this level of case rates.

It should be like any other virus. Stay home if you are sick. Fever free after 24 hours.

Agree with this.

We have two family members positive and are not quarentining the other 3 of us. Bring on the virus--I just want this done. Much better now (for our family) than in the middle of a school/work week.