AlexNow reporting that ACPS to provide n95 surgical masks to staff and students
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
|
This article says n95 but none are made for smaller children's faces so maybe they meant surgical/KN95/KF94 masks. Any staff know what type of mask the district will be providing?
https://www.alxnow.com/2022/01/07/amid-covid-surge-alexandria-city-public-schools-presents-plan-to-switch-to-virtual-instruction-on-school-by-school-basis/ I am curious... will you be switching your kids to KN95 of KF94 masks? According to Covidactnow, the case rate in Alexandria is 298/100k. It is understandable why some families are concerned. We are sending ours with KN95 masks and will monitor their symptoms closely. Would be nice if there was 2x/week opt-out surveillance testing, staggered lunch and test-to-stay but none of this looks likely. Besides using better filtering masks, not much more that families can do on their own except for perhaps using rapid tests (too difficult to implement because of expense and scarcity) or coordinating to see if an entire classroom of students would agree to wear KN95/KF94 masks (but probably too controversial to implement). ICYMI, ACPS also published a plan for reverting to virtual instruction on a school-by-school/grade-by-grade/classroom-by-classroom basis. 
|
Anonymous
| We switched to KF94 in September. I think we will have an exposure by the end of the first week. |
Anonymous
I agree there will be an exposure the first week back. I’ve been trying to order KF94 for kids since mid-December, with no luck. If ACPS is providing them, it likely won’t be any time soon. |
Anonymous
| No way. They are horrible for breathing. To avoid catching a cold? Heck no. My kids will wear paper masks or the cloth masks style they can tolerate. |
Anonymous
The masks are to help mitigate against a worldwide pandemic that has killed over 825K Americans, not a “cold.” |
Anonymous
| Our son was positive PCR from school. We would NEVER have known otherwise because he's fine. Rest of family too so yes, this is totally overblown. Maybe Delta was different but this is so hyped up for kids anyway. Myself and DH are boosted and vax and both kids are vax. |
Anonymous
|
The kn-94 masks from Korea that I wear are not too bad with breathing. I have worn them since September with a break to surgical masks but now back to Kn-94. I admit they are hard when you have to speak to the whole class but with small groups it’s ok. My five year old has also been wearing them no problem since September. I do doubt that ACPS will
Be able to get them soon because all the normal Places we order from are taking forever. I reuse my masks, but unfortunately my five year old basically needs a new one everyday so I don’t think it’s really feasible for kids. |
Anonymous
The vast, vast, vast, majority of those 825,000 Americans were unvaccinated adults. Currently, if you are a vaccinated kid or adult, Covid is "just a cold." Hooray for vaccines. |
Anonymous
Yes I agree that being fully vaccinated limits risk but that does not mean the pandemic is over for everyone fully vaccinated (especially with the prevalence of breakthrough infections a day with Omicron). Over 1,000 Americans a day are dying of covid so everyone needs to pitch in to try to limit spread. Requiring actual effective masks be worn indoors in school is a reasonable requirement. |
Anonymous
+1 |
Anonymous
Nope, we do not need to "pitch in" anymore and require our kids to wear N95 masks. The people dying are unvaccinated adults. Breakthrough Omicron infections are not more serious than a cold/flu. And if you want to wave your hands around and shout "but the overwhelmed health care workers," then you need to start demanding that the government shut down gyms, bars, and gatherings over 10 people. |
Anonymous
| Send your kid in them but I will fight to the death over requiring these for kids to wear all day. Most adults can’t tolerate these for an hour. |
Anonymous
People like you is why I pulled my kid from ACPS this year in part because of its poor COVID mitigation approach. Otherwise, I would have to do everything I could to fight your “fight to death” in favor of extreme selfishness and putting your child, your child’s classmates and teachers, and the community at large at risk. |
Anonymous
I find it easier to breathe in a KN95 than many of the cloth masks. They also sit away from my mouth, which makes it easier to communicate and it actually offers protection. |
Anonymous
DP For heaven's sake. You are arguing over sending a kid in with a cloth mask versus an N95 mask? Are you one of those nutters who has been holed up in their homes for the past 22 months? Because you know that if you venture outside, then you will put your family and "the community at large" at risk? |