Chap Petersen mask letter from 2/8 to FCPS

[Anonymous]

The People’s Senator has spoken. Assuming GOP unity and “Chap” voting accordingly, and no other Democrats breaking ranks, it’s 20-20 in the state senate. Lt. Gov. breaks the tie. State House GOP majority. That’s the ballgame folks. Thanks for masking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a constituent and this is outrageous. He has no right to give covid to my unvaccinated 2 year old, which is what will certainly happen if my elementary schooler is around unmasked children. I will actively support any primary challenger he faces. Masks protect people and are just not a big deal!

Vax and mask your kids if you want to. No one is trying to stop you.

Unfortunately, I cannot vaccinate my two year old. That is the issue. Until everyone who wants a vaccine can have one, we must wear masks. Once there is a vaccine for those under 5, we may be able to reevaluate.

The science says that your unvaccinated two year-old does not face any material risk from Covid. You can also still have him/her wear a mask (and there are plenty of recent studies confirming the protective effect of one-way masking). Presumably, he/she also goes many places where masks aren't required already -- grocery store, mall, etc.

Actually, no. We don't take our children shopping with us. Why take the risk?

Because if you go shopping you are at risk of bringing covid home to your kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a constituent and this is outrageous. He has no right to give covid to my unvaccinated 2 year old, which is what will certainly happen if my elementary schooler is around unmasked children. I will actively support any primary challenger he faces. Masks protect people and are just not a big deal!

Vax and mask your kids if you want to. No one is trying to stop you.

Unfortunately, I cannot vaccinate my two year old. That is the issue. Until everyone who wants a vaccine can have one, we must wear masks. Once there is a vaccine for those under 5, we may be able to reevaluate.

The science says that your unvaccinated two year-old does not face any material risk from Covid. You can also still have him/her wear a mask (and there are plenty of recent studies confirming the protective effect of one-way masking). Presumably, he/she also goes many places where masks aren't required already -- grocery store, mall, etc.

Actually, no. We don't take our children shopping with us. Why take the risk?

Risk of what?

[Anonymous]

The sniffles.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a constituent and this is outrageous. He has no right to give covid to my unvaccinated 2 year old, which is what will certainly happen if my elementary schooler is around unmasked children. I will actively support any primary challenger he faces. Masks protect people and are just not a big deal!

Vax and mask your kids if you want to. No one is trying to stop you.

Unfortunately, I cannot vaccinate my two year old. That is the issue. Until everyone who wants a vaccine can have one, we must wear masks. Once there is a vaccine for those under 5, we may be able to reevaluate.

The science says that your unvaccinated two year-old does not face any material risk from Covid. You can also still have him/her wear a mask (and there are plenty of recent studies confirming the protective effect of one-way masking). Presumably, he/she also goes many places where masks aren't required already -- grocery store, mall, etc.

Actually, no. We don't take our children shopping with us. Why take the risk?

Because if you go shopping you are at risk of bringing covid home to your kids.

There is a huge difference between being in grocery store for 30 minutes or less, constantly moving around, and being in a classroom all day near the same people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a constituent and this is outrageous. He has no right to give covid to my unvaccinated 2 year old, which is what will certainly happen if my elementary schooler is around unmasked children. I will actively support any primary challenger he faces. Masks protect people and are just not a big deal!

Vax and mask your kids if you want to. No one is trying to stop you.

Unfortunately, I cannot vaccinate my two year old. That is the issue. Until everyone who wants a vaccine can have one, we must wear masks. Once there is a vaccine for those under 5, we may be able to reevaluate.

The science says that your unvaccinated two year-old does not face any material risk from Covid. You can also still have him/her wear a mask (and there are plenty of recent studies confirming the protective effect of one-way masking). Presumably, he/she also goes many places where masks aren't required already -- grocery store, mall, etc.

Actually, no. We don't take our children shopping with us. Why take the risk?

Because if you go shopping you are at risk of bringing covid home to your kids.

There is a huge difference between being in grocery store for 30 minutes or less, constantly moving around, and being in a classroom all day near the same people.

Only takes a minute to get covid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a constituent and this is outrageous. He has no right to give covid to my unvaccinated 2 year old, which is what will certainly happen if my elementary schooler is around unmasked children. I will actively support any primary challenger he faces. Masks protect people and are just not a big deal!

Vax and mask your kids if you want to. No one is trying to stop you.

Unfortunately, I cannot vaccinate my two year old. That is the issue. Until everyone who wants a vaccine can have one, we must wear masks. Once there is a vaccine for those under 5, we may be able to reevaluate.

The science says that your unvaccinated two year-old does not face any material risk from Covid. You can also still have him/her wear a mask (and there are plenty of recent studies confirming the protective effect of one-way masking). Presumably, he/she also goes many places where masks aren't required already -- grocery store, mall, etc.

Actually, no. We don't take our children shopping with us. Why take the risk?

Because if you go shopping you are at risk of bringing covid home to your kids.

There is a huge difference between being in grocery store for 30 minutes or less, constantly moving around, and being in a classroom all day near the same people.

But in-school spread is well studied. 1-2% worldwide, pretty much, with very diverse surrounding situations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a constituent and this is outrageous. He has no right to give covid to my unvaccinated 2 year old, which is what will certainly happen if my elementary schooler is around unmasked children. I will actively support any primary challenger he faces. Masks protect people and are just not a big deal!

Vax and mask your kids if you want to. No one is trying to stop you.

Unfortunately, I cannot vaccinate my two year old. That is the issue. Until everyone who wants a vaccine can have one, we must wear masks. Once there is a vaccine for those under 5, we may be able to reevaluate.

The science says that your unvaccinated two year-old does not face any material risk from Covid. You can also still have him/her wear a mask (and there are plenty of recent studies confirming the protective effect of one-way masking). Presumably, he/she also goes many places where masks aren't required already -- grocery store, mall, etc.

Actually, no. We don't take our children shopping with us. Why take the risk?

Because if you go shopping you are at risk of bringing covid home to your kids.

There is a huge difference between being in grocery store for 30 minutes or less, constantly moving around, and being in a classroom all day near the same people.

Only takes a minute to get covid.

With wild-type Covid an early ES kid spread to 1/4 or 1/3 other kids in school (so it took 4 kids coming into school or 3 kids coming in with Covid to infect one other kid). Omicron is more transmissible, of course.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a constituent and this is outrageous. He has no right to give covid to my unvaccinated 2 year old, which is what will certainly happen if my elementary schooler is around unmasked children. I will actively support any primary challenger he faces. Masks protect people and are just not a big deal!

Vax and mask your kids if you want to. No one is trying to stop you.

Unfortunately, I cannot vaccinate my two year old. That is the issue. Until everyone who wants a vaccine can have one, we must wear masks. Once there is a vaccine for those under 5, we may be able to reevaluate.

The science says that your unvaccinated two year-old does not face any material risk from Covid. You can also still have him/her wear a mask (and there are plenty of recent studies confirming the protective effect of one-way masking). Presumably, he/she also goes many places where masks aren't required already -- grocery store, mall, etc.

Actually, no. We don't take our children shopping with us. Why take the risk?

That's your choice, of course. But the point remains the same -- he/she is not at any material risk from Covid. Seasonal viruses like RSV (for which there is no vaccine) and the flu present a much greater danger to him/her (and have a significantly higher incidence of serious illness and death in toddlers).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I posted on the non FCPS thread by mistake.

He is playing politics by using the weirdly capitalized phrase “Forced Masking.” Also by calling Dr. Brabrand Mr. Brabrand.

I think his district just changed and I don’t think his new constituents are on board with his political posturing.

Also, state law requires districts comply with CDC guidance to the maximum extent practicable. CDC still recommends I universal masks in schools. Why does he want schools to break the law?

I largely agree. There is a way to raise this debate and to me, this is not it. Using the phrase "forced masking," and citing "health outcomes" is not really hitting the right note. First, kids aren't the only ones in school. Second, death shouldn't be the metric.

I'm kind of in the middle here. I think FCPS needs to be working with the CDC to understand their data and reasoning, and should be assuring parents and the public that they are doing so. I asked my 9th and 5th grader if they wanted to be able to go to school without a mask last night at dinner. The 9th grader was an emphatic "no," noting how many people in her classes that had COVID and she didn't want to get it. The 5th grader shrugged and said it wasn't a big deal.

I guess for some folks this is a big deal, and fine. But this is an overtly political letter, not aimed at working towards a solution, kind of like the new governor issuing a mandate that invited legal action and a fight instead of leaving things to local control (which I thought was a concept Republicans like).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a constituent and this is outrageous. He has no right to give covid to my unvaccinated 2 year old, which is what will certainly happen if my elementary schooler is around unmasked children. I will actively support any primary challenger he faces. Masks protect people and are just not a big deal!

Vax and mask your kids if you want to. No one is trying to stop you.

Unfortunately, I cannot vaccinate my two year old. That is the issue. Until everyone who wants a vaccine can have one, we must wear masks. Once there is a vaccine for those under 5, we may be able to reevaluate.

The science says that your unvaccinated two year-old does not face any material risk from Covid. You can also still have him/her wear a mask (and there are plenty of recent studies confirming the protective effect of one-way masking). Presumably, he/she also goes many places where masks aren't required already -- grocery store, mall, etc.

Actually, no. We don't take our children shopping with us. Why take the risk?

That's your choice, of course. But the point remains the same -- he/she is not at any material risk from Covid. Seasonal viruses like RSV (for which there is no vaccine) and the flu present a much greater danger to him/her (and have a significantly higher incidence of serious illness and death in toddlers).

Sorry. It is true that the risk of mild illness and death fin toddlers is low for all three diseases. But we know that mild cases of flu and RSV do not result in long-term effects that show up years later. We do not know if that is the case for covid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a constituent and this is outrageous. He has no right to give covid to my unvaccinated 2 year old, which is what will certainly happen if my elementary schooler is around unmasked children. I will actively support any primary challenger he faces. Masks protect people and are just not a big deal!

Vax and mask your kids if you want to. No one is trying to stop you.

Unfortunately, I cannot vaccinate my two year old. That is the issue. Until everyone who wants a vaccine can have one, we must wear masks. Once there is a vaccine for those under 5, we may be able to reevaluate.

The science says that your unvaccinated two year-old does not face any material risk from Covid. You can also still have him/her wear a mask (and there are plenty of recent studies confirming the protective effect of one-way masking). Presumably, he/she also goes many places where masks aren't required already -- grocery store, mall, etc.

Actually, no. We don't take our children shopping with us. Why take the risk?

That's your choice, of course. But the point remains the same -- he/she is not at any material risk from Covid. Seasonal viruses like RSV (for which there is no vaccine) and the flu present a much greater danger to him/her (and have a significantly higher incidence of serious illness and death in toddlers).

Sorry. It is true that the risk of mild illness and death fin toddlers is low for all three diseases. But we know that mild cases of flu and RSV do not result in long-term effects that show up years later. We do not know if that is the case for covid.

No, sometimes flu does have long term sequelae. We just ignore that because it's not common. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29222500/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Chap should just switch parties and get it over with. I'm so tired of him masquerading as a D. His anti-mask, anti-vax, pro-gun position is wearing thin. Is there no D in FFX that can run against him?

+1

I've heard Sean Perryman (unsuccessful Lt. Gov. candidate) wants to run against him. If you love Pat Hynes and Karen Keys Gamarra, Sean's your guy. Otherwise, you might look elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Chap should just switch parties and get it over with. I'm so tired of him masquerading as a D. His anti-mask, anti-vax, pro-gun position is wearing thin. Is there no D in FFX that can run against him?

+1

I've heard Sean Perryman (unsuccessful Lt. Gov. candidate) wants to run against him. If you love Pat Hynes and Karen Keys Gamarra, Sean's your guy. Otherwise, you might look elsewhere.

Oh good, I was worried his primary challenger would have a strong chance against him.

Perryman seems like a nice enough guy, but VA voters weren't too kind to progressives last primary.

[Anonymous]

Even cautious Bob Watcher says it makes sense to unmask in school.