Why aren’t schools with high COVID rates masking?

[Anonymous]

I don’t understand why schools with high COVID case rates aren’t implementing universal masking. Seriously, WTF. Our school has over 5 percent and only a few impacted classes are masking. I have a vulnerable kid and a newborn at home. I don’t understand why we have a known, simple, low cost public health tool that can protect kids and families, reduce learning loss, keep people healthy, and reduce health care costs that is not being employed. Who can we advocate to about this ridiculousness? I don’t want COVID ripping through my family and don’t understand why the schools aren’t doing this?

[Anonymous]

You are welcome to mask your child.

[Anonymous]

Because most people have already had it.

[Anonymous]

Sherwood Elem IS masking. They have the highest case rate in the school. One could argue that unless there is required and regular testing in all schools then they should all be masked. We know that the actual case count is higher due to asymptomatic people not testing at all as well as people not reporting home test results. We also know the home tests have been giving false negatives for both Omicron waves.

[Anonymous]

Because the superintendent and BOE don’t want to fight the angry lynch mob.

[Anonymous]

Because most people have already had it. Because vaccines have been available to almost all age groups for a long, long time now. Because it’s generally mild for most people, particularly those who are vaccinated.

Perhaps most important, because we need to maintain some capital for requiring masks in the future if a variant emerges that is more harmful to children than this variant. It’s been over two years of disruption. It’s been, what, two months of kids being able to forego masks? Even here, most people don’t have the appetite for restrictions anymore, given the current conditions.

Masking in school reduces some transmission, but thinking that they’re incredibly effective is misinformed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand why schools with high COVID case rates aren’t implementing universal masking. Seriously, WTF. Our school has over 5 percent and only a few impacted classes are masking. I have a vulnerable kid and a newborn at home. I don’t understand why we have a known, simple, low cost public health tool that can protect kids and families, reduce learning loss, keep people healthy, and reduce health care costs that is not being employed. Who can we advocate to about this ridiculousness? I don’t want COVID ripping through my family and don’t understand why the schools aren’t doing this?

OP we have a vulnerable family like yours and the VA has been really great for us. I knew last summer I couldn’t trust MCPS to keep my family safe. Just something to consider for next year. I know of other families who have pulled their kid at lunch and had them wear a KN95 at all other times and it seems to be ok for them so far. They say that even when masking was required the compliance and quality of masks really varied.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because the superintendent and BOE don’t want to fight the angry lynch mob.

The angry lynch mob? Do they live in Damascus? In silver spring almost everyone is still masking voluntarily anyway. Shrug. Maybe folks are just smarter down county.

[Anonymous]

Because people are done with masking and covid is now no big deal. That's the simple, straight forward answer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because most people have already had it. Because vaccines have been available to almost all age groups for a long, long time now. Because it’s generally mild for most people, particularly those who are vaccinated.

Perhaps most important, because we need to maintain some capital for requiring masks in the future if a variant emerges that is more harmful to children than this variant. It’s been over two years of disruption. It’s been, what, two months of kids being able to forego masks? Even here, most people don’t have the appetite for restrictions anymore, given the current conditions.

Masking in school reduces some transmission, but thinking that they’re incredibly effective is misinformed.

People don't appreciate this point enough. Leadership (at all levels) needs to preserve some degree of credibility to bring back mask mandates when they're truly needed. They're not needed now. You can't keep people in masks interminably.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because people are done with masking and covid is now no big deal. That's the simple, straight forward answer.

The first part is true. People just don't care too. They assume none of the scary parts will happen to them.

[Anonymous]

Just mask your own child, OP, with a KN-95 or a KF-94.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because people are done with masking and covid is now no big deal. That's the simple, straight forward answer.

As it should be.

[Anonymous]

Masks don't work. Kids don't wear them properly. If you are concerned, get fitted with an N95 mask and wear it.

Just look back at earlier this year when cases were 6 times higher than now. Mask mandate was in effect. Do you really think they made a difference? I would argue no.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Masks don't work. Kids don't wear them properly. If you are concerned, get fitted with an N95 mask and wear it.

Just look back at earlier this year when cases were 6 times higher than now. Mask mandate was in effect. Do you really think they made a difference? I would argue no.

Anecdotally I know way more families with Covid now but I think a lot of cases don’t make it into the official numbers.