MCPS Community COVID update

[Anonymous]

https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/publicinfo/community/school-year-2023-2024/Community-message-20230906.html

This is a nice sentiment, but we can’t all stay home when we are sick. I am an MCPS employee and I need my sick days for doctor’s visits for myself and children.

Our society only supports certain professions staying home when we don’t feel well. Do they really think all of the teachers and kids with a stuffy nose and cough are going to stay home for over a week until they feel better? Lots of people COVID Meg but walking around sick.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/publicinfo/community/school-year-2023-2024/Community-message-20230906.html

This is a nice sentiment, but we can’t all stay home when we are sick. I am an MCPS employee and I need my sick days for doctor’s visits for myself and children.

Our society only supports certain professions staying home when we don’t feel well. Do they really think all of the teachers and kids with a stuffy nose and cough are going to stay home for over a week until they feel better? Lots of people COVID Meg but walking around sick.

Please don't come to school when you have covid. Or flu. I would prefer not to use my sick days visiting my 90-year-old parents in the hospital after my kid or I infect them with a virus my kid got infected with in school.

[Anonymous]

They only sent out the email because they were getting flack in the media for a relatively unannounced policy of masking for 10 days when there are multiple cases in a classroom. It’s all goofy. Very few people are doing these things anymore. President Biden today walked up to a podium without a mask (he was exposed by his wife) and grumbled that people keep wanting him to wear a mask since it hadn’t been 10 days. Seems like the only enforcement at this point is on teachers and schoolkids.

[Anonymous]

I would have hoped that by now we would mention air ventilation, air filtration and masking as things that would actually help reduce transmission in the classrooms. Covid is Airborne, we fight it by concentrating on keeping it out of the air, diluting it, or removing it from the air.

If you want your kid to have more time in the classroom, think about masking at least some of the time during this uptick in cases, so it doesn't increase to a full surge.

Ask your schools to make sure their ventilation is bringing in fresh air. The CDC recommends 5 air changes an hour. Fans and open windows help. Air filters help when bringing in more fresh air is impossible.

We know the tools to keep kids healthy and in the classroom. We just need to use them

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/publicinfo/community/school-year-2023-2024/Community-message-20230906.html

This is a nice sentiment, but we can’t all stay home when we are sick. I am an MCPS employee and I need my sick days for doctor’s visits for myself and children.

Our society only supports certain professions staying home when we don’t feel well. Do they really think all of the teachers and kids with a stuffy nose and cough are going to stay home for over a week until they feel better? Lots of people COVID Meg but walking around sick.

Please don't come to school when you have covid. Or flu. I would prefer not to use my sick days visiting my 90-year-old parents in the hospital after my kid or I infect them with a virus my kid got infected with in school.

ES teacher here. We have a huge sub shortage. If a lot of teachers are out, classrooms get split into other rooms so there is over crowding and your kid is likely to get sick that way. The classrooms are super crowded too. I truly want the best for your parents, but I think it will be so so hard to avoid it

[Anonymous]

Unless my kid is exhibiting symptoms, my kid going to school. At this point, it's no worse than the flu, and we should treat it as such.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Unless my kid is exhibiting symptoms, my kid going to school. At this point, it's no worse than the flu, and we should treat it as such.

It is no worse than influenza except for when it is worse than influenza.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/publicinfo/community/school-year-2023-2024/Community-message-20230906.html

This is a nice sentiment, but we can’t all stay home when we are sick. I am an MCPS employee and I need my sick days for doctor’s visits for myself and children.

Our society only supports certain professions staying home when we don’t feel well. Do they really think all of the teachers and kids with a stuffy nose and cough are going to stay home for over a week until they feel better? Lots of people COVID Meg but walking around sick.

Please don't come to school when you have covid. Or flu. I would prefer not to use my sick days visiting my 90-year-old parents in the hospital after my kid or I infect them with a virus my kid got infected with in school.

ES teacher here. We have a huge sub shortage. If a lot of teachers are out, classrooms get split into other rooms so there is over crowding and your kid is likely to get sick that way. The classrooms are super crowded too. I truly want the best for your parents, but I think it will be so so hard to avoid it

And if teachers come in sick, then teachers will get sick, and then a lot of teachers will be out, and then...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unless my kid is exhibiting symptoms, my kid going to school. At this point, it's no worse than the flu, and we should treat it as such.

It is no worse than influenza except for when it is worse than influenza.

I'm honestly most worried about young people because they have so much more of their lives to live. Every time they get Covid-19 there is a chance that they will get some of the long term symptoms. How is that going to affect my child's ability to finish their education? How will repeated infections affect my child's long term health?

It now looks like Epstein-Barr triggers Multiple Sclerosis... what could multiple Covid-19 infections turn out to trigger decades down the line? Why would I sign up to run that risk over and over again?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/publicinfo/community/school-year-2023-2024/Community-message-20230906.html

This is a nice sentiment, but we can’t all stay home when we are sick. I am an MCPS employee and I need my sick days for doctor’s visits for myself and children.

Our society only supports certain professions staying home when we don’t feel well. Do they really think all of the teachers and kids with a stuffy nose and cough are going to stay home for over a week until they feel better? Lots of people COVID Meg but walking around sick.

Please don't come to school when you have covid. Or flu. I would prefer not to use my sick days visiting my 90-year-old parents in the hospital after my kid or I infect them with a virus my kid got infected with in school.

One of my parents just passed because of someone this who thought nothing to spread it. Watching your parent pass in the icu is devastating when they easily could have lived another ten years.

Please stay home when sick. It may be no big deal to you but for those of us with health issues, it impacts us far more than you can understand.

My kids missed school this week. As a teacher don’t complain mine missed a week because you spread it to us. I will not send sick kids to school and do what others did to us as I want my kids to grow up to be good, caring and considerate people who can understand others may have needs different from them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/publicinfo/community/school-year-2023-2024/Community-message-20230906.html

This is a nice sentiment, but we can’t all stay home when we are sick. I am an MCPS employee and I need my sick days for doctor’s visits for myself and children.

Our society only supports certain professions staying home when we don’t feel well. Do they really think all of the teachers and kids with a stuffy nose and cough are going to stay home for over a week until they feel better? Lots of people COVID Meg but walking around sick.

Please don't come to school when you have covid. Or flu. I would prefer not to use my sick days visiting my 90-year-old parents in the hospital after my kid or I infect them with a virus my kid got infected with in school.

ES teacher here. We have a huge sub shortage. If a lot of teachers are out, classrooms get split into other rooms so there is over crowding and your kid is likely to get sick that way. The classrooms are super crowded too. I truly want the best for your parents, but I think it will be so so hard to avoid it

And if teachers come in sick, then teachers will get sick, and then a lot of teachers will be out, and then...

None of us WANT to be at work when we are sick. Teaching is exhausting when healthy.

I would never go in with fever or vomiting, but a cough can linger for weeks. What do you suggest we do?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/publicinfo/community/school-year-2023-2024/Community-message-20230906.html

This is a nice sentiment, but we can’t all stay home when we are sick. I am an MCPS employee and I need my sick days for doctor’s visits for myself and children.

Our society only supports certain professions staying home when we don’t feel well. Do they really think all of the teachers and kids with a stuffy nose and cough are going to stay home for over a week until they feel better? Lots of people COVID Meg but walking around sick.

Please don't come to school when you have covid. Or flu. I would prefer not to use my sick days visiting my 90-year-old parents in the hospital after my kid or I infect them with a virus my kid got infected with in school.

ES teacher here. We have a huge sub shortage. If a lot of teachers are out, classrooms get split into other rooms so there is over crowding and your kid is likely to get sick that way. The classrooms are super crowded too. I truly want the best for your parents, but I think it will be so so hard to avoid it

And if teachers come in sick, then teachers will get sick, and then a lot of teachers will be out, and then...

None of us WANT to be at work when we are sick. Teaching is exhausting when healthy.

I would never go in with fever or vomiting, but a cough can linger for weeks. What do you suggest we do?

PP you're responding to. I suggest you stay home when you're infectious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/publicinfo/community/school-year-2023-2024/Community-message-20230906.html

This is a nice sentiment, but we can’t all stay home when we are sick. I am an MCPS employee and I need my sick days for doctor’s visits for myself and children.

Our society only supports certain professions staying home when we don’t feel well. Do they really think all of the teachers and kids with a stuffy nose and cough are going to stay home for over a week until they feel better? Lots of people COVID Meg but walking around sick.

Please don't come to school when you have covid. Or flu. I would prefer not to use my sick days visiting my 90-year-old parents in the hospital after my kid or I infect them with a virus my kid got infected with in school.

ES teacher here. We have a huge sub shortage. If a lot of teachers are out, classrooms get split into other rooms so there is over crowding and your kid is likely to get sick that way. The classrooms are super crowded too. I truly want the best for your parents, but I think it will be so so hard to avoid it

And if teachers come in sick, then teachers will get sick, and then a lot of teachers will be out, and then...

Then kids have subs or they shut down the school for a few days.

How about thinking of my kids who just lost a grandparent? You clearly don’t want the best if you refuse to use leave when sick and know you will spread it to the rest of us. Yes, mcps should give more leave but they don’t.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/publicinfo/community/school-year-2023-2024/Community-message-20230906.html

This is a nice sentiment, but we can’t all stay home when we are sick. I am an MCPS employee and I need my sick days for doctor’s visits for myself and children.

Our society only supports certain professions staying home when we don’t feel well. Do they really think all of the teachers and kids with a stuffy nose and cough are going to stay home for over a week until they feel better? Lots of people COVID Meg but walking around sick.

Please don't come to school when you have covid. Or flu. I would prefer not to use my sick days visiting my 90-year-old parents in the hospital after my kid or I infect them with a virus my kid got infected with in school.

ES teacher here. We have a huge sub shortage. If a lot of teachers are out, classrooms get split into other rooms so there is over crowding and your kid is likely to get sick that way. The classrooms are super crowded too. I truly want the best for your parents, but I think it will be so so hard to avoid it

And if teachers come in sick, then teachers will get sick, and then a lot of teachers will be out, and then...

None of us WANT to be at work when we are sick. Teaching is exhausting when healthy.

I would never go in with fever or vomiting, but a cough can linger for weeks. What do you suggest we do?

I suggest you all lobby your overpaid union to get you more sick leave and higher pay for subs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/publicinfo/community/school-year-2023-2024/Community-message-20230906.html

This is a nice sentiment, but we can’t all stay home when we are sick. I am an MCPS employee and I need my sick days for doctor’s visits for myself and children.

Our society only supports certain professions staying home when we don’t feel well. Do they really think all of the teachers and kids with a stuffy nose and cough are going to stay home for over a week until they feel better? Lots of people COVID Meg but walking around sick.

Please don't come to school when you have covid. Or flu. I would prefer not to use my sick days visiting my 90-year-old parents in the hospital after my kid or I infect them with a virus my kid got infected with in school.

ES teacher here. We have a huge sub shortage. If a lot of teachers are out, classrooms get split into other rooms so there is over crowding and your kid is likely to get sick that way. The classrooms are super crowded too. I truly want the best for your parents, but I think it will be so so hard to avoid it

And if teachers come in sick, then teachers will get sick, and then a lot of teachers will be out, and then...

None of us WANT to be at work when we are sick. Teaching is exhausting when healthy.

I would never go in with fever or vomiting, but a cough can linger for weeks. What do you suggest we do?

No one is thinking that you need to stay home until the cough is completely gone. There are some great tools to get an idea if you are still contagious.

Are you still testing positive on a RAT test for Covid? Then you are probably still contagious. In that case you should at the very minimum wear a tight fitting respirator (N95 or KN95 or KF94) if you are going back out in public. [Quick tip: some respirators are actually more comfortable than surgical masks... KF94s and 3M Aura N95s are super comfy and breathable. Some KF94s come in awesome colors as well.]