Town Hall today: DCPS is not implementing the protocols that would help to keep schools open

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn’t like how they avoided answering questions about kids recently coming out of isolation after getting COVID, but did appreciate that they reinforced that schools are an essential service and they’re committed to keeping them open (unavoidable situational closures aside).

So what happens when kids coming out of isolation test positive on Jan 4? Do they go back into isolation until they test negative?

My kids tested positive this week. Our plan (for now) is to let the school know next week and then keep them home until 10 days after their initial positive test. They had mild symptoms which have already gone away.

I suppose if they want us to do something different, they’ll let us know.

Send an email now to start your clock.
I know someone where they started the 10 day clock when they sent the email - and they had sent it after the Thanksgiving break so in essence needed to do 15 days.

[Anonymous]

I called in from my car but hung up after the explanation of how COVID spreads to approx. 2-5 other students, as I'm sure that the R0 of Omicron is much higher than that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I called in from my car but hung up after the explanation of how COVID spreads to approx. 2-5 other students, as I'm sure that the R0 of Omicron is much higher than that.

Are you sure you didn’t mishear that? That’s not in line with the data we have about spread in schools prior to omicron.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn’t like how they avoided answering questions about kids recently coming out of isolation after getting COVID, but did appreciate that they reinforced that schools are an essential service and they’re committed to keeping them open (unavoidable situational closures aside).

So what happens when kids coming out of isolation test positive on Jan 4? Do they go back into isolation until they test negative?

My kids tested positive this week. Our plan (for now) is to let the school know next week and then keep them home until 10 days after their initial positive test. They had mild symptoms which have already gone away.

I suppose if they want us to do something different, they’ll let us know.

Mine is on Day 10 of isolation and still testing positive. We’ve got almost another week, but heaven help me if they try to make us stay home 5+ days past the end of the isolation period DC Health gave us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
No one can keep up with the rapidity of the surge, OP. By the time governments ramp up efforts there will be significant closures because of staff shortages, and then Omicron will recede as rapidly as it came.

Our best bet is to pivot to virtual teaching now while teachers are still not positive and can teach, keep schools open with skeletal day care staff, and those of us who can, work from home the month, to keep EMS and hospital services running. But people don't want that, so we're going to have a disaster instead. Oh well.

This would only delay the inevitable. Teachers and everyone else will eventually get infected, if everyone stays home again now they will get it later and the whole ordeal will be more drawn out. Last time we could say we are waiting for vaccines, this time there is nothing to save us. Yes, drawing it out overall (“flatten the curve”) may help hospitals, but closing schools is going to be a drop in the bucket for that issue. Better keep them running as best we can and avoid the definitive harms closures inflict on children.

No, “let all the kids get covid” is not an acceptable policy.

There’s an easy answer here, and it’s testing.

Testing may slow the spread, but you will need to come to terms with the idea that eventually most people, including kids, will get Covid. I know that’s a tough thing to accept if you’ve been zealous about avoiding the virus for nearly two years. We haven’t caught it yet but I know we will eventually, unless we want to keep up extreme precautions for the rest of our lives. And it will be ok because we are vaccinated.

[Anonymous]

Schools were open during Delta and, despite all the fearmongering, it was no big deal.

Omicron may spread faster but it's also a lot less dangerous than Delta, so maybe everyone just needs to chill?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn’t like how they avoided answering questions about kids recently coming out of isolation after getting COVID, but did appreciate that they reinforced that schools are an essential service and they’re committed to keeping them open (unavoidable situational closures aside).

So what happens when kids coming out of isolation test positive on Jan 4? Do they go back into isolation until they test negative?

My kids tested positive this week. Our plan (for now) is to let the school know next week and then keep them home until 10 days after their initial positive test. They had mild symptoms which have already gone away.

I suppose if they want us to do something different, they’ll let us know.

Send an email now to start your clock.
I know someone where they started the 10 day clock when they sent the email - and they had sent it after the Thanksgiving break so in essence needed to do 15 days.

Send a photo of the dated test result (lab-read pcr).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
No one can keep up with the rapidity of the surge, OP. By the time governments ramp up efforts there will be significant closures because of staff shortages, and then Omicron will recede as rapidly as it came.

Our best bet is to pivot to virtual teaching now while teachers are still not positive and can teach, keep schools open with skeletal day care staff, and those of us who can, work from home the month, to keep EMS and hospital services running. But people don't want that, so we're going to have a disaster instead. Oh well.

This would only delay the inevitable. Teachers and everyone else will eventually get infected, if everyone stays home again now they will get it later and the whole ordeal will be more drawn out. Last time we could say we are waiting for vaccines, this time there is nothing to save us. Yes, drawing it out overall (“flatten the curve”) may help hospitals, but closing schools is going to be a drop in the bucket for that issue. Better keep them running as best we can and avoid the definitive harms closures inflict on children.

No, “let all the kids get covid” is not an acceptable policy.

It sounds easy in theory. But the human factor of poor compliance is the weak link. At my school the same families who are unvaccinated are the same families that would fail to comply. Yes it would certainly catch some Omicron cases since it doesn’t discriminate much between vaccinated and unvaccinated. It that all depends on several weak links: accurate self-testing, accurate self-reporting and accurate monitoring of results.

There’s an easy answer here, and it’s testing.

[Anonymous]

It sounds easy in theory. But the human factor of poor compliance is the weak link. At my school the same families who are unvaccinated are the same families that would fail to comply. Yes it would certainly catch some Omicron cases since it doesn’t discriminate much between vaccinated and unvaccinated. It that all depends on several weak links: accurate self-testing, accurate self-reporting and accurate monitoring of results.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
No one can keep up with the rapidity of the surge, OP. By the time governments ramp up efforts there will be significant closures because of staff shortages, and then Omicron will recede as rapidly as it came.

Our best bet is to pivot to virtual teaching now while teachers are still not positive and can teach, keep schools open with skeletal day care staff, and those of us who can, work from home the month, to keep EMS and hospital services running. But people don't want that, so we're going to have a disaster instead. Oh well.

No one trusts that when such a “pivot” (already hating that word) occurs it will be temporary. That’s the problem. If I thought DCPS had the ability to go virtual temporarily and then get all the kids back in school in February, then ok. But I don’t trust DCPS to do it. Once are kids are thrown into virtual it will be ANOTHER lost year. No.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
No one can keep up with the rapidity of the surge, OP. By the time governments ramp up efforts there will be significant closures because of staff shortages, and then Omicron will recede as rapidly as it came.

Our best bet is to pivot to virtual teaching now while teachers are still not positive and can teach, keep schools open with skeletal day care staff, and those of us who can, work from home the month, to keep EMS and hospital services running. But people don't want that, so we're going to have a disaster instead. Oh well.

No one trusts that when such a “pivot” (already hating that word) occurs it will be temporary. That’s the problem. If I thought DCPS had the ability to go virtual temporarily and then get all the kids back in school in February, then ok. But I don’t trust DCPS to do it. Once are kids are thrown into virtual it will be ANOTHER lost year. No.

Maybe you should get some therapy. We can’t be making decisions based on your irrational fears.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
No one can keep up with the rapidity of the surge, OP. By the time governments ramp up efforts there will be significant closures because of staff shortages, and then Omicron will recede as rapidly as it came.

Our best bet is to pivot to virtual teaching now while teachers are still not positive and can teach, keep schools open with skeletal day care staff, and those of us who can, work from home the month, to keep EMS and hospital services running. But people don't want that, so we're going to have a disaster instead. Oh well.

No one trusts that when such a “pivot” (already hating that word) occurs it will be temporary. That’s the problem. If I thought DCPS had the ability to go virtual temporarily and then get all the kids back in school in February, then ok. But I don’t trust DCPS to do it. Once are kids are thrown into virtual it will be ANOTHER lost year. No.

Maybe you should get some therapy. We can’t be making decisions based on your irrational fears.

NP: What’s irrational about PP’s fears? They are based on experience.

While one hopes that DCPS makes the optimal decisions for current circumstances, it’s hard to have confidence in thst. It’s stressful being a part of a dysfunctional system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
No one can keep up with the rapidity of the surge, OP. By the time governments ramp up efforts there will be significant closures because of staff shortages, and then Omicron will recede as rapidly as it came.

Our best bet is to pivot to virtual teaching now while teachers are still not positive and can teach, keep schools open with skeletal day care staff, and those of us who can, work from home the month, to keep EMS and hospital services running. But people don't want that, so we're going to have a disaster instead. Oh well.

No one trusts that when such a “pivot” (already hating that word) occurs it will be temporary. That’s the problem. If I thought DCPS had the ability to go virtual temporarily and then get all the kids back in school in February, then ok. But I don’t trust DCPS to do it. Once are kids are thrown into virtual it will be ANOTHER lost year. No.

Maybe you should get some therapy. We can’t be making decisions based on your irrational fears.

PP is completely rational, given recent experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
No one can keep up with the rapidity of the surge, OP. By the time governments ramp up efforts there will be significant closures because of staff shortages, and then Omicron will recede as rapidly as it came.

Our best bet is to pivot to virtual teaching now while teachers are still not positive and can teach, keep schools open with skeletal day care staff, and those of us who can, work from home the month, to keep EMS and hospital services running. But people don't want that, so we're going to have a disaster instead. Oh well.

No one trusts that when such a “pivot” (already hating that word) occurs it will be temporary. That’s the problem. If I thought DCPS had the ability to go virtual temporarily and then get all the kids back in school in February, then ok. But I don’t trust DCPS to do it. Once are kids are thrown into virtual it will be ANOTHER lost year. No.

Maybe you should get some therapy. We can’t be making decisions based on your irrational fears.

NP: What’s irrational about PP’s fears? They are based on experience.

While one hopes that DCPS makes the optimal decisions for current circumstances, it’s hard to have confidence in thst. It’s stressful being a part of a dysfunctional system.

Agree. It’s not irrational to fear what DCPS has already done, given their track record of mismanagement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn’t like how they avoided answering questions about kids recently coming out of isolation after getting COVID, but did appreciate that they reinforced that schools are an essential service and they’re committed to keeping them open (unavoidable situational closures aside).

So what happens when kids coming out of isolation test positive on Jan 4? Do they go back into isolation until they test negative?

My kids tested positive this week. Our plan (for now) is to let the school know next week and then keep them home until 10 days after their initial positive test. They had mild symptoms which have already gone away.

I suppose if they want us to do something different, they’ll let us know.

Mine is on Day 10 of isolation and still testing positive. We’ve got almost another week, but heaven help me if they try to make us stay home 5+ days past the end of the isolation period DC Health gave us.

The issue with the testing is that you can still test positive on PCRs for 90 days after you initially test positive. So positive PCRs shouldn't be used to extend isolation.

I've read somewhere that there is a similar issue with the antigen tests, but I think the conclusion with those is "no one knows".