McKnight's discussion with health officer about in-person learning

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How are we supposed to open on Monday without the staff available to work? Each day I keep getting more and more messages from co-workers who have tested positive or who have kids who have tested positive.

If enough staff do not show up, they will close the school, just like when there is a water or power outage that makes the school unsafe for students. It's not rocket science.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:We are on week 3 of the omicron surge (which began before the holidays & travel). South Africa's surge lasted a month. It may be some schools close next week but after that it's entirely possible this surge will be over. And no, opening schools won't supercharge cases (just as it didn't in September), people are doing a good enough job of that just by living their best lives.

If a surge is happening even while school is out, let the surge ride out for the next two weeks without adding fuel to the fire by sending kids back. Don't overwhelm the healthcare system all at once when all the kids go back to school contagious.

School reopening in the past has not significantly increased cases. School closures have significantly decreased learning.

That's wrong. Failing to test and asymptomatic students might've made it seem that way to some but actual studies done in the UK indicated that schools were one of the main drivers of infection. Also, just look at the rates in the community versus what random testing turned up in NYC schools. TLDR: students were 2X-3X more likely to have covid than the community rate.

GTFOOH. Hospitalizations were flat and then decreased after a peak in late August. Opening schools did not overwhelm the hospitals, and certainly did not drive up cases the way that you insist it did. Keeping them closed would have worsened the crisis we have among children and youth who were kept out of school for way too long.

It’s interesting isn’t it? Schools have been closed since December 22 and yet hospitalizations are surging. How can that be when supposedly the schools are the drivers of the apocalypse?

Well, it's possible repeated COVID infections have rotted your brain to the point where you're barely sentient, but anyone with half a clue knows that people don't instantly catch COVID and rush to the hospital. Hospitalization is a lagging indicator. You're seeing hospitalizations now from Thanksgiving and the weeks since it, including the time schools were open.

And that's the other thing. Repeated COVID exposure is a thing. Especially with omicron. You're not setting your kid up to get it once. If they've had it already they're not done. This goes on and on, made all the worse because people like you refuse to take any personal responsibility.

None of your insults show that school opening in September caused a surge of cases or hospitalizations, because it didn't. People are not hiding at home. They are living their lives. You can call me irresponsible if you want (I've actually not left the house for days because of illness, but I'm sure you'll find a reason to insult me anyway since that's all you're capable of). I'm just describing reality. Restaurants and bars are open and people are traveling and having parties. It makes no sense to allow all of that activity but say, "Oh, children need an education? Sorry, but we need to control the surge". Please. No evidence that school closures help and plenty of evidence that they hurt kids - and when I say "kids" I mean all kids, not my specific child whose problems I'm sure you'll blame on me, because again, you're not capable of doing anything other than hurling insults at people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:We are on week 3 of the omicron surge (which began before the holidays & travel). South Africa's surge lasted a month. It may be some schools close next week but after that it's entirely possible this surge will be over. And no, opening schools won't supercharge cases (just as it didn't in September), people are doing a good enough job of that just by living their best lives.

If a surge is happening even while school is out, let the surge ride out for the next two weeks without adding fuel to the fire by sending kids back. Don't overwhelm the healthcare system all at once when all the kids go back to school contagious.

School reopening in the past has not significantly increased cases. School closures have significantly decreased learning.

That's wrong. Failing to test and asymptomatic students might've made it seem that way to some but actual studies done in the UK indicated that schools were one of the main drivers of infection. Also, just look at the rates in the community versus what random testing turned up in NYC schools. TLDR: students were 2X-3X more likely to have covid than the community rate.

GTFOOH. Hospitalizations were flat and then decreased after a peak in late August. Opening schools did not overwhelm the hospitals, and certainly did not drive up cases the way that you insist it did. Keeping them closed would have worsened the crisis we have among children and youth who were kept out of school for way too long.

It’s interesting isn’t it? Schools have been closed since December 22 and yet hospitalizations are surging. How can that be when supposedly the schools are the drivers of the apocalypse?

Well, it's possible repeated COVID infections have rotted your brain to the point where you're barely sentient, but anyone with half a clue knows that people don't instantly catch COVID and rush to the hospital. Hospitalization is a lagging indicator. You're seeing hospitalizations now from Thanksgiving and the weeks since it, including the time schools were open.

And that's the other thing. Repeated COVID exposure is a thing. Especially with omicron. You're not setting your kid up to get it once. If they've had it already they're not done. This goes on and on, made all the worse because people like you refuse to take any personal responsibility.

Hospitalization for COVID averages on day 10, not day 30. Many older patients or those with compromised health conditions are hospitalized before day 10.

For people who are vaccinated and boosted, omicron is a highly contagious but mild illness. It’s not the end of the world.

Get vaccinated and life returns to normal. Schools need to stay open.

[Anonymous]

DCPS requiring neg test why aren’t MCPS doing anything? Heads in the sand. It’s embarrassing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DCPS requiring neg test why aren’t MCPS doing anything? Heads in the sand. It’s embarrassing.

DCPS is negotiating public health interventions with it's teachers' union. That's embarrassing.

We do not have the testing capacity for every student to get a test, and get results, in time to go back to school. That is essentially a defacto school closure which is exactly what the union wants. A point in time test, that they'd have to do at LEAST three days (certainly before New Year's Eve) before going back to school will just strain the infrastructure and keep kids out of school, again.