A standing ovation for Dr. McKnight

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Shame on us that we can't make test-to-stay happen, vaccination required happen, distanced/outdoor lunch happen, proper ventilation & filtration happen, full-content virtual for those that need it happen...

I get the general exhaustion, but it's a bit of an indictment that they could make no-work-over-winter-break happen instead of hey-this-omicron-thing-looks-a-bit-out-of-control-so-we-might-want-to-take-that-expected-to-be-planning-time-and-actually-make-a-robust-plan happen.

They improved ventilation/filtration. Requiring vaccines under EUA is a non-starter, and most kids 12 - 17 in MCPS are already vaccinated. Lunch is very dependent on individual schools and their circumstances. Test to stay, yes, they should have done more on that, for sure. "Virtual for those that need it" should only refer to those quarantined, not those who were nervous about Omicron. Nervous isn't a "need."

But really, she's right.

So the only folks that need it, then, are those that signed up for VA when Delta was still being evaluated and 5 months before Omicron changed the landscape or those who test positive or those with documented exposure without vaccination or those with documented exposure who are vaxxed but have symptoms? It's like you can't put yourself in aanyone else's shpes to see that others might have different conditions like vulnerabilities in the household that would lead to different needs for protection against a backdrop of a different threat. Everyone's got it just like you, so they shouldn't complain? Sheesh.

DP.. delta was a lot more lethal than omicron.

What did the vulnerable people do during the delta wave when all schools were in person except the VA?

we left mcps to opt for a school that actually had a mitigation plan in place. not every family can do that so mcps needs to make things safer

Private school is tiny in comparison. Upgrading the hvac in two, three, four buildings is easy. Try upgrading hundreds in a timely manner.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Shame on us that we can't make test-to-stay happen, vaccination required happen, distanced/outdoor lunch happen, proper ventilation & filtration happen, full-content virtual for those that need it happen...

I get the general exhaustion, but it's a bit of an indictment that they could make no-work-over-winter-break happen instead of hey-this-omicron-thing-looks-a-bit-out-of-control-so-we-might-want-to-take-that-expected-to-be-planning-time-and-actually-make-a-robust-plan happen.

They improved ventilation/filtration. Requiring vaccines under EUA is a non-starter, and most kids 12 - 17 in MCPS are already vaccinated. Lunch is very dependent on individual schools and their circumstances. Test to stay, yes, they should have done more on that, for sure. "Virtual for those that need it" should only refer to those quarantined, not those who were nervous about Omicron. Nervous isn't a "need."

But really, she's right.

So the only folks that need it, then, are those that signed up for VA when Delta was still being evaluated and 5 months before Omicron changed the landscape or those who test positive or those with documented exposure without vaccination or those with documented exposure who are vaxxed but have symptoms? It's like you can't put yourself in aanyone else's shpes to see that others might have different conditions like vulnerabilities in the household that would lead to different needs for protection against a backdrop of a different threat. Everyone's got it just like you, so they shouldn't complain? Sheesh.

DP.. delta was a lot more lethal than omicron.

What did the vulnerable people do during the delta wave when all schools were in person except the VA?

we left mcps to opt for a school that actually had a mitigation plan in place. not every family can do that so mcps needs to make things safer

Private school is tiny in comparison. Upgrading the hvac in two, three, four buildings is easy. Try upgrading hundreds in a timely manner.

The key word you keep using is “try”. Did MCPS even try? No. No they did not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Shame on us that we can't make test-to-stay happen, vaccination required happen, distanced/outdoor lunch happen, proper ventilation & filtration happen, full-content virtual for those that need it happen...

I get the general exhaustion, but it's a bit of an indictment that they could make no-work-over-winter-break happen instead of hey-this-omicron-thing-looks-a-bit-out-of-control-so-we-might-want-to-take-that-expected-to-be-planning-time-and-actually-make-a-robust-plan happen.

They improved ventilation/filtration. Requiring vaccines under EUA is a non-starter, and most kids 12 - 17 in MCPS are already vaccinated. Lunch is very dependent on individual schools and their circumstances. Test to stay, yes, they should have done more on that, for sure. "Virtual for those that need it" should only refer to those quarantined, not those who were nervous about Omicron. Nervous isn't a "need."

But really, she's right.

So the only folks that need it, then, are those that signed up for VA when Delta was still being evaluated and 5 months before Omicron changed the landscape or those who test positive or those with documented exposure without vaccination or those with documented exposure who are vaxxed but have symptoms? It's like you can't put yourself in aanyone else's shpes to see that others might have different conditions like vulnerabilities in the household that would lead to different needs for protection against a backdrop of a different threat. Everyone's got it just like you, so they shouldn't complain? Sheesh.

DP.. delta was a lot more lethal than omicron.

What did the vulnerable people do during the delta wave when all schools were in person except the VA?

we left mcps to opt for a school that actually had a mitigation plan in place. not every family can do that so mcps needs to make things safer

Private school is tiny in comparison. Upgrading the hvac in two, three, four buildings is easy. Try upgrading hundreds in a timely manner.

The key word you keep using is “try”. Did MCPS even try? No. No they did not.

DP, but our elementary school had our entire HVAC system upgraded this summer. Others did, as well. So, yes, they did try. It may not have yielded uniform results to your liking, but it’s factually incorrect to say they didn’t try.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Shame on us that we can't make test-to-stay happen, vaccination required happen, distanced/outdoor lunch happen, proper ventilation & filtration happen, full-content virtual for those that need it happen...

I get the general exhaustion, but it's a bit of an indictment that they could make no-work-over-winter-break happen instead of hey-this-omicron-thing-looks-a-bit-out-of-control-so-we-might-want-to-take-that-expected-to-be-planning-time-and-actually-make-a-robust-plan happen.

They improved ventilation/filtration. Requiring vaccines under EUA is a non-starter, and most kids 12 - 17 in MCPS are already vaccinated. Lunch is very dependent on individual schools and their circumstances. Test to stay, yes, they should have done more on that, for sure. "Virtual for those that need it" should only refer to those quarantined, not those who were nervous about Omicron. Nervous isn't a "need."

But really, she's right.

So the only folks that need it, then, are those that signed up for VA when Delta was still being evaluated and 5 months before Omicron changed the landscape or those who test positive or those with documented exposure without vaccination or those with documented exposure who are vaxxed but have symptoms? It's like you can't put yourself in aanyone else's shpes to see that others might have different conditions like vulnerabilities in the household that would lead to different needs for protection against a backdrop of a different threat. Everyone's got it just like you, so they shouldn't complain? Sheesh.

DP.. delta was a lot more lethal than omicron.

What did the vulnerable people do during the delta wave when all schools were in person except the VA?

we left mcps to opt for a school that actually had a mitigation plan in place. not every family can do that so mcps needs to make things safer

Private school is tiny in comparison. Upgrading the hvac in two, three, four buildings is easy. Try upgrading hundreds in a timely manner.

The key word you keep using is “try”. Did MCPS even try? No. No they did not.

DP, but our elementary school had our entire HVAC system upgraded this summer. Others did, as well. So, yes, they did try. It may not have yielded uniform results to your liking, but it’s factually incorrect to say they didn’t try.

Congratulations on living in the Whitman cluster.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Shame on us that we can't make test-to-stay happen, vaccination required happen, distanced/outdoor lunch happen, proper ventilation & filtration happen, full-content virtual for those that need it happen...

I get the general exhaustion, but it's a bit of an indictment that they could make no-work-over-winter-break happen instead of hey-this-omicron-thing-looks-a-bit-out-of-control-so-we-might-want-to-take-that-expected-to-be-planning-time-and-actually-make-a-robust-plan happen.

They improved ventilation/filtration. Requiring vaccines under EUA is a non-starter, and most kids 12 - 17 in MCPS are already vaccinated. Lunch is very dependent on individual schools and their circumstances. Test to stay, yes, they should have done more on that, for sure. "Virtual for those that need it" should only refer to those quarantined, not those who were nervous about Omicron. Nervous isn't a "need."

But really, she's right.

So the only folks that need it, then, are those that signed up for VA when Delta was still being evaluated and 5 months before Omicron changed the landscape or those who test positive or those with documented exposure without vaccination or those with documented exposure who are vaxxed but have symptoms? It's like you can't put yourself in aanyone else's shpes to see that others might have different conditions like vulnerabilities in the household that would lead to different needs for protection against a backdrop of a different threat. Everyone's got it just like you, so they shouldn't complain? Sheesh.

DP.. delta was a lot more lethal than omicron.

What did the vulnerable people do during the delta wave when all schools were in person except the VA?

we left mcps to opt for a school that actually had a mitigation plan in place. not every family can do that so mcps needs to make things safer

Private school is tiny in comparison. Upgrading the hvac in two, three, four buildings is easy. Try upgrading hundreds in a timely manner.

The key word you keep using is “try”. Did MCPS even try? No. No they did not.

DP, but our elementary school had our entire HVAC system upgraded this summer. Others did, as well. So, yes, they did try. It may not have yielded uniform results to your liking, but it’s factually incorrect to say they didn’t try.

Congratulations on living in the Whitman cluster.

Nope! Focus school in the DCC. Try again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Shame on us that we can't make test-to-stay happen, vaccination required happen, distanced/outdoor lunch happen, proper ventilation & filtration happen, full-content virtual for those that need it happen...

I get the general exhaustion, but it's a bit of an indictment that they could make no-work-over-winter-break happen instead of hey-this-omicron-thing-looks-a-bit-out-of-control-so-we-might-want-to-take-that-expected-to-be-planning-time-and-actually-make-a-robust-plan happen.

They improved ventilation/filtration. Requiring vaccines under EUA is a non-starter, and most kids 12 - 17 in MCPS are already vaccinated. Lunch is very dependent on individual schools and their circumstances. Test to stay, yes, they should have done more on that, for sure. "Virtual for those that need it" should only refer to those quarantined, not those who were nervous about Omicron. Nervous isn't a "need."

But really, she's right.

So the only folks that need it, then, are those that signed up for VA when Delta was still being evaluated and 5 months before Omicron changed the landscape or those who test positive or those with documented exposure without vaccination or those with documented exposure who are vaxxed but have symptoms? It's like you can't put yourself in aanyone else's shpes to see that others might have different conditions like vulnerabilities in the household that would lead to different needs for protection against a backdrop of a different threat. Everyone's got it just like you, so they shouldn't complain? Sheesh.

DP.. delta was a lot more lethal than omicron.

What did the vulnerable people do during the delta wave when all schools were in person except the VA?

we left mcps to opt for a school that actually had a mitigation plan in place. not every family can do that so mcps needs to make things safer

Private school is tiny in comparison. Upgrading the hvac in two, three, four buildings is easy. Try upgrading hundreds in a timely manner.

The key word you keep using is “try”. Did MCPS even try? No. No they did not.

DP, but our elementary school had our entire HVAC system upgraded this summer. Others did, as well. So, yes, they did try. It may not have yielded uniform results to your liking, but it’s factually incorrect to say they didn’t try.

Try=some kids get covid and McNight wants credit for every little thing but takes no responsibility for what she didn’t do.

This isn’t kindergarten. You have to actually perform.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Shame on us that we can't make test-to-stay happen, vaccination required happen, distanced/outdoor lunch happen, proper ventilation & filtration happen, full-content virtual for those that need it happen...

I get the general exhaustion, but it's a bit of an indictment that they could make no-work-over-winter-break happen instead of hey-this-omicron-thing-looks-a-bit-out-of-control-so-we-might-want-to-take-that-expected-to-be-planning-time-and-actually-make-a-robust-plan happen.

They improved ventilation/filtration. Requiring vaccines under EUA is a non-starter, and most kids 12 - 17 in MCPS are already vaccinated. Lunch is very dependent on individual schools and their circumstances. Test to stay, yes, they should have done more on that, for sure. "Virtual for those that need it" should only refer to those quarantined, not those who were nervous about Omicron. Nervous isn't a "need."

But really, she's right.

So the only folks that need it, then, are those that signed up for VA when Delta was still being evaluated and 5 months before Omicron changed the landscape or those who test positive or those with documented exposure without vaccination or those with documented exposure who are vaxxed but have symptoms? It's like you can't put yourself in aanyone else's shpes to see that others might have different conditions like vulnerabilities in the household that would lead to different needs for protection against a backdrop of a different threat. Everyone's got it just like you, so they shouldn't complain? Sheesh.

DP.. delta was a lot more lethal than omicron.

What did the vulnerable people do during the delta wave when all schools were in person except the VA?

we left mcps to opt for a school that actually had a mitigation plan in place. not every family can do that so mcps needs to make things safer

Private school is tiny in comparison. Upgrading the hvac in two, three, four buildings is easy. Try upgrading hundreds in a timely manner.

The key word you keep using is “try”. Did MCPS even try? No. No they did not.

DP, but our elementary school had our entire HVAC system upgraded this summer. Others did, as well. So, yes, they did try. It may not have yielded uniform results to your liking, but it’s factually incorrect to say they didn’t try.

Congratulations on living in the Whitman cluster.

Nope! Focus school in the DCC. Try again.

Piney Branch ES of course. MCPS is a very political organization that knows exactly which constituencies they need to keep happy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Shame on us that we can't make test-to-stay happen, vaccination required happen, distanced/outdoor lunch happen, proper ventilation & filtration happen, full-content virtual for those that need it happen...

I get the general exhaustion, but it's a bit of an indictment that they could make no-work-over-winter-break happen instead of hey-this-omicron-thing-looks-a-bit-out-of-control-so-we-might-want-to-take-that-expected-to-be-planning-time-and-actually-make-a-robust-plan happen.

They improved ventilation/filtration. Requiring vaccines under EUA is a non-starter, and most kids 12 - 17 in MCPS are already vaccinated. Lunch is very dependent on individual schools and their circumstances. Test to stay, yes, they should have done more on that, for sure. "Virtual for those that need it" should only refer to those quarantined, not those who were nervous about Omicron. Nervous isn't a "need."

But really, she's right.

So the only folks that need it, then, are those that signed up for VA when Delta was still being evaluated and 5 months before Omicron changed the landscape or those who test positive or those with documented exposure without vaccination or those with documented exposure who are vaxxed but have symptoms? It's like you can't put yourself in aanyone else's shpes to see that others might have different conditions like vulnerabilities in the household that would lead to different needs for protection against a backdrop of a different threat. Everyone's got it just like you, so they shouldn't complain? Sheesh.

DP.. delta was a lot more lethal than omicron.

What did the vulnerable people do during the delta wave when all schools were in person except the VA?

we left mcps to opt for a school that actually had a mitigation plan in place. not every family can do that so mcps needs to make things safer

Private school is tiny in comparison. Upgrading the hvac in two, three, four buildings is easy. Try upgrading hundreds in a timely manner.

The key word you keep using is “try”. Did MCPS even try? No. No they did not.

DP, but our elementary school had our entire HVAC system upgraded this summer. Others did, as well. So, yes, they did try. It may not have yielded uniform results to your liking, but it’s factually incorrect to say they didn’t try.

Congratulations on living in the Whitman cluster.

Nope! Focus school in the DCC. Try again.

Piney Branch ES of course. MCPS is a very political organization that knows exactly which constituencies they need to keep happy.

[insert buzzer noise]

Guess again! It’s actually kind of fun seeing how simultaneously certain and yet incorrect you are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Shame on us that we can't make test-to-stay happen, vaccination required happen, distanced/outdoor lunch happen, proper ventilation & filtration happen, full-content virtual for those that need it happen...

I get the general exhaustion, but it's a bit of an indictment that they could make no-work-over-winter-break happen instead of hey-this-omicron-thing-looks-a-bit-out-of-control-so-we-might-want-to-take-that-expected-to-be-planning-time-and-actually-make-a-robust-plan happen.

They improved ventilation/filtration. Requiring vaccines under EUA is a non-starter, and most kids 12 - 17 in MCPS are already vaccinated. Lunch is very dependent on individual schools and their circumstances. Test to stay, yes, they should have done more on that, for sure. "Virtual for those that need it" should only refer to those quarantined, not those who were nervous about Omicron. Nervous isn't a "need."

But really, she's right.

So the only folks that need it, then, are those that signed up for VA when Delta was still being evaluated and 5 months before Omicron changed the landscape or those who test positive or those with documented exposure without vaccination or those with documented exposure who are vaxxed but have symptoms? It's like you can't put yourself in aanyone else's shpes to see that others might have different conditions like vulnerabilities in the household that would lead to different needs for protection against a backdrop of a different threat. Everyone's got it just like you, so they shouldn't complain? Sheesh.

DP.. delta was a lot more lethal than omicron.

What did the vulnerable people do during the delta wave when all schools were in person except the VA?

Um, not getting exposed because of low relative numbers of infected and the ability to be distanced & outside during lunch -- the one unmasked time. Elementaries aren't doing that in the cold weather.

Covid vaxx was approved for ES kids after school year started. This, coupled with delta, meant that kids were more likely to suffer from harsher covid symptoms, irrespective of being outside, because I guarantee you, that kids were not distancing outside while eating. Have you seen kids eat and talk? I have.. I volunteered in my kids' ES during lunch. They talk a lot, and loudly, during lunch.

So, even before the omicron surge, this would've been an issue. Omicron is more contagious, yes, but it's also much more mild than delta, especially if vaxxed.

Again, at some point, your kid will get exposed to covid; covid is here to stay. If your goal is to avoid infection forever, that's not going to happen.

You and the immediately prior poster to you are either being disingenuous or not understanding the difference between the conditions Delta presented at the time and the conditions Omicron now presents. They are each societally dangerous, but in different ways - one with greater mortality/morbidity *rates* and the other with far greater transmissibility and far wider spread. The hospitalizations are actually higher this month than at any time with just Delta, which was already in decline at the start of school. At the same time, late summer through the fall meant open classroom windows and outside seating during lunch (I also helped, there) -- meaning it was much less likely for one's child to bring it home. On top of that, the Delta breakthrough rate for vaccinated adults was far lower than for Omicron. It isn't only about the kid getting it. Depending on the underlying vulnerability in one's particular household, the risk calculus might mean that it was more dangerous then, more dangerous now or about the same. Saying one should have gone VA or that it was more dangerous at the start of school ignores all of this, and points to a callous view of others' needs.