APS - Just closed the rest of the week?

[Anonymous]

^ given the kids would likely have to do inside lunch, there would be a super high number of close contacts this week had they been in school

[Anonymous]

Omicron is going to spread whether you like it or not. The only way to avoid is to do a total isolation. So, if you are still scared of it, go ahead and isolate. Otherwise, just plan to get it at some point most likely in the next month and get it over with.

I'm nearly ready to do a chickenpox style party to at least control when we get it and get it over with.

Cannot outrun shutdown isolate every single time a wave hits. Especially when it is as mild as this one is. And if you can remember the before times, we did not respond this way for flu, etc.

Given the way Omicron presents, people are basically proposing to go virtual for a cold on steroids. Which is crazy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Omicron is going to spread whether you like it or not. The only way to avoid is to do a total isolation. So, if you are still scared of it, go ahead and isolate. Otherwise, just plan to get it at some point most likely in the next month and get it over with.

I'm nearly ready to do a chickenpox style party to at least control when we get it and get it over with.

Cannot outrun shutdown isolate every single time a wave hits. Especially when it is as mild as this one is. And if you can remember the before times, we did not respond this way for flu, etc.

Given the way Omicron presents, people are basically proposing to go virtual for a cold on steroids. Which is crazy.

The chickenpox reference is dated. Kids now get vaccinated for chick pox.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: Especially when it is as mild as this one is.

If it's so mild, why are the hospitals jammed?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Especially when it is as mild as this one is.

If it's so mild, why are the hospitals jammed?

Hospitals aren't jammed at all. Take a look at the HHS portal. VA hospitals are doing great at non-flu season capacity right now (70-80% is regular during that time period and hospitals typically "fill up" during flu seasons; VA is at 73% for hospitalization and 78% for ICUs right now).
https://protect-public.hhs.gov/pages/hospital-utilization

The ERs are flooded, but with COVID paranoid people testing positive with no or little symptoms. What a failure of public health to scare people so much they're flooding the ER for the sniffles.
https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/virginia-health-and-hospital-leaders-urge-individuals-with-mild-coronavirus-cases-other-non-serious-illnesses-to-avoid-unnecessary-trips-to-hospital-emergency-departments/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Omicron is going to spread whether you like it or not. The only way to avoid is to do a total isolation. So, if you are still scared of it, go ahead and isolate. Otherwise, just plan to get it at some point most likely in the next month and get it over with.

I'm nearly ready to do a chickenpox style party to at least control when we get it and get it over with.

Cannot outrun shutdown isolate every single time a wave hits. Especially when it is as mild as this one is. And if you can remember the before times, we did not respond this way for flu, etc.

Given the way Omicron presents, people are basically proposing to go virtual for a cold on steroids. Which is crazy.

There is a concern for long covid even with omicron and “mild” cases. Really understand your frustration, but exposing your children or self intentionally is pretty foolish. And reactive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Especially when it is as mild as this one is.

If it's so mild, why are the hospitals jammed?

Hospitals aren't jammed at all. Take a look at the HHS portal. VA hospitals are doing great at non-flu season capacity right now (70-80% is regular during that time period and hospitals typically "fill up" during flu seasons; VA is at 73% for hospitalization and 78% for ICUs right now).
https://protect-public.hhs.gov/pages/hospital-utilization

The ERs are flooded, but with COVID paranoid people testing positive with no or little symptoms. What a failure of public health to scare people so much they're flooding the ER for the sniffles.
https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/virginia-health-and-hospital-leaders-urge-individuals-with-mild-coronavirus-cases-other-non-serious-illnesses-to-avoid-unnecessary-trips-to-hospital-emergency-departments/

I just got an email from Children’s Hospital in DC yesterday, my child is a patient there, saying that they are jammed! They are asking The CPS families who are using the hospital for convenience testing and non-severe ailments to use other facilities.

[Anonymous]

^ DCPS families

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Omicron is going to spread whether you like it or not. The only way to avoid is to do a total isolation. So, if you are still scared of it, go ahead and isolate. Otherwise, just plan to get it at some point most likely in the next month and get it over with.

I'm nearly ready to do a chickenpox style party to at least control when we get it and get it over with.

Cannot outrun shutdown isolate every single time a wave hits. Especially when it is as mild as this one is. And if you can remember the before times, we did not respond this way for flu, etc.

Given the way Omicron presents, people are basically proposing to go virtual for a cold on steroids. Which is crazy.

There is a concern for long covid even with omicron and “mild” cases. Really understand your frustration, but exposing your children or self intentionally is pretty foolish. And reactive.

Long COVID in mild cases?!? Get away from the fear porn. Long COVID is as common as it is for long-term symptoms of the flu (i.e., not at all).

And the best was the Long COVID study of kids out of the UK that showed the control group (who never had COVID) had more Long COVID than the group that had COVID.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think given the forecast for the rest of the week they should do some virtual days to ease into next week instead of adding more snow days.

Virtual days don't count towards the minimum required instructional days under SB 1303 unless the governor declares a Covid 19 state of emergency.

Is this true? Then why on earth is neighboring ACPS doing them?

It’s not true.

https://legiscan.com/VA/text/SB1303/2021/X1

"Each school board shall offer in-person instruction to each student enrolled in the local school division in a public elementary and secondary school for at least the minimum number of required instructional hours"

Read the bill, friends.

The rest of the bill outlines exceptions to the part you posted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Especially when it is as mild as this one is.

If it's so mild, why are the hospitals jammed?

Hospitals aren't jammed at all. Take a look at the HHS portal. VA hospitals are doing great at non-flu season capacity right now (70-80% is regular during that time period and hospitals typically "fill up" during flu seasons; VA is at 73% for hospitalization and 78% for ICUs right now).
https://protect-public.hhs.gov/pages/hospital-utilization

The ERs are flooded, but with COVID paranoid people testing positive with no or little symptoms. What a failure of public health to scare people so much they're flooding the ER for the sniffles.
https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/virginia-health-and-hospital-leaders-urge-individuals-with-mild-coronavirus-cases-other-non-serious-illnesses-to-avoid-unnecessary-trips-to-hospital-emergency-departments/

I just got an email from Children’s Hospital in DC yesterday, my child is a patient there, saying that they are jammed! They are asking The CPS families who are using the hospital for convenience testing and non-severe ailments to use other facilities.

Just checked HHS. Children's Hospital in DC has plenty of capacity. They're 77% for hospital beds and 80% for ICU beds. That's better than usual for this time of year (flu season).

Who the hell goes to the hospital for convenience testing and non-severe ailments anyway?!? They issued that because, just as the VDH said, people are jamming hospital ERs for the sniffles

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Especially when it is as mild as this one is.

If it's so mild, why are the hospitals jammed?

Hospitals aren't jammed at all. Take a look at the HHS portal. VA hospitals are doing great at non-flu season capacity right now (70-80% is regular during that time period and hospitals typically "fill up" during flu seasons; VA is at 73% for hospitalization and 78% for ICUs right now).
https://protect-public.hhs.gov/pages/hospital-utilization

The ERs are flooded, but with COVID paranoid people testing positive with no or little symptoms. What a failure of public health to scare people so much they're flooding the ER for the sniffles.
https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/virginia-health-and-hospital-leaders-urge-individuals-with-mild-coronavirus-cases-other-non-serious-illnesses-to-avoid-unnecessary-trips-to-hospital-emergency-departments/

I just got an email from Children’s Hospital in DC yesterday, my child is a patient there, saying that they are jammed! They are asking The CPS families who are using the hospital for convenience testing and non-severe ailments to use other facilities.

They’re probably referencing their ER.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Especially when it is as mild as this one is.

If it's so mild, why are the hospitals jammed?

Hospitals aren't jammed at all. Take a look at the HHS portal. VA hospitals are doing great at non-flu season capacity right now (70-80% is regular during that time period and hospitals typically "fill up" during flu seasons; VA is at 73% for hospitalization and 78% for ICUs right now).
https://protect-public.hhs.gov/pages/hospital-utilization

The ERs are flooded, but with COVID paranoid people testing positive with no or little symptoms. What a failure of public health to scare people so much they're flooding the ER for the sniffles.
https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/virginia-health-and-hospital-leaders-urge-individuals-with-mild-coronavirus-cases-other-non-serious-illnesses-to-avoid-unnecessary-trips-to-hospital-emergency-departments/

I just got an email from Children’s Hospital in DC yesterday, my child is a patient there, saying that they are jammed! They are asking The CPS families who are using the hospital for convenience testing and non-severe ailments to use other facilities.

Just checked HHS. Children's Hospital in DC has plenty of capacity. They're 77% for hospital beds and 80% for ICU beds. That's better than usual for this time of year (flu season).

Who the hell goes to the hospital for convenience testing and non-severe ailments anyway?!? They issued that because, just as the VDH said, people are jamming hospital ERs for the sniffles

Yes.
I know people who are perfectly healthy going to testing sites “just because”. I can only imagine what ERs are having to deal with.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Especially when it is as mild as this one is.

If it's so mild, why are the hospitals jammed?

Hospitals aren't jammed at all. Take a look at the HHS portal. VA hospitals are doing great at non-flu season capacity right now (70-80% is regular during that time period and hospitals typically "fill up" during flu seasons; VA is at 73% for hospitalization and 78% for ICUs right now).
https://protect-public.hhs.gov/pages/hospital-utilization

The ERs are flooded, but with COVID paranoid people testing positive with no or little symptoms. What a failure of public health to scare people so much they're flooding the ER for the sniffles.
https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/virginia-health-and-hospital-leaders-urge-individuals-with-mild-coronavirus-cases-other-non-serious-illnesses-to-avoid-unnecessary-trips-to-hospital-emergency-departments/

I just got an email from Children’s Hospital in DC yesterday, my child is a patient there, saying that they are jammed! They are asking The CPS families who are using the hospital for convenience testing and non-severe ailments to use other facilities.

Just checked HHS. Children's Hospital in DC has plenty of capacity. They're 77% for hospital beds and 80% for ICU beds. That's better than usual for this time of year (flu season).

Who the hell goes to the hospital for convenience testing and non-severe ailments anyway?!? They issued that because, just as the VDH said, people are jamming hospital ERs for the sniffles

Again you need to think outside your bubble. People use the children’s ER like it’s their primary care doctor. it’s the demographic of the neighborhood, and in many lower income areas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Especially when it is as mild as this one is.

If it's so mild, why are the hospitals jammed?

Hospitals aren't jammed at all. Take a look at the HHS portal. VA hospitals are doing great at non-flu season capacity right now (70-80% is regular during that time period and hospitals typically "fill up" during flu seasons; VA is at 73% for hospitalization and 78% for ICUs right now).
https://protect-public.hhs.gov/pages/hospital-utilization

The ERs are flooded, but with COVID paranoid people testing positive with no or little symptoms. What a failure of public health to scare people so much they're flooding the ER for the sniffles.
https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/virginia-health-and-hospital-leaders-urge-individuals-with-mild-coronavirus-cases-other-non-serious-illnesses-to-avoid-unnecessary-trips-to-hospital-emergency-departments/

I just got an email from Children’s Hospital in DC yesterday, my child is a patient there, saying that they are jammed! They are asking The CPS families who are using the hospital for convenience testing and non-severe ailments to use other facilities.

Just checked HHS. Children's Hospital in DC has plenty of capacity. They're 77% for hospital beds and 80% for ICU beds. That's better than usual for this time of year (flu season).

Who the hell goes to the hospital for convenience testing and non-severe ailments anyway?!? They issued that because, just as the VDH said, people are jamming hospital ERs for the sniffles

Again you need to think outside your bubble. People use the children’s ER like it’s their primary care doctor. it’s the demographic of the neighborhood, and in many lower income areas.

Considering how extremely low risk kids are, it sounds like it's people flooding ERs for asymptomatic and mild cases even more so. What a complete failure of public health messaging. And I'm sure they're taking care of the situation just fine too.

So hospitalizations aren't a problem. ICUs aren't a problem. There's 0 problem with school reopening.