Masks optional by spring break

[Anonymous]

school mask mandates to be lifted in NJ https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/07/nyregion/nj-school-mask-mandate-murphy.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:school mask mandates to be lifted in NJ https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/07/nyregion/nj-school-mask-mandate-murphy.html

already mentioned up thread

[Anonymous]

I'd like to see it lifted entirely by the fall. Spring would be nice, but I don't see MCPS making it optional by then. My kid better not be wearing a mask come Sept.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Science says we may soon be entering an endemic phase. One can hope.

"Endemic" in the case of Covid will mean living with a virus that shortens our lifespans significantly, and kills many times more people each year than the flu does. Endemicity, in itself, is not what we should be hoping for, but rather, better treatments, higher rates of vaccination, and if we're lucky, evolution of the virus to be less lethal.

I am sure we will continue to work for better treatments and higher rates of vaccination (isn't that a given?). However there are limits on who will agree to be vaccinated. We can't stay in pandemic status forever.

Regardless of what you call it, its here to stay because people will not take precautions to get rid of it or reduce it so it doesn't continue to mutate. There is another mutation that is either here or will be coming very soon.

Better treatments would be great as well as better vaccines but we don't have those as of today.

Sigh. People that think this are taking the easy way out. It's easier to blame a unvaccinated 6 year old than it is to acknowledge the facts.

And the facts are that the next mutation will likely come from one of two sources:

- a foreign underdeveloped nation that does not have access to the vaccines. Frankly we should be pushing our government to be a leader in getting vaccines to these countries. That may mean that our teenagers don't get boosted, or that our 5-11 year children don't get boosters in the spring, but it's the right thing to do

- an animal reservoir There is literally nothing we can do about this. The virus can go from human to animal and from animal to human. The next mutation may come from the wild deer population and then transmit to human.

This is why zero covid is not only impossible, its also foolish and naive. and getting yourself worked up into a tizzy over those you think are responsible is just plain stupid

We absolutely should be sharing more vaccines. Taking more boosters isn't that helpful.

Zero covid is impossible but getting it under control is not.

Sure. but how do you define "getting it under control"? B/c it seems like to many, there's not much of a difference between zero covid and under control.

Given the fact that vaccines are just about the only effective tool in fighting the Vid, it seems this is as 'under control' as we are going to get

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd like to see it lifted entirely by the fall. Spring would be nice, but I don't see MCPS making it optional by then. My kid better not be wearing a mask come Sept.

I wonder if they will feel any pressure as other neighboring systems lift the mask mandate.

To fair, MCPS has been embarrassed by Fairfax. FCPS has seemingly handled everything much better (though they also benefited from the snow storm). If FCPS makes the masks optional, MCPS may feel the pressure to do the same

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd like to see it lifted entirely by the fall. Spring would be nice, but I don't see MCPS making it optional by then. My kid better not be wearing a mask come Sept.

You're so fearless! (And by fearless, I mean totally oblivious of dangers or perils).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd like to see it lifted entirely by the fall. Spring would be nice, but I don't see MCPS making it optional by then. My kid better not be wearing a mask come Sept.

You're so fearless! (And by fearless, I mean totally oblivious of dangers or perils).

You don't seem to know what "oblivious" means. Nor do you seem capable of rationally assessing risk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Science says we may soon be entering an endemic phase. One can hope.

"Endemic" in the case of Covid will mean living with a virus that shortens our lifespans significantly, and kills many times more people each year than the flu does. Endemicity, in itself, is not what we should be hoping for, but rather, better treatments, higher rates of vaccination, and if we're lucky, evolution of the virus to be less lethal.

I am sure we will continue to work for better treatments and higher rates of vaccination (isn't that a given?). However there are limits on who will agree to be vaccinated. We can't stay in pandemic status forever.

Regardless of what you call it, its here to stay because people will not take precautions to get rid of it or reduce it so it doesn't continue to mutate. There is another mutation that is either here or will be coming very soon.

Better treatments would be great as well as better vaccines but we don't have those as of today.

Sigh. People that think this are taking the easy way out. It's easier to blame a unvaccinated 6 year old than it is to acknowledge the facts.

And the facts are that the next mutation will likely come from one of two sources:

- a foreign underdeveloped nation that does not have access to the vaccines. Frankly we should be pushing our government to be a leader in getting vaccines to these countries. That may mean that our teenagers don't get boosted, or that our 5-11 year children don't get boosters in the spring, but it's the right thing to do

- an animal reservoir There is literally nothing we can do about this. The virus can go from human to animal and from animal to human. The next mutation may come from the wild deer population and then transmit to human.

This is why zero covid is not only impossible, its also foolish and naive. and getting yourself worked up into a tizzy over those you think are responsible is just plain stupid

We absolutely should be sharing more vaccines. Taking more boosters isn't that helpful.

Zero covid is impossible but getting it under control is not.

Sure. but how do you define "getting it under control"? B/c it seems like to many, there's not much of a difference between zero covid and under control.

Given the fact that vaccines are just about the only effective tool in fighting the Vid, it seems this is as 'under control' as we are going to get

I've never been able to get the "get COVID under control" poster(s) to describe what they think that means.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd like to see it lifted entirely by the fall. Spring would be nice, but I don't see MCPS making it optional by then. My kid better not be wearing a mask come Sept.

You're so fearless! (And by fearless, I mean totally oblivious of dangers or perils).

Dangers and perils? What does that even mean? Get with the program--we're learning to live with the virus, not fear it. The rest of us are moving on--sans masks.

[Anonymous]

The reason you don't lift it yet is that you won't be able to put it back if there is a new variant. You can, however, start the new school year without the mask mandate and add it if a variant comes along that needs masking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd like to see it lifted entirely by the fall. Spring would be nice, but I don't see MCPS making it optional by then. My kid better not be wearing a mask come Sept.

I mean, we have no idea what will be going on in September. So you sound kind of clueless.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Science says we may soon be entering an endemic phase. One can hope.

"Endemic" in the case of Covid will mean living with a virus that shortens our lifespans significantly, and kills many times more people each year than the flu does. Endemicity, in itself, is not what we should be hoping for, but rather, better treatments, higher rates of vaccination, and if we're lucky, evolution of the virus to be less lethal.

I am sure we will continue to work for better treatments and higher rates of vaccination (isn't that a given?). However there are limits on who will agree to be vaccinated. We can't stay in pandemic status forever.

Regardless of what you call it, its here to stay because people will not take precautions to get rid of it or reduce it so it doesn't continue to mutate. There is another mutation that is either here or will be coming very soon.

Better treatments would be great as well as better vaccines but we don't have those as of today.

I completely agree its here to stay so we may want to figure out how to live with it. I will probably continue to mask. And I'm vaccinated. not sure what else I can do honestly.

We are living with it. Most people aren't doing much of anything so I don't get all the drama. Very few people are taking real precautions still.

Beyond masks and vaccinations what else should we be doing?

Be healthy. If you are overweight, have diabetes, smoke, drink too much, use drugs, etc. Get treatment and get healthy. Vaccinate and get healthy. Wear masks in crowded situations. That is where we are now and all we can do.

[Anonymous]

I think its absurd that we expect kids to run around outdoors at recess in KN95 masks. Do we require adults to do the same? At the very least, mcps needs to drop the mask requirement outdoors.

[Anonymous]

MCPS does not require kids to wear masks outdoors

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The reason you don't lift it yet is that you won't be able to put it back if there is a new variant. You can, however, start the new school year without the mask mandate and add it if a variant comes along that needs masking.

What?? That makes no sense. There might always be a new variant to come along. Do we just keep masking indefinitely? NO

Lift the mandate and set a metric for when it would need to be reinstated.

When the number of hospitalizations reaches X number. Or the ICU utilization increases. Whatever metric they choose.