MCPS covid cases

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

It's not a matter of caring or not caring. For the PP's apparent plan to work, we'd need to maintain quarantines, masks, travel restrictions, and capacity limits indefinitely. At least until an unprecedented advance in medical science dealing with viruses. It doesn't matter how much you care- that simply isn't plausible.

Presumably the pp can't wrap her head around the idea that COVID can't be eradicated with current medical science.

For PP's plan to be different, human nature would have to be different.

[Anonymous]

For the person insisting that MCPS has had testing all along in every school, MCPS just sent out this email that they are starting it now in just the ES and MS for opt in only. This does not give an accurate sample nor show true spread:

Dear MCPS Community,

Thank you to the many families who have provided consent for their children to receive free COVID-19 testing at their schools. Testing is an important tool to help keep schools open and students and staff safe. We need families at all levels to “Say Yes to the Test.” The more families that “Say Yes,” the more effective our testing program will be. The testing will help identify more cases and reduce the number of students in quarantine.

One form allows you to opt in, or give permission, for your child to participate. Two types of tests are available and they are fast, safe and painless. A cotton swab is used on the front part of the nose. The tests are:

Weekly screening tests for random samples of students with no COVID-19 symptoms. Currently scheduled to be in all elementary and middle schools by the end of the week

Rapid tests for students with COVID-19 symptoms. These tests are given while students are in school. Currently in all schools

The consent form is available in multiple languages and can be filled out online or schools can provide paper copies for families.

The tests are an important part of MCPS' plan to keep students learning in school, five days a week, and to keep our community safe. Learn more about what MCPS is doing and how everyone can do their part.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:One of our schools hasn't started testing yet and just sent out an email stating they are starting this week and it only includes 6th graders as those that are vaccinated aren't eligible. So, what are the demographics on these tests and are they going to provide more information. As of now, its only voluntary testing of unvaccinated. MCPS is putting a huge level of trust in the vaccine which makes no sense as you can still get covid vaccinated.

PP, please get help.

For everyone else -

According to the CDC, overall, in August, unvaccinated people were 6 times more likely to test positive and 11 times more likely to die from covid than vaccinated people. Among people aged 12-17, unvaccinated people were 10 times more likely to test positive; ages 18-29, 6 times more likely to test positive; ages 30-49, 6 times more likely to test positive, 37 times more likely to die from covid (!!!!!!!!!!!!); ages 50-64, 6 times more likely to test positive, 22 times more likely to die from covid; ages 65-79, 6 times more likely to test positive, 15 times more likely to die from covid; ages 80+, 3 times more likely to test positive, 5 times more likely to die from covid.

Does that justify a huge level of trust in the vaccine? Yes, I think it does.

And it has been announced that the vaccines wear off after a few months. Make sure to factor that in to your rants.

wrong! it has been announced that detectable anti-bodies may wear off and this is in high risk and/or older age groups. These studies show nothing about other immune system responses (like T-cells) and do not take immune memory into consideration. Scientists who study this and who have run clinical vaccine trials will tell you that they have seen many many cases where anti-body levels are 0 but as soon as the body is exposed to a familiar pathogen (familiar because of the vaccine), those anti-body levels spike very high sometimes over 10,000. This is immune memory. Still a lot to learn.

Also if it shows efficacy of 80% vs delta for example (pfizer) this will mean that older and/or immuno compromised people will have efficay below that and younger healthier people probably sitll in the 90% +

get vaccinated

Telling people to get vaccinated in MCPS is silly as most of us are. So, given that most everyone is, and we are still having positives, especially in the MS and HS level is concerning. These vaccines help with symptoms but people need to stop pretending like they fully stop covid and behavie more responsibly.

even with 75% of the population in MOCO fully vaccinated, that still leaves 25% or over 250,000 people who are not vaccinated thus why we have relatively elevated cases. we are still doing much much better than almost any other place in the nation and MOCO's low death and case rate throughout this entire crisis is commendable. 725,000 people dead and there's just such a disregard for human life especially among MAGA because of the stock market or the economy or made up "freedom restrictions". Not to mention blue counties and cities are doing much better than their maga counterparts (as is always the case) in the revoery coming out of this because we actually care about lives and realized getting covid under control = better economic recovery.

Moving on, even with a vaccine at 80% efficacy, which is were pfizer is, that still means 1 in 5 will get corona.

80% efficacy does not mean that. It means that the chance of a vaccinated person getting COVID is 80% less than a vaccinated person getting it. What that number is depends on the level of community spread and other factors. It does not mean that 1 in 5 vaccinated people will become infected.

Right. And the pp is forgetting (or at least ignoring) that there are two benefits to vaccination. She addressed the first- protection against infection. But she left out the second- a reduction in severity, even in breakthrough infections.

Honestly, I think it is completely plausible we'll end up in a world where a very large percentage of the population gets COVID each year and it simply blends into all the other respiratory infections that get passed around.

No one is ignoring the benefits. You are ignoring the fact that these vaccines are not 100% and one breakthrough case could cause and outbreak at multiple schools given you can have siblings and staff from one family at different schools. If they were perfect vaccines why are we having so many cases in hs?

No one said the vaccines were perfect. No vaccines are.

You're going to need to get used to the idea that cases aren't going away. COVID is going to stay around, but the vaccines will significantly reduce severe cases. Some people aren't going to vaccinate their kids because they don't understand cost-benefit analyses, but even unvaccinated kids are low-risk unless they have complicating health conditions (in which case they really should get vaccinated).

You seem to be stuck in a zero-covid mindset that has never been a real possibility.

I have ZERO issue with people choosing not to vaccinate their kids. It is a personal choice and there are no long term studies on these vaccines so the reluctance is reasonable. It isn't going away because people are entitled and selfish and only care about themselves. We have people like you to blame for the continued issues and spread. Basic precautions continue to be very important.

I know you're freaked out because of your own challenges with chronic health issues and the vaccine, but try to take a deep breath and think about what you're saying.

There's nearly 8 billion people in the world, with no plausible for vaccinating a majority of them in the foreseeable future. And regardless, the vaccines aren't perfect, preventing about 80% of infections, but otherwise remaining quite contagious in the remaining 20%. Masks help a bit, although the available dates suggests that the most common type of face covering- reusable cloth masks- don't do much to reduce transmissions. Quarantines can reduce the risk of continuing transmission chains, but a lot of cases are asymptomatic, never resulting in identification or quarantines.

Given that, there's no plausible way to get to and maintain zero COVID. Even if you somehow managed to get a certain portion of the community to zero cases, it would only be a matter of time before it would be reintroduced from another region. So unless you think it is reasonable and practical to permanently maintain very aggressive and disruptive COVID NPIs along with essentially shutting down our borders, it should be clear even to you that what you're seeking isn't going to happen. And not just because of antivaxxers and antimaskers, but because what it would take is fundamentally incompatible with modern society.

Do you really not see that?

I see a lot of irresponsible people like you rationalizing their bad behavior. We can get a handle on this. People like you choose not to. You are full excuses and no willingness to get it under control. Not all cloth masks are the same. The studies showed that. The multilayer masks with a filter are fine.

You’ve whined yourself into complete irrelevancy. Behavior is not a globally feasible control.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For the person insisting that MCPS has had testing all along in every school, MCPS just sent out this email that they are starting it now in just the ES and MS for opt in only. This does not give an accurate sample nor show true spread:

Dear MCPS Community,

Thank you to the many families who have provided consent for their children to receive free COVID-19 testing at their schools. Testing is an important tool to help keep schools open and students and staff safe. We need families at all levels to “Say Yes to the Test.” The more families that “Say Yes,” the more effective our testing program will be. The testing will help identify more cases and reduce the number of students in quarantine.

One form allows you to opt in, or give permission, for your child to participate. Two types of tests are available and they are fast, safe and painless. A cotton swab is used on the front part of the nose. The tests are:

Weekly screening tests for random samples of students with no COVID-19 symptoms. Currently scheduled to be in all elementary and middle schools by the end of the week

Rapid tests for students with COVID-19 symptoms. These tests are given while students are in school. Currently in all schools

The consent form is available in multiple languages and can be filled out online or schools can provide paper copies for families.

The tests are an important part of MCPS' plan to keep students learning in school, five days a week, and to keep our community safe. Learn more about what MCPS is doing and how everyone can do their part.

Did you want them to test all 160,000? What’s an accurate sample to you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For the person insisting that MCPS has had testing all along in every school, MCPS just sent out this email that they are starting it now in just the ES and MS for opt in only. This does not give an accurate sample nor show true spread:

Dear MCPS Community,

Thank you to the many families who have provided consent for their children to receive free COVID-19 testing at their schools. Testing is an important tool to help keep schools open and students and staff safe. We need families at all levels to “Say Yes to the Test.” The more families that “Say Yes,” the more effective our testing program will be. The testing will help identify more cases and reduce the number of students in quarantine.

One form allows you to opt in, or give permission, for your child to participate. Two types of tests are available and they are fast, safe and painless. A cotton swab is used on the front part of the nose. The tests are:

Weekly screening tests for random samples of students with no COVID-19 symptoms. Currently scheduled to be in all elementary and middle schools by the end of the week

Rapid tests for students with COVID-19 symptoms. These tests are given while students are in school. Currently in all schools

The consent form is available in multiple languages and can be filled out online or schools can provide paper copies for families.

The tests are an important part of MCPS' plan to keep students learning in school, five days a week, and to keep our community safe. Learn more about what MCPS is doing and how everyone can do their part.

To be clear to any parents that haven’t been following along closely, there really isn’t any reason to opt-in to testing, and it is rather sneaky of them to have the consent form apply to both types of testing. But given the clarifications mcps gave recently regarding kids that present with symptoms at school, you’re going to need a pcr test to return. A negative rapid test at school isn’t used in any way, so you might as well skip it and just go to sameday testing for a pcr.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For the person insisting that MCPS has had testing all along in every school, MCPS just sent out this email that they are starting it now in just the ES and MS for opt in only. This does not give an accurate sample nor show true spread:

Dear MCPS Community,

Thank you to the many families who have provided consent for their children to receive free COVID-19 testing at their schools. Testing is an important tool to help keep schools open and students and staff safe. We need families at all levels to “Say Yes to the Test.” The more families that “Say Yes,” the more effective our testing program will be. The testing will help identify more cases and reduce the number of students in quarantine.

One form allows you to opt in, or give permission, for your child to participate. Two types of tests are available and they are fast, safe and painless. A cotton swab is used on the front part of the nose. The tests are:

Weekly screening tests for random samples of students with no COVID-19 symptoms. Currently scheduled to be in all elementary and middle schools by the end of the week

Rapid tests for students with COVID-19 symptoms. These tests are given while students are in school. Currently in all schools

The consent form is available in multiple languages and can be filled out online or schools can provide paper copies for families.

The tests are an important part of MCPS' plan to keep students learning in school, five days a week, and to keep our community safe. Learn more about what MCPS is doing and how everyone can do their part.

Did you want them to test all 160,000? What’s an accurate sample to you?

Yes, I would like all 160K tested. They got federal funding to do it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For the person insisting that MCPS has had testing all along in every school, MCPS just sent out this email that they are starting it now in just the ES and MS for opt in only. This does not give an accurate sample nor show true spread:

Dear MCPS Community,

Thank you to the many families who have provided consent for their children to receive free COVID-19 testing at their schools. Testing is an important tool to help keep schools open and students and staff safe. We need families at all levels to “Say Yes to the Test.” The more families that “Say Yes,” the more effective our testing program will be. The testing will help identify more cases and reduce the number of students in quarantine.

One form allows you to opt in, or give permission, for your child to participate. Two types of tests are available and they are fast, safe and painless. A cotton swab is used on the front part of the nose. The tests are:

Weekly screening tests for random samples of students with no COVID-19 symptoms. Currently scheduled to be in all elementary and middle schools by the end of the week

Rapid tests for students with COVID-19 symptoms. These tests are given while students are in school. Currently in all schools

The consent form is available in multiple languages and can be filled out online or schools can provide paper copies for families.

The tests are an important part of MCPS' plan to keep students learning in school, five days a week, and to keep our community safe. Learn more about what MCPS is doing and how everyone can do their part.

To be clear to any parents that haven’t been following along closely, there really isn’t any reason to opt-in to testing, and it is rather sneaky of them to have the consent form apply to both types of testing. But given the clarifications mcps gave recently regarding kids that present with symptoms at school, you’re going to need a pcr test to return. A negative rapid test at school isn’t used in any way, so you might as well skip it and just go to sameday testing for a pcr.

You are why many are concerned as you refuse testing. What do you have to hide since you know it will be negative.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For the person insisting that MCPS has had testing all along in every school, MCPS just sent out this email that they are starting it now in just the ES and MS for opt in only. This does not give an accurate sample nor show true spread:

Dear MCPS Community,

Thank you to the many families who have provided consent for their children to receive free COVID-19 testing at their schools. Testing is an important tool to help keep schools open and students and staff safe. We need families at all levels to “Say Yes to the Test.” The more families that “Say Yes,” the more effective our testing program will be. The testing will help identify more cases and reduce the number of students in quarantine.

One form allows you to opt in, or give permission, for your child to participate. Two types of tests are available and they are fast, safe and painless. A cotton swab is used on the front part of the nose. The tests are:

Weekly screening tests for random samples of students with no COVID-19 symptoms. Currently scheduled to be in all elementary and middle schools by the end of the week

Rapid tests for students with COVID-19 symptoms. These tests are given while students are in school. Currently in all schools

The consent form is available in multiple languages and can be filled out online or schools can provide paper copies for families.

The tests are an important part of MCPS' plan to keep students learning in school, five days a week, and to keep our community safe. Learn more about what MCPS is doing and how everyone can do their part.

To be clear to any parents that haven’t been following along closely, there really isn’t any reason to opt-in to testing, and it is rather sneaky of them to have the consent form apply to both types of testing. But given the clarifications mcps gave recently regarding kids that present with symptoms at school, you’re going to need a pcr test to return. A negative rapid test at school isn’t used in any way, so you might as well skip it and just go to sameday testing for a pcr.

You are why many are concerned as you refuse testing. What do you have to hide since you know it will be negative.

I’d be fine with testing if a positive test only meant that child would isolate. The quarantine policy is the real problem. And if you do widespread testing, you run a substantial risk of false positives. The 0.06% positivity rate we see in MCPS surveillance testing is in the realm of COVID test false positives.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Did you want them to test all 160,000? What’s an accurate sample to you?

Yes, I would like all 160K tested. They got federal funding to do it.

First of all, that's not a sample, that's a census.

Second of all, the current seven-day-average test positivity rate is 1.6%. That includes people who got tested because they have symptoms. So if MCPS did test all 160,000 students, they would identify fewer than 2,500 positive cases, most of which would be asymptomatic. What would be the point of doing this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For the person insisting that MCPS has had testing all along in every school, MCPS just sent out this email that they are starting it now in just the ES and MS for opt in only. This does not give an accurate sample nor show true spread:

Dear MCPS Community,

Thank you to the many families who have provided consent for their children to receive free COVID-19 testing at their schools. Testing is an important tool to help keep schools open and students and staff safe. We need families at all levels to “Say Yes to the Test.” The more families that “Say Yes,” the more effective our testing program will be. The testing will help identify more cases and reduce the number of students in quarantine.

One form allows you to opt in, or give permission, for your child to participate. Two types of tests are available and they are fast, safe and painless. A cotton swab is used on the front part of the nose. The tests are:

Weekly screening tests for random samples of students with no COVID-19 symptoms. Currently scheduled to be in all elementary and middle schools by the end of the week

Rapid tests for students with COVID-19 symptoms. These tests are given while students are in school. Currently in all schools

The consent form is available in multiple languages and can be filled out online or schools can provide paper copies for families.

The tests are an important part of MCPS' plan to keep students learning in school, five days a week, and to keep our community safe. Learn more about what MCPS is doing and how everyone can do their part.

Did you want them to test all 160,000? What’s an accurate sample to you?

Yes, I would like all 160K tested. They got federal funding to do it.

Actually there is not enough funds to continually test every student—they would run out of money in a few weeks. The Biden administration did not provide enough funding for public schools to do what you are proposing. Google it. There was a recent segment on NPR that explains the test funding situation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For the person insisting that MCPS has had testing all along in every school, MCPS just sent out this email that they are starting it now in just the ES and MS for opt in only. This does not give an accurate sample nor show true spread:

Dear MCPS Community,

Thank you to the many families who have provided consent for their children to receive free COVID-19 testing at their schools. Testing is an important tool to help keep schools open and students and staff safe. We need families at all levels to “Say Yes to the Test.” The more families that “Say Yes,” the more effective our testing program will be. The testing will help identify more cases and reduce the number of students in quarantine.

One form allows you to opt in, or give permission, for your child to participate. Two types of tests are available and they are fast, safe and painless. A cotton swab is used on the front part of the nose. The tests are:

Weekly screening tests for random samples of students with no COVID-19 symptoms. Currently scheduled to be in all elementary and middle schools by the end of the week

Rapid tests for students with COVID-19 symptoms. These tests are given while students are in school. Currently in all schools

The consent form is available in multiple languages and can be filled out online or schools can provide paper copies for families.

The tests are an important part of MCPS' plan to keep students learning in school, five days a week, and to keep our community safe. Learn more about what MCPS is doing and how everyone can do their part.

To be clear to any parents that haven’t been following along closely, there really isn’t any reason to opt-in to testing, and it is rather sneaky of them to have the consent form apply to both types of testing. But given the clarifications mcps gave recently regarding kids that present with symptoms at school, you’re going to need a pcr test to return. A negative rapid test at school isn’t used in any way, so you might as well skip it and just go to sameday testing for a pcr.

You are why many are concerned as you refuse testing. What do you have to hide since you know it will be negative.

I’d be fine with testing if a positive test only meant that child would isolate. The quarantine policy is the real problem. And if you do widespread testing, you run a substantial risk of false positives. The 0.06% positivity rate we see in MCPS surveillance testing is in the realm of COVID test false positives.

Where's the line between "isolate" and "quarantine"?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Where's the line between "isolate" and "quarantine"?

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/quarantine-isolation.html

Quarantine vs. Isolation

You quarantine when you might have been exposed to the virus.

You isolate when you have been infected with the virus, even if you don’t have symptoms.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For the person insisting that MCPS has had testing all along in every school, MCPS just sent out this email that they are starting it now in just the ES and MS for opt in only. This does not give an accurate sample nor show true spread:

Dear MCPS Community,

Thank you to the many families who have provided consent for their children to receive free COVID-19 testing at their schools. Testing is an important tool to help keep schools open and students and staff safe. We need families at all levels to “Say Yes to the Test.” The more families that “Say Yes,” the more effective our testing program will be. The testing will help identify more cases and reduce the number of students in quarantine.

One form allows you to opt in, or give permission, for your child to participate. Two types of tests are available and they are fast, safe and painless. A cotton swab is used on the front part of the nose. The tests are:

Weekly screening tests for random samples of students with no COVID-19 symptoms. Currently scheduled to be in all elementary and middle schools by the end of the week

Rapid tests for students with COVID-19 symptoms. These tests are given while students are in school. Currently in all schools

The consent form is available in multiple languages and can be filled out online or schools can provide paper copies for families.

The tests are an important part of MCPS' plan to keep students learning in school, five days a week, and to keep our community safe. Learn more about what MCPS is doing and how everyone can do their part.

Did you want them to test all 160,000? What’s an accurate sample to you?

Yes, I would like all 160K tested. They got federal funding to do it.

Do you want them to test all 160K for flu and RSV? We are entering flu season and many people are not vaccinated, there is a terrible RSV outbreak and I am concerned that some of these RSV positive school children will bring RSV home to their baby siblings. I am also concerned about noroviruses and parainfluenza? Who do I contact at MCPS for this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Do you want them to test all 160K for flu and RSV? We are entering flu season and many people are not vaccinated, there is a terrible RSV outbreak and I am concerned that some of these RSV positive school children will bring RSV home to their baby siblings. I am also concerned about noroviruses and parainfluenza? Who do I contact at MCPS for this?

I am pretty sure that our family had RSV (can't be sure because typically only babies and old people get tested for RSV). We didn't visit the grandparents for 3 weeks for fear of infecting them. Just like last year with covid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For the person insisting that MCPS has had testing all along in every school, MCPS just sent out this email that they are starting it now in just the ES and MS for opt in only. This does not give an accurate sample nor show true spread:

Dear MCPS Community,

Thank you to the many families who have provided consent for their children to receive free COVID-19 testing at their schools. Testing is an important tool to help keep schools open and students and staff safe. We need families at all levels to “Say Yes to the Test.” The more families that “Say Yes,” the more effective our testing program will be. The testing will help identify more cases and reduce the number of students in quarantine.

One form allows you to opt in, or give permission, for your child to participate. Two types of tests are available and they are fast, safe and painless. A cotton swab is used on the front part of the nose. The tests are:

Weekly screening tests for random samples of students with no COVID-19 symptoms. Currently scheduled to be in all elementary and middle schools by the end of the week

Rapid tests for students with COVID-19 symptoms. These tests are given while students are in school. Currently in all schools

The consent form is available in multiple languages and can be filled out online or schools can provide paper copies for families.

The tests are an important part of MCPS' plan to keep students learning in school, five days a week, and to keep our community safe. Learn more about what MCPS is doing and how everyone can do their part.

Did you want them to test all 160,000? What’s an accurate sample to you?

Yes, I would like all 160K tested. They got federal funding to do it.

Actually there is not enough funds to continually test every student—they would run out of money in a few weeks. The Biden administration did not provide enough funding for public schools to do what you are proposing. Google it. There was a recent segment on NPR that explains the test funding situation.

then they need to put funds towards getting as many families to sign on as possible. Our PTA didn't want to touch it because the PTA president was afraid of quarantine (yes, privileged much). Also, actually hire a biostatistican who knows how to take a cluster randomized sample.