4.4 percent of MCPS staff report having COVID

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel bad for the ES that have 10+ staff members out. Depending on the jobs of those staff members, that can be really hard to cover. Even the MS that have 10-15 out, I can see that being a real problem. I forsee a lot of kids watching videos.
I think the numbers are also probably waaay under-reported for students. Just calling around today to see who wants to play in the snow, there are a lot of families down with COVID. All last year, I maybe knew one family that got it. Now I now several sick now.

We live on a snowy hill in the forest. Normally all the neighborhood kids would be out.

There are none.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For everyone on this board who thinks COVID is NBD- 4.4 percent of teachers and staff have COVID. That’s a huge number and IMHO a reason to go virtual for a couple of weeks (971/22,000).

I’m super happy that my kid went back to school last fall, but I don’t hate teachers. I know that people think if MCPS goes virtual they won’t ever go back to in person. I think that’s unrealistic. 5 percent positivity rate is a stupidly high number.

That number is staff not teachers. Where do you get the 22,000 number from?

OMG! This person just keeps being wrong.

It’s just always so common for these people with a pretense of authority not actually knowing what they are talking about.

Their numbers check out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel bad for the ES that have 10+ staff members out. Depending on the jobs of those staff members, that can be really hard to cover. Even the MS that have 10-15 out, I can see that being a real problem. I forsee a lot of kids watching videos.
I think the numbers are also probably waaay under-reported for students. Just calling around today to see who wants to play in the snow, there are a lot of families down with COVID. All last year, I maybe knew one family that got it. Now I now several sick now.

You can always sign up to be a sub or volunteer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find it interesting that some schools have many more cases of COVID among staff than others.
Are safety protocols such as masks being followed?
Are staff eating lunch or going out together for maskless social events after work?
How well are the ventilation measures in these schools?
Are vaccination rates low among students and staff?

The extremes of the spread in some schools but relatively low numbers of COVID in other schools seems odd unless there’s an underlying risk for higher rates of transmission in specific schools.

Honey, these teachers have been on winter break. Same as families. Travel, socializing, restaurants. Majority of staff are vaccinated. We need to stop relying on vaccines to save us.

Perhaps it’s time to also point out those who want schools to close because of exposure risk, but then go out to eat and watch a moving on a theater.

Mandatory testing to get back into school would fix all that.

And then a kid catches it 3 days later and comes to school. It doesnt fix anything

Better than nothing.

Its all about personal responsibility. If teachers/families have none and do those things, this is the consequence for all of us.

[Anonymous]

Why aren't they making testing before returning to school (for all) mandatory like other school districts? That would easily solve the problem and we'd be virtual.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find it interesting that some schools have many more cases of COVID among staff than others.
Are safety protocols such as masks being followed?
Are staff eating lunch or going out together for maskless social events after work?
How well are the ventilation measures in these schools?
Are vaccination rates low among students and staff?

The extremes of the spread in some schools but relatively low numbers of COVID in other schools seems odd unless there’s an underlying risk for higher rates of transmission in specific schools.

Honey, these teachers have been on winter break. Same as families. Travel, socializing, restaurants. Majority of staff are vaccinated. We need to stop relying on vaccines to save us.

Perhaps it’s time to also point out those who want schools to close because of exposure risk, but then go out to eat and watch a moving on a theater.

The scientist in me is puzzled by the differences in the numbers within the schools. I would think the DHHS would want to comb through the numbers to see if safety protocols for staff and students could be improved.

If I were the teacher union or a parent, would you want to know if the air filtration is inadequate and needs fixing hence why one school rate of transmission is higher than another?

If I was in DHHS, do these schools represent pockets in the community that have been denied an opportunity for testing, vaccinations, and boosters because they can’t take off work. Does the county need to make testing and shots more accessible in these pockets?

The disparity in the data is something someone should comb through as a matter of public health and safety. Yes I know COVID is here, but learning to live with the virus is learning how to decrease community transmission. Sick employees can’t work, sick students can’t go to schools, and any family sick with COVID means the whole house needs to quarantine which is especially hard on hourly laborers.

I

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find it interesting that some schools have many more cases of COVID among staff than others.
Are safety protocols such as masks being followed?
Are staff eating lunch or going out together for maskless social events after work?
How well are the ventilation measures in these schools?
Are vaccination rates low among students and staff?

The extremes of the spread in some schools but relatively low numbers of COVID in other schools seems odd unless there’s an underlying risk for higher rates of transmission in specific schools.

Honey, these teachers have been on winter break. Same as families. Travel, socializing, restaurants. Majority of staff are vaccinated. We need to stop relying on vaccines to save us.

Perhaps it’s time to also point out those who want schools to close because of exposure risk, but then go out to eat and watch a moving on a theater.

The scientist in me is puzzled by the differences in the numbers within the schools. I would think the DHHS would want to comb through the numbers to see if safety protocols for staff and students could be improved.

If I were the teacher union or a parent, would you want to know if the air filtration is inadequate and needs fixing hence why one school rate of transmission is higher than another?

If I was in DHHS, do these schools represent pockets in the community that have been denied an opportunity for testing, vaccinations, and boosters because they can’t take off work. Does the county need to make testing and shots more accessible in these pockets?

The disparity in the data is something someone should comb through as a matter of public health and safety. Yes I know COVID is here, but learning to live with the virus is learning how to decrease community transmission. Sick employees can’t work, sick students can’t go to schools, and any family sick with COVID means the whole house needs to quarantine which is especially hard on hourly laborers.

I

So, you just want more theater? We have plenty of opportunities for testing and vaccines/boosters. You can get them all over the place at different times. You are making up excuses.

What needs to stop is behavior. That is what is spreading it.

[Anonymous]

The disparities, such that they are, are not significant in any meaningful way.

[Anonymous]

There is a very virulent pandemic. Stuff spreads in the air. People go places because nobody wants to be the troll family in the basement and they breathe the air and get sick. People gather like they have never gathered before. I see so many neighbors with cars visiting at their houses. They breathe the same air and if one member is infected. most will get it. Also, people are NOT masking the way you think they should. My family traveled to Florida, went to an amusement park, movie theatre, etc. BUT we did so with KN 95 masks, no gathering, and no eating inside. In Florida, it was warm so everybody eats outdoors. WE did not catch covid. Up here, people are living their life like they lost their minds. And, then, have the nerve to scream about schools not being open to spread more of their diseases everywhere. It is a human problem.

[Anonymous]

Lots of fakers

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/directory/faq.aspx

OP here- this was the link I used to come up with the 22k number. Sounds like it’s out of date.

Those numbers are from 2010.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find it interesting that some schools have many more cases of COVID among staff than others.
Are safety protocols such as masks being followed?
Are staff eating lunch or going out together for maskless social events after work?
How well are the ventilation measures in these schools?
Are vaccination rates low among students and staff?

The extremes of the spread in some schools but relatively low numbers of COVID in other schools seems odd unless there’s an underlying risk for higher rates of transmission in specific schools.

Honey, these teachers have been on winter break. Same as families. Travel, socializing, restaurants. Majority of staff are vaccinated. We need to stop relying on vaccines to save us.

Perhaps it’s time to also point out those who want schools to close because of exposure risk, but then go out to eat and watch a moving on a theater.

The scientist in me is puzzled by the differences in the numbers within the schools. I would think the DHHS would want to comb through the numbers to see if safety protocols for staff and students could be improved.

If I were the teacher union or a parent, would you want to know if the air filtration is inadequate and needs fixing hence why one school rate of transmission is higher than another?

If I was in DHHS, do these schools represent pockets in the community that have been denied an opportunity for testing, vaccinations, and boosters because they can’t take off work. Does the county need to make testing and shots more accessible in these pockets?

The disparity in the data is something someone should comb through as a matter of public health and safety. Yes I know COVID is here, but learning to live with the virus is learning how to decrease community transmission. Sick employees can’t work, sick students can’t go to schools, and any family sick with COVID means the whole house needs to quarantine which is especially hard on hourly laborers.

I

So, you just want more theater? We have plenty of opportunities for testing and vaccines/boosters. You can get them all over the place at different times. You are making up excuses.

What needs to stop is behavior. That is what is spreading it.

Beyond behavior at school - such as not eating separately for lunch or eating outside - behavior is out of the control of MCPS.

Could the County Council close bars and restaurants for maskless in person drinking and eating? Sure, that would control community behavior.

Could DHHS set up vaccination and testing sites in the school communities with high COVID rates after school and on weekends? Yes, that would help more people in under served communities access shots and tests.

School nurses are DHHS employees and thus far they have been doing the testing in schools. Should DHHS hire more staff and provide more access to testing in schools? Should MCPS move to a test to stay program? Yes, more testing decreases community spread - not only in schools but also entire family units. For every positive staff member and student identified as positive, whole family units are identified to quarantine to prevent spreading COVID to coworkers and in public spaces like grocery stores.

MCPS, DHHS, and the County Council need to work together for a comprehensive and collective approach to the rise in COVID.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find it interesting that some schools have many more cases of COVID among staff than others.
Are safety protocols such as masks being followed?
Are staff eating lunch or going out together for maskless social events after work?
How well are the ventilation measures in these schools?
Are vaccination rates low among students and staff?

The extremes of the spread in some schools but relatively low numbers of COVID in other schools seems odd unless there’s an underlying risk for higher rates of transmission in specific schools.

Honey, these teachers have been on winter break. Same as families. Travel, socializing, restaurants. Majority of staff are vaccinated. We need to stop relying on vaccines to save us.

Perhaps it’s time to also point out those who want schools to close because of exposure risk, but then go out to eat and watch a moving on a theater.

The scientist in me is puzzled by the differences in the numbers within the schools. I would think the DHHS would want to comb through the numbers to see if safety protocols for staff and students could be improved.

If I were the teacher union or a parent, would you want to know if the air filtration is inadequate and needs fixing hence why one school rate of transmission is higher than another?

If I was in DHHS, do these schools represent pockets in the community that have been denied an opportunity for testing, vaccinations, and boosters because they can’t take off work. Does the county need to make testing and shots more accessible in these pockets?

The disparity in the data is something someone should comb through as a matter of public health and safety. Yes I know COVID is here, but learning to live with the virus is learning how to decrease community transmission. Sick employees can’t work, sick students can’t go to schools, and any family sick with COVID means the whole house needs to quarantine which is especially hard on hourly laborers.

I

So, you just want more theater? We have plenty of opportunities for testing and vaccines/boosters. You can get them all over the place at different times. You are making up excuses.

What needs to stop is behavior. That is what is spreading it.

Beyond behavior at school - such as not eating separately for lunch or eating outside - behavior is out of the control of MCPS.

Could the County Council close bars and restaurants for maskless in person drinking and eating? Sure, that would control community behavior.

Could DHHS set up vaccination and testing sites in the school communities with high COVID rates after school and on weekends? Yes, that would help more people in under served communities access shots and tests.

School nurses are DHHS employees and thus far they have been doing the testing in schools. Should DHHS hire more staff and provide more access to testing in schools? Should MCPS move to a test to stay program? Yes, more testing decreases community spread - not only in schools but also entire family units. For every positive staff member and student identified as positive, whole family units are identified to quarantine to prevent spreading COVID to coworkers and in public spaces like grocery stores.

MCPS, DHHS, and the County Council need to work together for a comprehensive and collective approach to the rise in COVID.

The issue is people like you are waiting for the do nothing government to fix this. They aren’t. The will not. Ultimately people need to chill for a while and hope it passes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m actually shocked it’s not higher, given the prevalence of asymptomatic cases.

I have no issue with this and would send my kids to school without a second thought as I figured there’d be a higher number of asymptomatic cases in the general public.

Yes, we know you would, but that’s not the point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These numbers are MEANINGLESS. We need the count of teachers/students in current quarantine. A case from 12/24 doesn't matter one bit at this point.

I’ve never understood the posters claiming that cases in teachers over winter break means we need to close schools. Quite the opposite. Any teachers still isolation were infected with COVID during break.

It’s an obvious statement, though some people don’t seem to understand it: teachers, staff and students are going to get COVID whether they are in school or not.

And when they do, and there invariably aren’t enough staff and subs, they will close.