Schools with positive cases thread - post here

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:John Hayden Johnson MS is having to quarantine its entire 6th grade class due to a positive case last week. Apparently all kids in the grade are considered close contacts: https://dcist.com/story/21/09/08/coronavirus-sixth-grade-class-quarantine-johnson-middle-school/

I'd be interested to know more about Covid protocols at the school because I'd like to know how all 129 6th graders got exposed (please note only 1 child tested positive -- so far no additional positives at the school so we don't know if there is any Covid spread at the school yet).

Did they eat lunch together? Or is it due to switching classes and teachers and being unable to cohort the class?

I hope no one else gets sick and that the original positive case recovers well. This must be hard on the teachers (who also have to quarantine and will be teaching remotely) and on the families. My heart goes out to them.

not sure why DCist assumes the positive is a student. Much more likely it’s a teacher or staff member in a position to be in contact with all the classes.

It was not a student. It was a special education support teacher who pushes into all of the classes to provide services to SN kids.

I wonder if that teacher was vaccinated…

There’s no justification for quarantining the entire grade! Unless they were like actively ill and coughing everywhere and refused to mask.

I agree, but what does that have to do with the question whether the teacher was vaccinated? Even someone with a breakthrough infection could still infect others, right? The difference is that breakthrough infections are quite rare, so I think it is very likely that the teacher was not vaccinated. Which is a disgrace. These are the consequences.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So, Bowser and the Chancellor spoke about quarantines at a conference this afternoon. They said that as of now, they are putting everyone identified as a close contact using the most expansive possible list into quarantine. They are then “investigating” each of those cases to determine whether they were in fact a close contact and/or vaccinated and no symptoms (in which case don’t need to quarantine). For those they find are vaccinated without symptoms or were not truly a close contact, they are releasing them from the quarantine. So the quarantine numbers being announced do not actually reflect the actual number of people in quarantine, which is much less

This was in response to a question about Johnson, so the insinuation there was that they put the entire grade into quarantine immediately upon learning about the positive due to whatever particularly circumstances there were that led them to believe all or most of the grade could’ve been a close contact pending their contact investigation, which would release many

[Anonymous]

Our school has one PK class in quarantine. They said for now they are assuming PK kids are all close contacts since they often come close to each other and do not always properly wear their mask, but they will reevaluate as time goes by. Hoping that they find a way to avoid more whole class shut downs. My PK kid wears his mask much better than my older kid does.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our school has one PK class in quarantine. They said for now they are assuming PK kids are all close contacts since they often come close to each other and do not always properly wear their mask, but they will reevaluate as time goes by. Hoping that they find a way to avoid more whole class shut downs. My PK kid wears his mask much better than my older kid does.

Mine is better than his older brother too, but with unmasked naptimes, I don't see how we can treat PK as anything but close contacts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So, Bowser and the Chancellor spoke about quarantines at a conference this afternoon. They said that as of now, they are putting everyone identified as a close contact using the most expansive possible list into quarantine. They are then “investigating” each of those cases to determine whether they were in fact a close contact and/or vaccinated and no symptoms (in which case don’t need to quarantine). For those they find are vaccinated without symptoms or were not truly a close contact, they are releasing them from the quarantine. So the quarantine numbers being announced do not actually reflect the actual number of people in quarantine, which is much less

This was in response to a question about Johnson, so the insinuation there was that they put the entire grade into quarantine immediately upon learning about the positive due to whatever particularly circumstances there were that led them to believe all or most of the grade could’ve been a close contact pending their contact investigation, which would release many

If they put a a full grade in quarantine at Deal or Wilson there may be a revolt.

[Anonymous]

https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/nearly-850-dc-students-in-quarantine/2795753/

Yikes!

[Anonymous]

Knowing that schools are quarantining broadly - at least when they first identify a positive - I am not at all concerned about the "numbers in quarantine" from news articles or otherwise. And I think it's disingenuous to report on it because schools and school systems are using WILDLY different thresholds to identify a need to quarantine.

The schools are in an impossible position, with some families clamoring for the narrowest possible definition of close contact so that all kids can stay in person as much as possible and there are no/few quarantines.

And then middle ground families are ok with broad-ish quarantines because, at some cost to in-person school, they may help stop spread and school-based outbreaks.

And then the most risk averse families hanging on every positive case as if it spells doom for their children, and wanting to limit school attendance in general so that not 1 person gets COVID.

It's impossible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Knowing that schools are quarantining broadly - at least when they first identify a positive - I am not at all concerned about the "numbers in quarantine" from news articles or otherwise. And I think it's disingenuous to report on it because schools and school systems are using WILDLY different thresholds to identify a need to quarantine.

The schools are in an impossible position, with some families clamoring for the narrowest possible definition of close contact so that all kids can stay in person as much as possible and there are no/few quarantines.

And then middle ground families are ok with broad-ish quarantines because, at some cost to in-person school, they may help stop spread and school-based outbreaks.

And then the most risk averse families hanging on every positive case as if it spells doom for their children, and wanting to limit school attendance in general so that not 1 person gets COVID.

It's impossible.

Setting aside charters for a moment because each LEA has its own protocol, are you at all disturbed that DCPS has one school quarantine an entire grade while another quarantines “close contacts”? I’m really bothered by the arbitrary nature of all of this. How are parents supposed to operate under a no standard situation?

[Anonymous]

I am not bothered. I would expect elementary, middle, and high schools to have different protocols because the kids move through those schools differently. And different schools use specials and special ed teachers differently. And this particular school is essentially pre-quarantining to identify close contacts - because they were apparently non-obvious given the role of the person who tested positive.

And what do you mean by "how are parents supposed to operate?" The same way we have been operating for the last 18 months - by being flexible, taking care of our kids, and testing them if we think they might have been exposed to COVID.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So, Bowser and the Chancellor spoke about quarantines at a conference this afternoon. They said that as of now, they are putting everyone identified as a close contact using the most expansive possible list into quarantine. They are then “investigating” each of those cases to determine whether they were in fact a close contact and/or vaccinated and no symptoms (in which case don’t need to quarantine). For those they find are vaccinated without symptoms or were not truly a close contact, they are releasing them from the quarantine. So the quarantine numbers being announced do not actually reflect the actual number of people in quarantine, which is much less

ok, thanks. this still seems needlessly disruptive but makes more sense now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Knowing that schools are quarantining broadly - at least when they first identify a positive - I am not at all concerned about the "numbers in quarantine" from news articles or otherwise. And I think it's disingenuous to report on it because schools and school systems are using WILDLY different thresholds to identify a need to quarantine.

The schools are in an impossible position, with some families clamoring for the narrowest possible definition of close contact so that all kids can stay in person as much as possible and there are no/few quarantines.

And then middle ground families are ok with broad-ish quarantines because, at some cost to in-person school, they may help stop spread and school-based outbreaks.

And then the most risk averse families hanging on every positive case as if it spells doom for their children, and wanting to limit school attendance in general so that not 1 person gets COVID.

It's impossible.

exactly. I’m really reallt tired of the sh*t reporting on schools and covid in this region, which seems to be limited to elevating the voices of people with anxiety disorders and reporting data completely out of context.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Knowing that schools are quarantining broadly - at least when they first identify a positive - I am not at all concerned about the "numbers in quarantine" from news articles or otherwise. And I think it's disingenuous to report on it because schools and school systems are using WILDLY different thresholds to identify a need to quarantine.

The schools are in an impossible position, with some families clamoring for the narrowest possible definition of close contact so that all kids can stay in person as much as possible and there are no/few quarantines.

And then middle ground families are ok with broad-ish quarantines because, at some cost to in-person school, they may help stop spread and school-based outbreaks.

And then the most risk averse families hanging on every positive case as if it spells doom for their children, and wanting to limit school attendance in general so that not 1 person gets COVID.

It's impossible.

exactly. I’m really reallt tired of the sh*t reporting on schools and covid in this region, which seems to be limited to elevating the voices of people with anxiety disorders and reporting data completely out of context.

Yes and unfortunately these seem to be some of the louder voices on twitter. Lots of reporting on one case and then saying things like "NONE OF THIS IS OK." My IB Ward 4 school has completely full classes of in person students, including PK, which is not mandatory. Parents wear masks at drop-off and obviously people worry about thier kids but they are sending them without these histrionics that you see from the loudest complainers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Knowing that schools are quarantining broadly - at least when they first identify a positive - I am not at all concerned about the "numbers in quarantine" from news articles or otherwise. And I think it's disingenuous to report on it because schools and school systems are using WILDLY different thresholds to identify a need to quarantine.

The schools are in an impossible position, with some families clamoring for the narrowest possible definition of close contact so that all kids can stay in person as much as possible and there are no/few quarantines.

And then middle ground families are ok with broad-ish quarantines because, at some cost to in-person school, they may help stop spread and school-based outbreaks.

And then the most risk averse families hanging on every positive case as if it spells doom for their children, and wanting to limit school attendance in general so that not 1 person gets COVID.

It's impossible.

exactly. I’m really reallt tired of the sh*t reporting on schools and covid in this region, which seems to be limited to elevating the voices of people with anxiety disorders and reporting data completely out of context.

Yes and unfortunately these seem to be some of the louder voices on twitter. Lots of reporting on one case and then saying things like "NONE OF THIS IS OK." My IB Ward 4 school has completely full classes of in person students, including PK, which is not mandatory. Parents wear masks at drop-off and obviously people worry about thier kids but they are sending them without these histrionics that you see from the loudest complainers.

And FWIW, those kids are getting COVID.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Knowing that schools are quarantining broadly - at least when they first identify a positive - I am not at all concerned about the "numbers in quarantine" from news articles or otherwise. And I think it's disingenuous to report on it because schools and school systems are using WILDLY different thresholds to identify a need to quarantine.

The schools are in an impossible position, with some families clamoring for the narrowest possible definition of close contact so that all kids can stay in person as much as possible and there are no/few quarantines.

And then middle ground families are ok with broad-ish quarantines because, at some cost to in-person school, they may help stop spread and school-based outbreaks.

And then the most risk averse families hanging on every positive case as if it spells doom for their children, and wanting to limit school attendance in general so that not 1 person gets COVID.

It's impossible.

exactly. I’m really reallt tired of the sh*t reporting on schools and covid in this region, which seems to be limited to elevating the voices of people with anxiety disorders and reporting data completely out of context.

Yes and unfortunately these seem to be some of the louder voices on twitter. Lots of reporting on one case and then saying things like "NONE OF THIS IS OK." My IB Ward 4 school has completely full classes of in person students, including PK, which is not mandatory. Parents wear masks at drop-off and obviously people worry about thier kids but they are sending them without these histrionics that you see from the loudest complainers.

And FWIW, those kids are getting COVID.

Which kids? I am the PP and there has not been a case at my school since school started. And even if there was, so what? One kid getting Covid is not a policy failure as some of the more vocal twitter detractors seem to think it is. I have a friend who is a teacher in CA and one of her kids got Covid back in February and she was HYSTERICAL about it. Even though no other kids got it because they were wearing masks and distancing. But she was trying to use this one Covid case as a reason for why schools should not be open. I just can't agree with that approach.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Knowing that schools are quarantining broadly - at least when they first identify a positive - I am not at all concerned about the "numbers in quarantine" from news articles or otherwise. And I think it's disingenuous to report on it because schools and school systems are using WILDLY different thresholds to identify a need to quarantine.

The schools are in an impossible position, with some families clamoring for the narrowest possible definition of close contact so that all kids can stay in person as much as possible and there are no/few quarantines.

And then middle ground families are ok with broad-ish quarantines because, at some cost to in-person school, they may help stop spread and school-based outbreaks.

And then the most risk averse families hanging on every positive case as if it spells doom for their children, and wanting to limit school attendance in general so that not 1 person gets COVID.

It's impossible.

exactly. I’m really reallt tired of the sh*t reporting on schools and covid in this region, which seems to be limited to elevating the voices of people with anxiety disorders and reporting data completely out of context.

Yes and unfortunately these seem to be some of the louder voices on twitter. Lots of reporting on one case and then saying things like "NONE OF THIS IS OK." My IB Ward 4 school has completely full classes of in person students, including PK, which is not mandatory. Parents wear masks at drop-off and obviously people worry about thier kids but they are sending them without these histrionics that you see from the loudest complainers.

And FWIW, those kids are getting COVID.

Which kids? I am the PP and there has not been a case at my school since school started. And even if there was, so what? One kid getting Covid is not a policy failure as some of the more vocal twitter detractors seem to think it is. I have a friend who is a teacher in CA and one of her kids got Covid back in February and she was HYSTERICAL about it. Even though no other kids got it because they were wearing masks and distancing. But she was trying to use this one Covid case as a reason for why schools should not be open. I just can't agree with that approach.

+1