Here is why we should close schools now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also bad for small businesses: 70% of employees being unable to work due to a terrible illness.

This is just bad either way.

I think small business owners who give PTO should get tax breaks.

This isn’t going to be a terrible illness for 70% of anybody. Come on.

Seriously what is wrong with everyone all of a sudden?? Even in Italy, where things are really bad, only a tiny fraction of the population has been affected. We need to prepare and have a plan for attacking this thing, but let's not completely lose our heads.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:TEN DAYS AGO in Italy: 1000 cases (similar to what we have in the US currently).

NOW in Italy: 10,000 cases!

This virus explodes fast!

Italy is much smaller, but the cases can just ramp up quickly. That's why shutting down our schools/offices/businesses now makes sense. Usually we think of doing that only AFTER we have a positive infection in our schools or work places. But, with this virus, it's too late to wait for the infection to come that close.

If we want to end up like Italy, then we should keep taking half-measures. If we want to squish down the transmission rates, then we really do need to shut things down.

I normally do NOT advocate for snow days or other sky-is-falling reactions. But, in this case, the science says we need to shut things down very soon to kill off transmission of the virus. It looks like an over-reaction, but it's actually just the RIGHT level of reaction.

Totally agree with everything you said, need to react NOW!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also bad for small businesses: 70% of employees being unable to work due to a terrible illness.

This is just bad either way.

I think small business owners who give PTO should get tax breaks.

This isn’t going to be a terrible illness for 70% of anybody. Come on.

Seriously what is wrong with everyone all of a sudden?? Even in Italy, where things are really bad, only a tiny fraction of the population has been affected. We need to prepare and have a plan for attacking this thing, but let's not completely lose our heads.

But in 10 days it's spread to 10x more people. Without drastic measures, that will continue.

[Anonymous]

I agree that shutting down things that are possible to shut down is a good first step. Universities are the easiest to move to online teaching. Festivals and parades and conferences should be cancelled. People who are able to telework should do so. Let's start there, before immediately shutting down schools. Healthcare workers need childcare to be able to work in hospitals.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:TEN DAYS AGO in Italy: 1000 cases (similar to what we have in the US currently).

NOW in Italy: 10,000 cases!

This virus explodes fast!

Italy is much smaller, but the cases can just ramp up quickly. That's why shutting down our schools/offices/businesses now makes sense. Usually we think of doing that only AFTER we have a positive infection in our schools or work places. But, with this virus, it's too late to wait for the infection to come that close.

If we want to end up like Italy, then we should keep taking half-measures. If we want to squish down the transmission rates, then we really do need to shut things down.

I normally do NOT advocate for snow days or other sky-is-falling reactions. But, in this case, the science says we need to shut things down very soon to kill off transmission of the virus. It looks like an over-reaction, but it's actually just the RIGHT level of reaction.

+1
I am so disappointed that MCPS close schools for a tiny snow and pretend they are right to keep school open so far. When you see cases in school, it at least 14 days late then the virus started to spread already!
Look at what is happening in Italy. Compare with S Korean. The early you close, the less you lose.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also bad for small businesses: 70% of employees being unable to work due to a terrible illness.

This is just bad either way.

I think small business owners who give PTO should get tax breaks.

This isn’t going to be a terrible illness for 70% of anybody. Come on.

Seriously what is wrong with everyone all of a sudden?? Even in Italy, where things are really bad, only a tiny fraction of the population has been affected. We need to prepare and have a plan for attacking this thing, but let's not completely lose our heads.

Yes, and that tiny fraction of the population being infected has completely overwhelmed Italian hospitals. All of Italy is shut down. You still don’t get it?

[Anonymous]

In 53 pages of arguing, have any of you PPs personally pulled your kids out of school? Maybe school districts will act if parents are making the decision to keep kids out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://finance.yahoo.com/news/global-deaths-top-4-000-000319020.html

Seattle is the first major public school district to close for two weeks. It has over 50,000 students.

Washington State reported its first cases of community spread on Feb 26 and 28th I believe.

So it's been about 2 weeks since then that they've decided to close the schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://finance.yahoo.com/news/global-deaths-top-4-000-000319020.html

Seattle is the first major public school district to close for two weeks. It has over 50,000 students.

Washington State reported its first cases of community spread on Feb 26 and 28th I believe.

So it's been about 2 weeks since then that they've decided to close the schools.

I should say -- about 2 weeks for SEATTLE to close schools.

I expected Washington state to have closed them all too, but I think that'll take a little longer. They are waiting to see if there are more outbreaks in the state I guess.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also bad for small businesses: 70% of employees being unable to work due to a terrible illness.

This is just bad either way.

I think small business owners who give PTO should get tax breaks.

This isn’t going to be a terrible illness for 70% of anybody. Come on.

Seriously what is wrong with everyone all of a sudden?? Even in Italy, where things are really bad, only a tiny fraction of the population has been affected. We need to prepare and have a plan for attacking this thing, but let's not completely lose our heads.

The medical system will broke. No enough doctors and nurses, and even life saving equipment. The doctors have to decide which one have more hope can alive and which one have to stay there ...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also bad for small businesses: 70% of employees being unable to work due to a terrible illness.

This is just bad either way.

I think small business owners who give PTO should get tax breaks.

This isn’t going to be a terrible illness for 70% of anybody. Come on.

Seriously what is wrong with everyone all of a sudden?? Even in Italy, where things are really bad, only a tiny fraction of the population has been affected. We need to prepare and have a plan for attacking this thing, but let's not completely lose our heads.

Yes, and that tiny fraction of the population being infected has completely overwhelmed Italian hospitals. All of Italy is shut down. You still don’t get it?

PP here. Don't get what? I said it was really bad. It is. There's no denying that. I was just pushing back on the prior poster's assertion that 70% of people are going to get a terrible illness. There is no basis for statements like that. It's fear mongering, and it's dangerous. Let's all try to keep calm and not fan the flames for the sake of drama. Panicking has demonstrable negative consequences.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In 53 pages of arguing, have any of you PPs personally pulled your kids out of school? Maybe school districts will act if parents are making the decision to keep kids out.

Yes to this. All of you arguing that schools should close, please don't send your kids, and that will reduce the spread. South Korea and Japan are providing emergency child care services to kids whose parents need to work. So schools are closed, but there are still kids at the school. I don't see how this would work where I live.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In 53 pages of arguing, have any of you PPs personally pulled your kids out of school? Maybe school districts will act if parents are making the decision to keep kids out.

I've pulled one of my kids from daycare and will pull the other from FCPS if they don't close next week.

[Anonymous]

As what happened in East Asia vs what happened in Europe in the last two months taught us, sitting there doing nothing is not going to slow down the spread of the virus. Sitting there doing nothing will just let the virus take over our living space and working space, overwhelm our hospitals and health care systems.

Look at Italy, on Feb 26 it only had 400 cases. Today (March 11) it has 12460 cases, with 820 deaths. The doctors have to decide which patient to save and let the rest to die. If we want to avoid the mistake of Italy, let us close the schools.

[Anonymous]

Same don’t worry we will pull are kids.