Schools in Europe closing again

[Anonymous]

Cases in the US surged after Thanksgiving and Christmas, and have fallen post surge. We aren't experiencing the new UK variant surge yet as they did in the UK and other countries in Europe. We are about a month or two behind them.

France's cases are rising steadily despite the fact that almost everything but schools are closed at this point. New rules in France:

https://www.thelocal.fr/20210208/france-bans-the-use-of-fabric-face-masks-in-schools-over-concerns-about-efficiency

Face masks for all children over the age of six have been compulsory in French schools since the start of the new school year in September, but from Monday, February 8th, there are stricter rules on the type of mask that can be worn.

Home-made or fabric masks will no longer be allowed and instead all pupils and staff must wear a 'category 1' mask - either a surgical mask or an FFP2 medical mask.

The new rule comes after France's health authorities in January said that fabric masks - which generally filter around 70 percent of particles - do not offer enough protection against the new variants of the Covid virus discovered in the UK, South Africa and Brazil.

Also from Monday, schools have introduced a new protocol on class closures.

A class will now be automatically closed and all pupils sent home if one pupil is diagnosed with either the South African or the Brazilian variant of the virus. If one pupil is a contact case for a parent or sibling diagnosed with the variants, the class will also close.

If a pupil is diagnosed with the UK variant or the non-variant form of Covid then the current rules on school closures apply - the class only closes if three or more pupils test positive for the virus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The U.K. has been on an extreme lockdown, including schools for the first time all year, since January 8th. And guess what? Their Covid cases dropped by more than 2/3rds.

Shocking.

The data suggest it is working. Three weeks into that lockdown, the number of new cases per day has dropped from a peak of more than 81,000 on Dec. 29 to 39,000 on Jan. 19, the most recent day for which complete figures are available.

Still, public health experts say, extended national lockdowns are a last-resort measure that should be avoidable if governments introduce targeted restrictions early. So, the lesson from public health experts: yes, the lockdown is working. But the lockdown — and the grim milestone of 100,000 deaths — could have been avoided altogether.

https://time.com/5933659/uk-covid-100k/

Cases have peaked and are falling in the DMV. Cases have also peaked and are falling in SD.

I remember that same refrain over the summer. The US only had 100,000 dead then. We’re about to top 500,000. What will it take for you to wake up? A million?

[Anonymous]

I’m not sure what you’re saying. We should keep schools closed now, while cases here are falling, because the variants from other countries will eventually take over?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The U.K. has been on an extreme lockdown, including schools for the first time all year, since January 8th. And guess what? Their Covid cases dropped by more than 2/3rds.

Shocking.

The data suggest it is working. Three weeks into that lockdown, the number of new cases per day has dropped from a peak of more than 81,000 on Dec. 29 to 39,000 on Jan. 19, the most recent day for which complete figures are available.

Still, public health experts say, extended national lockdowns are a last-resort measure that should be avoidable if governments introduce targeted restrictions early. So, the lesson from public health experts: yes, the lockdown is working. But the lockdown — and the grim milestone of 100,000 deaths — could have been avoided altogether.

https://time.com/5933659/uk-covid-100k/

Cases have peaked and are falling in the DMV. Cases have also peaked and are falling in SD.

I remember that same refrain over the summer. The US only had 100,000 dead then. We’re about to top 500,000. What will it take for you to wake up? A million?

PP will keep insisting that it's just old people or people with underlying conditions who are dying, and no one healthy ever has complications. Don't bother.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m not sure what you’re saying. We should keep schools closed now, while cases here are falling, because the variants from other countries will eventually take over?

That is exactly what I'm saying. Remember when we warned not to open up the country after the less than 50,000 cases in New York City in mid Spring? What did Trump do? He immediately encouraged the states and governors to take back their economies and open up - ignoring the possibility of a surge.

Governors like DeSantis, Kemp, and Noem followed him like lap dogs leading to the highest death rates per capita in the country at various times. More importantly opening up spread this virus like wildfire everywhere. Now where are we? 475,000 dead and oh...and a variant that is 37% more deadly and 70% more contagious spotted in at least 6 states.

This is spring all over again. If you all would just wait, we could vaccinate more than half the country and then get back to life. But you couldn't do that almost a year ago because...Easter was here and then we needed to barbecue on Memorial Day. Priorities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not sure what you’re saying. We should keep schools closed now, while cases here are falling, because the variants from other countries will eventually take over?

That is exactly what I'm saying. Remember when we warned not to open up the country after the less than 50,000 cases in New York City in mid Spring? What did Trump do? He immediately encouraged the states and governors to take back their economies and open up - ignoring the possibility of a surge.

Governors like DeSantis, Kemp, and Noem followed him like lap dogs leading to the highest death rates per capita in the country at various times. More importantly opening up spread this virus like wildfire everywhere. Now where are we? 475,000 dead and oh...and a variant that is 37% more deadly and 70% more contagious spotted in at least 6 states.

This is spring all over again. If you all would just wait, we could vaccinate more than half the country and then get back to life. But you couldn't do that almost a year ago because...Easter was here and then we needed to barbecue on Memorial Day. Priorities.

Yup. We’re never going to be able to stop living this way because people have decided they’re just done with the virus now and it’s “time to get back to normal life”. We’re just prolonging the misery. South Africa stopped vaccinating because they found the AstraZeneca shot doesn’t prevent the new variant there from spreading or sickening people. If we continue to allow the virus to spread and mutate unchecked, we will be back at square one without any vaccine or hope. It’s so incredibly short sighted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m not sure what you’re saying. We should keep schools closed now, while cases here are falling, because the variants from other countries will eventually take over?

Only if we want to stop the spread of covid

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not sure what you’re saying. We should keep schools closed now, while cases here are falling, because the variants from other countries will eventually take over?

Only if we want to stop the spread of covid

That doesn't make a lot of sense.

[Anonymous]

The U.K. variant is spreading like crazy in Florida right now. As well as many other places.
Cases of this much more highly contagious virus will surge here in March. Before all our vulnerable people have been vaccinated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The U.K. variant is spreading like crazy in Florida right now. As well as many other places.
Cases of this much more highly contagious virus will surge here in March. Before all our vulnerable people have been vaccinated.

Then we should open schools now, so that children have some in-person school before it gets here.

Logic.

[Anonymous]

Or recognize that virtual schooling is our future, and double down on making it the best we can. Start organizing things through the school that are outside for more social opportunities for the kids.

And cut off travel to Florida and other places with high spread.

Here is a study that has me concerned:

https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.02.06.21251159v1

Genomic epidemiology identifies emergence and rapid transmission of SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 in the United States

Our study shows that the U.S. is on a similar trajectory as other countries where B.1.1.7 rapidly became the dominant SARS-CoV-2 variant, requiring immediate and decisive action to minimize COVID-19 morbidity and mortality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not sure what you’re saying. We should keep schools closed now, while cases here are falling, because the variants from other countries will eventually take over?

Only if we want to stop the spread of covid

But schools arent driving covid spread when everyone wears masks and distances (hybrid format).

Parties, gatherings, church, restaurants, etc are spreading covid. So if you are actually worried about this variant, you should focus on shutting those things down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Or recognize that virtual schooling is our future, and double down on making it the best we can. Start organizing things through the school that are outside for more social opportunities for the kids.

And cut off travel to Florida and other places with high spread.

Here is a study that has me concerned:

https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.02.06.21251159v1

Genomic epidemiology identifies emergence and rapid transmission of SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 in the United States

Our study shows that the U.S. is on a similar trajectory as other countries where B.1.1.7 rapidly became the dominant SARS-CoV-2 variant, requiring immediate and decisive action to minimize COVID-19 morbidity and mortality.

It's been here since November. It was here during all the family gatherings at Thanksgiving and Christmas. It's spreading across the country....and yet, our covid numbers are declining.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The U.K. variant is spreading like crazy in Florida right now. As well as many other places.
Cases of this much more highly contagious virus will surge here in March. Before all our vulnerable people have been vaccinated.

Then we should open schools now, so that children have some in-person school before it gets here.

Logic.

That’s isn’t logic. Logic is assuming adults and children are asymptomatic carriers and mass gatherings, like 25,000 people at the SuperBowl in Florida last night, is spreading it. The U.K. variant has already been spotted in 6 states including Virginia.

https://www.wavy.com/news/health/coronavirus/another-uk-covid-19-variant-identified-in-northwest-virginia-4-reported-overall-in-va/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The U.K. variant is spreading like crazy in Florida right now. As well as many other places.
Cases of this much more highly contagious virus will surge here in March. Before all our vulnerable people have been vaccinated.

Then we should open schools now, so that children have some in-person school before it gets here.

Logic.

That’s isn’t logic. Logic is assuming adults and children are asymptomatic carriers and mass gatherings, like 25,000 people at the SuperBowl in Florida last night, is spreading it. The U.K. variant has already been spotted in 6 states including Virginia.

https://www.wavy.com/news/health/coronavirus/another-uk-covid-19-variant-identified-in-northwest-virginia-4-reported-overall-in-va/

Students in the UK were in-person for months. Our students need that too.