Anonymous wrote:We don’t have the vaccination numbers to let it blow through schools. Some children will die.

What we should be doing is identifying the problem spots (indoor lunch) and figuring out how to mitigate them.

More children will die in a cross walk in DC than from COVID. Even unvaccinated kids. We need to move on to the acceptance part of grief with this virus.

Just to add additional context: MCPS across the border sent a letter yesterday saying that in the three weeks of December, they had more Covid cases than in the first three months of the school year.

And MCPS is known for "forgetting" to record all their school Covid cases... I can imagine they're forgetting a lot more cases right now, since it must be even harder to be competent during a stunning surge such as the one we're going through!

Anonymous wrote:We don’t have the vaccination numbers to let it blow through schools. Some children will die.

What we should be doing is identifying the problem spots (indoor lunch) and figuring out how to mitigate them.

Agree with mitigation methods, but the average unvaccinated child has a lower chance of severe illness or death from Covid than a vaccinated adult, statistically. And that was true before omicron, so if omicron really does prove to be less virulent, it will be more true now.

I do think vaccinating kids helps overall as a public health measure because it reduces the number of friendly hosts for the virus. But the reason these numbers don’t panic me is that the numbers simply don’t back up panic as a response. I keep my kids home this week because I know the school is stretched thin and I had the flexibility to do that. But I’m not really worried about them getting Covid, even though older kid only has one shot and younger kid is not old enough to be vaxxed at all and won’t be until summer.

I'm super supportive of in-person learning--it is my top priority--but given the scale of disruption this week with kids and staff out sick, I decided not to send my kiddo in today. Her teacher is out sick, so there would be a sub and little if any learning, and half her class is out. Figured the trade-off of one extra day of possible exposure right before seeing elderly grandparents with underlying health conditions, wasn't worth it. I do question whether DCPS shouldn't have bagged this week instead of 1/3 and 1/4 (esp. since they aren't *requiring* test to return).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Schools are just a reflection of what is going on in the greater society. If schools were closed, there is a good chance those numbers would be the same or higher. You might just not know because they wouldn't be getting tested.

This. I think people have to recognize that closing schools isn’t going to do anything for overall spread.

Yes very true BUT teachers/staff aren't allowed to stay in school if they test positive even if they are without symptoms. I work in a school building and there are more and more reports of fully vaccinated/boosted staff testing positive. Most have no symptoms but they still can't come to school and that is making it hard for schools to operate.

Schools were/are the main vector for infection in my family. It may not make a big difference to overall numbers but it's a big difference to my family.

In the face of everybody in the world, it seems, doing everything they can to keep the schools open, it’s not enough for you. You still have to come on here and complain. So many of you are so damned selfish, thinking only of how the pandemic affects you and your family and no one else. It’s really sad.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Schools are just a reflection of what is going on in the greater society. If schools were closed, there is a good chance those numbers would be the same or higher. You might just not know because they wouldn't be getting tested.

This. I think people have to recognize that closing schools isn’t going to do anything for overall spread.

Yes very true BUT teachers/staff aren't allowed to stay in school if they test positive even if they are without symptoms. I work in a school building and there are more and more reports of fully vaccinated/boosted staff testing positive. Most have no symptoms but they still can't come to school and that is making it hard for schools to operate.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do nothing else. All I want is my kid in school. I weigh the risks. Last year was so damaging to our family. Your demands on me also come with costs. You have no problem suggesting I do them. I have no problem suggesting you increase your risk by the miniscule amount from my kid going to school.

I support in-person learning, but to a point. It seems like there's no amount of risk to me and my family that you care about.

And there seems like there no amount of damage to me and my family that you care about.

Maybe you missed the part about supporting in-person learning for those who need it? Or just don't care?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do nothing else. All I want is my kid in school. I weigh the risks. Last year was so damaging to our family. Your demands on me also come with costs. You have no problem suggesting I do them. I have no problem suggesting you increase your risk by the miniscule amount from my kid going to school.

I support in-person learning, but to a point. It seems like there's no amount of risk to me and my family that you care about.

And there seems like there no amount of damage to me and my family that you care about.

Anonymous wrote:I do nothing else. All I want is my kid in school. I weigh the risks. Last year was so damaging to our family. Your demands on me also come with costs. You have no problem suggesting I do them. I have no problem suggesting you increase your risk by the miniscule amount from my kid going to school.

I support in-person learning, but to a point. It seems like there's no amount of risk to me and my family that you care about.

I do nothing else. All I want is my kid in school. I weigh the risks. Last year was so damaging to our family. Your demands on me also come with costs. You have no problem suggesting I do them. I have no problem suggesting you increase your risk by the miniscule amount from my kid going to school.

* severity is less than Delta

Questions for the "let's all get COVID" crowd: Do you have any room in your world view for people who don't want to accept that we're all going to get infected? What about people with underlying health conditions?

It would be great if we could all make our own risk decisions, but your decisions impact other people.

Also, there's no evidence that the severity is worse than Delta.
https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/omicron-five-times-more-likely-reinfect-than-delta-study-says-2021-12-17/

We don’t have the vaccination numbers to let it blow through schools. Some children will die.

What we should be doing is identifying the problem spots (indoor lunch) and figuring out how to mitigate them.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So question for the blow through crowd. Should we stop testing and stop requiring people who are positive to stay home? Operationally it is impossible to fully staff many schools and contact trace correctly at this level of case rates.

It should be like any other virus. Stay home if you are sick. Fever free after 24 hours.

What about a sneeze and a persistent dry cough?

Asking for a COVID positive Deal student who had been fever free for 24 hours.