Anonymous
Post 12/23/2021 08:53     Subject: Anyone else think schools will be virtual after Winter Break?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My MS student came home today with her laptop and all her materials from all her classes. I am guessing an email from school will be coming if not tonight, by early next week.

I know Covid isn't done with us, but I am so over it and even more over those who won't do the right thing and get vaccinated. The roller coaster is exhausting and our kids are the ones who are paying the price.


We certainly hope not.

Quality education doesn't happen over Zoom, especially before HS.

Covid doesn’t happen over Zoom either, dummy.
Anonymous
Post 12/23/2021 08:23     Subject: Re:Anyone else think schools will be virtual after Winter Break?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Our school just announced they will be requiring a negative PCR test from all employees and students before returning to campus. To facilitate they are hosting a testing clinic on-site in advance. Depending on results and the latest developments with COVID in our area, the first week may be virtual to provide a buffer. Fully support all of this!


The school my child attends said same but we were to get PRC on our own. Given the lines and lack of availability, how are we going to manage that? We are doing a road trip to the grandparents. I think we are going to try to test there. It's rural so not positive its possible but we'll see.


This sounds like a you problem based on your travel plans. I've never had an issue getting PCRs, including 2 days ago. There are many locations where you can schedule tests.
Anonymous
Post 12/23/2021 06:56     Subject: Re:Anyone else think schools will be virtual after Winter Break?
Anonymous wrote:Our school just announced they will be requiring a negative PCR test from all employees and students before returning to campus. To facilitate they are hosting a testing clinic on-site in advance. Depending on results and the latest developments with COVID in our area, the first week may be virtual to provide a buffer. Fully support all of this!


The school my child attends said same but we were to get PRC on our own. Given the lines and lack of availability, how are we going to manage that? We are doing a road trip to the grandparents. I think we are going to try to test there. It's rural so not positive its possible but we'll see.
Anonymous
Post 12/23/2021 06:53     Subject: Anyone else think schools will be virtual after Winter Break?
Anonymous wrote:My MS student came home today with her laptop and all her materials from all her classes. I am guessing an email from school will be coming if not tonight, by early next week.

I know Covid isn't done with us, but I am so over it and even more over those who won't do the right thing and get vaccinated. The roller coaster is exhausting and our kids are the ones who are paying the price.


We certainly hope not.

Quality education doesn't happen over Zoom, especially before HS.
Anonymous
Post 12/23/2021 03:40     Subject: Re:Anyone else think schools will be virtual after Winter Break?
I heard Harvard is now walking back it’s virtual only start to Spring semester and just bringing students back a week later.

Other Ivies are requiring a booster of all students prior to returning to campus for start of 2nd semester
Anonymous
Post 12/23/2021 00:57     Subject: Anyone else think schools will be virtual after Winter Break?
Anonymous wrote:I am supportive of first two weeks virtual to have everyone get tested. Also supportive if our school decides on having not all grades on campus to keep numbers lower. I am thinking with the new pfizer drug things will go back to normal
soon which is good. Not okay with virtual going into Feb though.


It does not take more than a day to test everyone! My kids’ schools have testing 1/3, one is testing while in school that day, the other is planning to be in school 1/4. This could still change, but this is reasonable to me, screen and get going.
Anonymous
Post 12/22/2021 21:32     Subject: Re:Anyone else think schools will be virtual after Winter Break?
I would welcome remote until about mid-January to give this wave time to crest and for testing to occur and results to be returned. Small inconvenience.
Anonymous
Post 12/22/2021 16:55     Subject: Anyone else think schools will be virtual after Winter Break?
Anonymous wrote:I didn’t think we’d be virtual after break but just got a letter from our k-8 about several positive cases across 4 grades (that tested positive since we went on break). Our school has been regularly testing since last school year and has only had a handful of positives until now. They were just going to have everyone tested before the return back to school, but I have to wonder now how they’ll handle it.


I think schools are going to have to adjust expectations about positive tests unless Omicron settles down very quickly. Seems like it's spreading a lot more easily, leading to a lot more positive tests.

So if the standard is less than 1% positivity (or even 2%) I suspect schools are going to be virtual for quite some time. Which leads to the question of whether 2% is the right threshold for going virtual.
Anonymous
Post 12/22/2021 16:42     Subject: Anyone else think schools will be virtual after Winter Break?
I didn’t think we’d be virtual after break but just got a letter from our k-8 about several positive cases across 4 grades (that tested positive since we went on break). Our school has been regularly testing since last school year and has only had a handful of positives until now. They were just going to have everyone tested before the return back to school, but I have to wonder now how they’ll handle it.
Anonymous
Post 12/22/2021 15:34     Subject: Anyone else think schools will be virtual after Winter Break?
Anonymous wrote:I am supportive of first two weeks virtual to have everyone get tested. Also supportive if our school decides on having not all grades on campus to keep numbers lower. I am thinking with the new pfizer drug things will go back to normal
soon which is good. Not okay with virtual going into Feb though.


Pfizer drug only for ages 12+ though.
Anonymous
Post 12/22/2021 15:33     Subject: Re:Anyone else think schools will be virtual after Winter Break?
My brother is a teacher in NYC, last day before break is tomorrow. He tested positive today. He said NYC is crazy right now. It's like a year and half ago. So many cases. He was vaccinated and boostered. Thankfully, just mild symptoms at present.
Anonymous
Post 12/22/2021 15:31     Subject: Re:Anyone else think schools will be virtual after Winter Break?
I'm in Arlington and it's exploded in the public HS. An entire sports team tested positive. We have two teen neighbors that are positive this week.

Cases are up everywhere. I know so many people that have canceled Holiday travel and get togethers in the last few days.
Anonymous
Post 12/22/2021 13:27     Subject: Anyone else think schools will be virtual after Winter Break?
I am supportive of first two weeks virtual to have everyone get tested. Also supportive if our school decides on having not all grades on campus to keep numbers lower. I am thinking with the new pfizer drug things will go back to normal
soon which is good. Not okay with virtual going into Feb though.
Anonymous
Post 12/22/2021 12:40     Subject: Re:Anyone else think schools will be virtual after Winter Break?
The other posts with actual data on vaccine effectiveness were deleted for some bizarre reason.

Along with that CDC data that anyone can find with a quick Google (showing 10x higher risk of infection and 40x higher risk of death), this confirms it.

"The latest data from Chile shows a ratio of 40.

The COVID death rate among unvaccinated people is 40-times higher than among vaccinated people who received a booster."
Anonymous
Post 12/22/2021 12:36     Subject: Anyone else think schools will be virtual after Winter Break?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Why on earth would schools go virtual when covid DOES NOT kill kids? This insanity needs to end. There are many, many more variants to come. This is never ending, we need to move on.

12/16/21 - QUEENSBURY, NY (WRGB) — A heartbreaking story out of Warren County -- the county health department tells us a teenager has passed away from COVID-19. Queensbury High School is identifying the victim as Adam Sweeney - he was a student there. https://cbs6albany.com/news/coronavirus/queensbury-mourns-teen-who-died-of-covid-19

12/16/21 - Loved Ones Mourn Philly Teen Girl Who Died After Battling COVID. https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/coronavirus/loved-ones-mourn-philly-teen-girl-who-died-after-battling-covid/3081113/

12/8/21 - Family remembers Tulsa teen who died from COVID-19. https://www.kjrh.com/news/local-news/family-remembers-tulsa-teen-who-died-from-covid-19

12/7/21 - Minnesota reports 4th teen death from COVID-19, 2nd in week. https://www.fox9.com/news/minnesota-reports-4th-teen-death-from-covid-19-2nd-in-week

12/6/21 - 'Worrying': Omicron doctor reveals variant's terrible toll on kids, teen's death. A South African doctor has warned that more children are being hospitalised with moderate to severe symptoms since the Omicron variant of the coronavirus took hold. https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/covid-19/covid-19-omicron-outbreak-children-hospitalised-with-moderate-to-severe-symptoms/

Not just teens either ... Hold your loved ones close, stay safe.

12/21/21 - ‘It’s very tragic’: First COVID-19-related infant death reported in Solano County https://fox40.com/news/local-news/its-very-tragic-first-covid-19-related-infant-death-reported-in-solano-county/ "This loss is an urgent reminder that children can get seriously ill and die from COVID-19." https://patch.com/california/benicia/1st-pediatric-covid-19-death-reported-solano-county

12/21/21 - Wisconsin records first COVID-19-related death for child 9 or under https://www.tmj4.com/news/local-news/wisconsin-records-first-covid-19-related-death-for-child-9-or-under




Then there are the many thousands of adults and younger with long COVID, who are still suffering months after they were supposed to get over it and could have problems for life. But sure, let's just ignore them too if they are not in our immediate family.


Yep. I personally know 3 under kids under age 10 who had pretty "normal" kid covid cases. No major issues while they got through covid itself (worst kid had basically v bad cold). All 3 have long covid symptoms (chest pains etc). All have had to give up sports.

This whole "move on, let's get over it" vibe is alarming.