Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You are welcome to mask your child.

This.

I’m an elementary school teacher in MCPS and currently have 3 students in my classroom out with Covid. These three students never wear masks at school. They all sit in very close proximity to each other. The other two students who sit in very close proximity to these three, wear masks and are so far Covid negative.

Anonymous wrote:You are welcome to mask your child.

This.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here. My child is wearing a KN95. And plenty of other kids in the school are, but it’s the kids who aren’t, whose parents send them in sick, and who aren’t vaccinated concern me. I understand the political concerns about reinstating mask mandates but honestly isn’t the point that when there’s high transmission in a particular school you bring them back temporarily and then as cases lower you remove it? Like are we literally so dumb we can’t understand how to implement a protective measure when it’s warranted? Seems silly to have masked the kids for the better part of a school year when numbers were lower only to refuse to bring them back on a case by case basis in schools with High transmission because elected reps are more concerned with their re election than keeping kids safe and well?

I feel bad for your kid. Kn95 all day? During crucial developmental years? I think you need a reality check. You can’t hide from covid. Kids are low risk. You can get vaccinated/boosted. If other people decide to vaccinate themselves or their kids that doesn’t affect you at all. People get to make their own risk analysis. My kids will never mask again. Neither will I.

No, only now when the school has upwards of 5 percent infection. I’m all for taking them off when infection rates are high. But my child has lung damage from contracting RSV as an infant and asthma so respiratory infections are always incredibly severe and cause difficulty breathing. I’m far less concerned with my kid being inconvenienced by a mask for a few weeks while this wave spreads than the poor outcomes we might experience if we get COVID. And yes, peoples choices do affect other people. That’s how vaccines work. I don’t know you or your kids but I will vaccinate myself and my family for our own protection and yours because I believe it’s socially responsible to do everything I can for others to protect them. I see vaccination as a moral responsibility, and a civic duty. I’m sorry you don’t feel the same way but I’ll still do the right thing.

How old is your kid? Why isn't he vaccinated? And you realize that vaccination mostly just protects you, not others right? It may lower infection rate somewhat. But at this point, the evidence and recommendations are clear: if you wish to protect yourself, get vaccinated and wear a mask. And then allow others to make the choices that are right for them and their children. You are only thinking about your child and not the thousands of others who do suffer from mask wearing for over 2 years. It is not appropriate for everyone to be masked.

Right now, its appropriate for everyone to be masked as we are in a surge in MCPS.

I'm at the point where I'm emailing them every day to ask how they're liking their covid. I'm so fed up.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here. My child is wearing a KN95. And plenty of other kids in the school are, but it’s the kids who aren’t, whose parents send them in sick, and who aren’t vaccinated concern me. I understand the political concerns about reinstating mask mandates but honestly isn’t the point that when there’s high transmission in a particular school you bring them back temporarily and then as cases lower you remove it? Like are we literally so dumb we can’t understand how to implement a protective measure when it’s warranted? Seems silly to have masked the kids for the better part of a school year when numbers were lower only to refuse to bring them back on a case by case basis in schools with High transmission because elected reps are more concerned with their re election than keeping kids safe and well?

I feel bad for your kid. Kn95 all day? During crucial developmental years? I think you need a reality check. You can’t hide from covid. Kids are low risk. You can get vaccinated/boosted. If other people decide to vaccinate themselves or their kids that doesn’t affect you at all. People get to make their own risk analysis. My kids will never mask again. Neither will I.

That is so selfish. School is not the same as going out to a bar or movie theater. Every kid deserves an in person education. Some kids are immunocompromised, high risk for complications or live with family members who are high risk. We need to be thinking of them too, and when there are huge surges like this we absolutely as a community should be putting the masks back on in an effort to do our best to protect our vulnerable kids/families who deserve to keep going to school in person too just like everyone else. I initially didn’t make my daughters mask when the mandate dropped and numbers were low, but now they are back on to protect them and everyone else.

And all that vulnerable families had the option to enroll in VA- the ones I know took advantage of that opportunity. Asking kids to wear properly fitted KN95s all day is a selfish request.

Its selfish not to expect kids to mask, even if its cloth. We are in a surge right now.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here. My child is wearing a KN95. And plenty of other kids in the school are, but it’s the kids who aren’t, whose parents send them in sick, and who aren’t vaccinated concern me. I understand the political concerns about reinstating mask mandates but honestly isn’t the point that when there’s high transmission in a particular school you bring them back temporarily and then as cases lower you remove it? Like are we literally so dumb we can’t understand how to implement a protective measure when it’s warranted? Seems silly to have masked the kids for the better part of a school year when numbers were lower only to refuse to bring them back on a case by case basis in schools with High transmission because elected reps are more concerned with their re election than keeping kids safe and well?

I feel bad for your kid. Kn95 all day? During crucial developmental years? I think you need a reality check. You can’t hide from covid. Kids are low risk. You can get vaccinated/boosted. If other people decide to vaccinate themselves or their kids that doesn’t affect you at all. People get to make their own risk analysis. My kids will never mask again. Neither will I.

That is so selfish. School is not the same as going out to a bar or movie theater. Every kid deserves an in person education. Some kids are immunocompromised, high risk for complications or live with family members who are high risk. We need to be thinking of them too, and when there are huge surges like this we absolutely as a community should be putting the masks back on in an effort to do our best to protect our vulnerable kids/families who deserve to keep going to school in person too just like everyone else. I initially didn’t make my daughters mask when the mandate dropped and numbers were low, but now they are back on to protect them and everyone else.

And all that vulnerable families had the option to enroll in VA- the ones I know took advantage of that opportunity. Asking kids to wear properly fitted KN95s all day is a selfish request.

How is it selfish to ask children to mask for a few weeks to limit the number of kids who get COVID? It’s a prudent, caring action. If you are a religious person of any sort you would know that we have a moral duty to care for one another and to protect each other. If You identify as a religious person, you have a moral duty to encourage your children to mask to protect them and other children and families who may become sick or otherwise be vulnerable.

There’s a lot of gray area between believing masks are evil and should never be worn to believing masks should be worn all the time and acting like we are all under COVID lock downs a la 2020. Most people are in the gray, and are not a part of a false oversimplified binary.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here. My child is wearing a KN95. And plenty of other kids in the school are, but it’s the kids who aren’t, whose parents send them in sick, and who aren’t vaccinated concern me. I understand the political concerns about reinstating mask mandates but honestly isn’t the point that when there’s high transmission in a particular school you bring them back temporarily and then as cases lower you remove it? Like are we literally so dumb we can’t understand how to implement a protective measure when it’s warranted? Seems silly to have masked the kids for the better part of a school year when numbers were lower only to refuse to bring them back on a case by case basis in schools with High transmission because elected reps are more concerned with their re election than keeping kids safe and well?

I feel bad for your kid. Kn95 all day? During crucial developmental years? I think you need a reality check. You can’t hide from covid. Kids are low risk. You can get vaccinated/boosted. If other people decide to vaccinate themselves or their kids that doesn’t affect you at all. People get to make their own risk analysis. My kids will never mask again. Neither will I.

No, only now when the school has upwards of 5 percent infection. I’m all for taking them off when infection rates are high. But my child has lung damage from contracting RSV as an infant and asthma so respiratory infections are always incredibly severe and cause difficulty breathing. I’m far less concerned with my kid being inconvenienced by a mask for a few weeks while this wave spreads than the poor outcomes we might experience if we get COVID. And yes, peoples choices do affect other people. That’s how vaccines work. I don’t know you or your kids but I will vaccinate myself and my family for our own protection and yours because I believe it’s socially responsible to do everything I can for others to protect them. I see vaccination as a moral responsibility, and a civic duty. I’m sorry you don’t feel the same way but I’ll still do the right thing.

How old is your kid? Why isn't he vaccinated? And you realize that vaccination mostly just protects you, not others right? It may lower infection rate somewhat. But at this point, the evidence and recommendations are clear: if you wish to protect yourself, get vaccinated and wear a mask. And then allow others to make the choices that are right for them and their children. You are only thinking about your child and not the thousands of others who do suffer from mask wearing for over 2 years. It is not appropriate for everyone to be masked.

My kid is vaxxed. I’d like to avoid COVID and get him boosted. But it’s not available yet. Where did you get that my kid isn’t vaxxed? And I’m saying we should mask because of high transmission in our school, not all the the time. Nuance and reading comprehension, I know it’s tough.

The booster was just authorized for our kids- woohoo! Should have been a couple weeks ago but I’ll take it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here. My child is wearing a KN95. And plenty of other kids in the school are, but it’s the kids who aren’t, whose parents send them in sick, and who aren’t vaccinated concern me. I understand the political concerns about reinstating mask mandates but honestly isn’t the point that when there’s high transmission in a particular school you bring them back temporarily and then as cases lower you remove it? Like are we literally so dumb we can’t understand how to implement a protective measure when it’s warranted? Seems silly to have masked the kids for the better part of a school year when numbers were lower only to refuse to bring them back on a case by case basis in schools with High transmission because elected reps are more concerned with their re election than keeping kids safe and well?

I feel bad for your kid. Kn95 all day? During crucial developmental years? I think you need a reality check. You can’t hide from covid. Kids are low risk. You can get vaccinated/boosted. If other people decide to vaccinate themselves or their kids that doesn’t affect you at all. People get to make their own risk analysis. My kids will never mask again. Neither will I.

No, only now when the school has upwards of 5 percent infection. I’m all for taking them off when infection rates are high. But my child has lung damage from contracting RSV as an infant and asthma so respiratory infections are always incredibly severe and cause difficulty breathing. I’m far less concerned with my kid being inconvenienced by a mask for a few weeks while this wave spreads than the poor outcomes we might experience if we get COVID. And yes, peoples choices do affect other people. That’s how vaccines work. I don’t know you or your kids but I will vaccinate myself and my family for our own protection and yours because I believe it’s socially responsible to do everything I can for others to protect them. I see vaccination as a moral responsibility, and a civic duty. I’m sorry you don’t feel the same way but I’ll still do the right thing.

How old is your kid? Why isn't he vaccinated? And you realize that vaccination mostly just protects you, not others right? It may lower infection rate somewhat. But at this point, the evidence and recommendations are clear: if you wish to protect yourself, get vaccinated and wear a mask. And then allow others to make the choices that are right for them and their children. You are only thinking about your child and not the thousands of others who do suffer from mask wearing for over 2 years. It is not appropriate for everyone to be masked.

Right now, its appropriate for everyone to be masked as we are in a surge in MCPS.

Eh if you are that worried about a surge pull your kid for a few weeks until this dies down. Sone parents did that in January even with the mask mandate in place because they recognized masking was an imperfect tool to prevent all Covid transmission. This variant, and omicron before it, are very contagious.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because most people have already had it. Because vaccines have been available to almost all age groups for a long, long time now. Because it’s generally mild for most people, particularly those who are vaccinated.

Perhaps most important, because we need to maintain some capital for requiring masks in the future if a variant emerges that is more harmful to children than this variant. It’s been over two years of disruption. It’s been, what, two months of kids being able to forego masks? Even here, most people don’t have the appetite for restrictions anymore, given the current conditions.

Masking in school reduces some transmission, but thinking that they’re incredibly effective is misinformed.

Please show me evidence for your last statement.

Please show me evidence that they ARE highly effective in K-12 school settings. The burden of proof is on the intervention.

OP, I understand that you're upset, but denigrating people doesn't help. And, as someone pointed out, the school with the highest COVID rate *is* masking. If you're hoping for a return to MCPS-wide mask mandates, you're unlikely to get one now.

Sure, here you go.

https://www.edweek.org/leadership/mask-mandates-cut-covid-19-spread-in-schools-studies-find/2022/03

I’m not some pro mask hack - I hate wearing a KN95 as much as the next person - but the Pediatrics Duke study shows that schools with universal masking had nearly 90 percent lower infection rates. That seems pretty convincing.

Holy smokes that’s waaaay better than the other studies I’ve seen. That’s convinced me. I agree the mask mandates should be back but they also need to be handing out KN95s too. Lots of low income kids at our school that were in cloth (understandably!).

Hand out whatever you want, but my kids won’t be masking let alone in KN95s.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here. My child is wearing a KN95. And plenty of other kids in the school are, but it’s the kids who aren’t, whose parents send them in sick, and who aren’t vaccinated concern me. I understand the political concerns about reinstating mask mandates but honestly isn’t the point that when there’s high transmission in a particular school you bring them back temporarily and then as cases lower you remove it? Like are we literally so dumb we can’t understand how to implement a protective measure when it’s warranted? Seems silly to have masked the kids for the better part of a school year when numbers were lower only to refuse to bring them back on a case by case basis in schools with High transmission because elected reps are more concerned with their re election than keeping kids safe and well?

I feel bad for your kid. Kn95 all day? During crucial developmental years? I think you need a reality check. You can’t hide from covid. Kids are low risk. You can get vaccinated/boosted. If other people decide to vaccinate themselves or their kids that doesn’t affect you at all. People get to make their own risk analysis. My kids will never mask again. Neither will I.

That is so selfish. School is not the same as going out to a bar or movie theater. Every kid deserves an in person education. Some kids are immunocompromised, high risk for complications or live with family members who are high risk. We need to be thinking of them too, and when there are huge surges like this we absolutely as a community should be putting the masks back on in an effort to do our best to protect our vulnerable kids/families who deserve to keep going to school in person too just like everyone else. I initially didn’t make my daughters mask when the mandate dropped and numbers were low, but now they are back on to protect them and everyone else.

And all that vulnerable families had the option to enroll in VA- the ones I know took advantage of that opportunity. Asking kids to wear properly fitted KN95s all day is a selfish request.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because most people have already had it. Because vaccines have been available to almost all age groups for a long, long time now. Because it’s generally mild for most people, particularly those who are vaccinated.

Perhaps most important, because we need to maintain some capital for requiring masks in the future if a variant emerges that is more harmful to children than this variant. It’s been over two years of disruption. It’s been, what, two months of kids being able to forego masks? Even here, most people don’t have the appetite for restrictions anymore, given the current conditions.

Masking in school reduces some transmission, but thinking that they’re incredibly effective is misinformed.

Please show me evidence for your last statement.

Please show me evidence that they ARE highly effective in K-12 school settings. The burden of proof is on the intervention.

OP, I understand that you're upset, but denigrating people doesn't help. And, as someone pointed out, the school with the highest COVID rate *is* masking. If you're hoping for a return to MCPS-wide mask mandates, you're unlikely to get one now.

Sure, here you go.

https://www.edweek.org/leadership/mask-mandates-cut-covid-19-spread-in-schools-studies-find/2022/03

I’m not some pro mask hack - I hate wearing a KN95 as much as the next person - but the Pediatrics Duke study shows that schools with universal masking had nearly 90 percent lower infection rates. That seems pretty convincing.

Holy smokes that’s waaaay better than the other studies I’ve seen. That’s convinced me. I agree the mask mandates should be back but they also need to be handing out KN95s too. Lots of low income kids at our school that were in cloth (understandably!).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here. My child is wearing a KN95. And plenty of other kids in the school are, but it’s the kids who aren’t, whose parents send them in sick, and who aren’t vaccinated concern me. I understand the political concerns about reinstating mask mandates but honestly isn’t the point that when there’s high transmission in a particular school you bring them back temporarily and then as cases lower you remove it? Like are we literally so dumb we can’t understand how to implement a protective measure when it’s warranted? Seems silly to have masked the kids for the better part of a school year when numbers were lower only to refuse to bring them back on a case by case basis in schools with High transmission because elected reps are more concerned with their re election than keeping kids safe and well?

I feel bad for your kid. Kn95 all day? During crucial developmental years? I think you need a reality check. You can’t hide from covid. Kids are low risk. You can get vaccinated/boosted. If other people decide to vaccinate themselves or their kids that doesn’t affect you at all. People get to make their own risk analysis. My kids will never mask again. Neither will I.

No, only now when the school has upwards of 5 percent infection. I’m all for taking them off when infection rates are high. But my child has lung damage from contracting RSV as an infant and asthma so respiratory infections are always incredibly severe and cause difficulty breathing. I’m far less concerned with my kid being inconvenienced by a mask for a few weeks while this wave spreads than the poor outcomes we might experience if we get COVID. And yes, peoples choices do affect other people. That’s how vaccines work. I don’t know you or your kids but I will vaccinate myself and my family for our own protection and yours because I believe it’s socially responsible to do everything I can for others to protect them. I see vaccination as a moral responsibility, and a civic duty. I’m sorry you don’t feel the same way but I’ll still do the right thing.

How old is your kid? Why isn't he vaccinated? And you realize that vaccination mostly just protects you, not others right? It may lower infection rate somewhat. But at this point, the evidence and recommendations are clear: if you wish to protect yourself, get vaccinated and wear a mask. And then allow others to make the choices that are right for them and their children. You are only thinking about your child and not the thousands of others who do suffer from mask wearing for over 2 years. It is not appropriate for everyone to be masked.

My kid is vaxxed. I’d like to avoid COVID and get him boosted. But it’s not available yet. Where did you get that my kid isn’t vaxxed? And I’m saying we should mask because of high transmission in our school, not all the the time. Nuance and reading comprehension, I know it’s tough.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here. My child is wearing a KN95. And plenty of other kids in the school are, but it’s the kids who aren’t, whose parents send them in sick, and who aren’t vaccinated concern me. I understand the political concerns about reinstating mask mandates but honestly isn’t the point that when there’s high transmission in a particular school you bring them back temporarily and then as cases lower you remove it? Like are we literally so dumb we can’t understand how to implement a protective measure when it’s warranted? Seems silly to have masked the kids for the better part of a school year when numbers were lower only to refuse to bring them back on a case by case basis in schools with High transmission because elected reps are more concerned with their re election than keeping kids safe and well?

I feel bad for your kid. Kn95 all day? During crucial developmental years? I think you need a reality check. You can’t hide from covid. Kids are low risk. You can get vaccinated/boosted. If other people decide to vaccinate themselves or their kids that doesn’t affect you at all. People get to make their own risk analysis. My kids will never mask again. Neither will I.

No, only now when the school has upwards of 5 percent infection. I’m all for taking them off when infection rates are high. But my child has lung damage from contracting RSV as an infant and asthma so respiratory infections are always incredibly severe and cause difficulty breathing. I’m far less concerned with my kid being inconvenienced by a mask for a few weeks while this wave spreads than the poor outcomes we might experience if we get COVID. And yes, peoples choices do affect other people. That’s how vaccines work. I don’t know you or your kids but I will vaccinate myself and my family for our own protection and yours because I believe it’s socially responsible to do everything I can for others to protect them. I see vaccination as a moral responsibility, and a civic duty. I’m sorry you don’t feel the same way but I’ll still do the right thing.

How old is your kid? Why isn't he vaccinated? And you realize that vaccination mostly just protects you, not others right? It may lower infection rate somewhat. But at this point, the evidence and recommendations are clear: if you wish to protect yourself, get vaccinated and wear a mask. And then allow others to make the choices that are right for them and their children. You are only thinking about your child and not the thousands of others who do suffer from mask wearing for over 2 years. It is not appropriate for everyone to be masked.

Right now, its appropriate for everyone to be masked as we are in a surge in MCPS.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here. My child is wearing a KN95. And plenty of other kids in the school are, but it’s the kids who aren’t, whose parents send them in sick, and who aren’t vaccinated concern me. I understand the political concerns about reinstating mask mandates but honestly isn’t the point that when there’s high transmission in a particular school you bring them back temporarily and then as cases lower you remove it? Like are we literally so dumb we can’t understand how to implement a protective measure when it’s warranted? Seems silly to have masked the kids for the better part of a school year when numbers were lower only to refuse to bring them back on a case by case basis in schools with High transmission because elected reps are more concerned with their re election than keeping kids safe and well?

I feel bad for your kid. Kn95 all day? During crucial developmental years? I think you need a reality check. You can’t hide from covid. Kids are low risk. You can get vaccinated/boosted. If other people decide to vaccinate themselves or their kids that doesn’t affect you at all. People get to make their own risk analysis. My kids will never mask again. Neither will I.

No, only now when the school has upwards of 5 percent infection. I’m all for taking them off when infection rates are high. But my child has lung damage from contracting RSV as an infant and asthma so respiratory infections are always incredibly severe and cause difficulty breathing. I’m far less concerned with my kid being inconvenienced by a mask for a few weeks while this wave spreads than the poor outcomes we might experience if we get COVID. And yes, peoples choices do affect other people. That’s how vaccines work. I don’t know you or your kids but I will vaccinate myself and my family for our own protection and yours because I believe it’s socially responsible to do everything I can for others to protect them. I see vaccination as a moral responsibility, and a civic duty. I’m sorry you don’t feel the same way but I’ll still do the right thing.

How old is your kid? Why isn't he vaccinated? And you realize that vaccination mostly just protects you, not others right? It may lower infection rate somewhat. But at this point, the evidence and recommendations are clear: if you wish to protect yourself, get vaccinated and wear a mask. And then allow others to make the choices that are right for them and their children. You are only thinking about your child and not the thousands of others who do suffer from mask wearing for over 2 years. It is not appropriate for everyone to be masked.

Anonymous wrote:Because most people have already had it. Because vaccines have been available to almost all age groups for a long, long time now. Because it’s generally mild for most people, particularly those who are vaccinated.

Perhaps most important, because we need to maintain some capital for requiring masks in the future if a variant emerges that is more harmful to children than this variant. It’s been over two years of disruption. It’s been, what, two months of kids being able to forego masks? Even here, most people don’t have the appetite for restrictions anymore, given the current conditions.

Masking in school reduces some transmission, but thinking that they’re incredibly effective is misinformed.

+1,000

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because most people have already had it. Because vaccines have been available to almost all age groups for a long, long time now. Because it’s generally mild for most people, particularly those who are vaccinated.

Perhaps most important, because we need to maintain some capital for requiring masks in the future if a variant emerges that is more harmful to children than this variant. It’s been over two years of disruption. It’s been, what, two months of kids being able to forego masks? Even here, most people don’t have the appetite for restrictions anymore, given the current conditions.

Masking in school reduces some transmission, but thinking that they’re incredibly effective is misinformed.

Please show me evidence for your last statement.

Please show me evidence that they ARE highly effective in K-12 school settings. The burden of proof is on the intervention.

OP, I understand that you're upset, but denigrating people doesn't help. And, as someone pointed out, the school with the highest COVID rate *is* masking. If you're hoping for a return to MCPS-wide mask mandates, you're unlikely to get one now.

Sure, here you go.

https://www.edweek.org/leadership/mask-mandates-cut-covid-19-spread-in-schools-studies-find/2022/03

I’m not some pro mask hack - I hate wearing a KN95 as much as the next person - but the Pediatrics Duke study shows that schools with universal masking had nearly 90 percent lower infection rates. That seems pretty convincing.

Thanks - I hadn't seen that one before. It's one study, of course, and there are others that don't have results as convincing. Plenty of kids got Omicron during January 2022 here, and we had a mask mandate in place, so there's also that.

Again, the larger point about maintaining political capital for future restrictions is important here. There are many, many people, even in MoCo, who no longer support universal mask mandates. If you want them to cooperate in the future, you can't push them too hard now. Does it suck for some people? Yes. Might it suck even harder in the future if we push mask mandates again now, and people refuse to cooperate with other public health measures? Also yes.

I mean, if MCPS had reopened in-person, or at least *offered* the option back in September 2021, they would have gained some capital with parents who wanted in-person. But they didn't, and partially because of that decision (among others), here we are.