Mom Asks Pediatrician About The Idea Of Kids Going To School Again, Receives A Reality Check
As the back-to-school date in the US is slowly approaching, more and more parents are seriously doubting whether to send their kids to school. With Covid-19 infections rising in 41 states and southern hotspots already undertaking crisis measures on Thursday, many feel like reopening schools physically would be hurried and plain dangerous.
So one mom and book author from Atlanta named Aesha Saeed turned to her children’s pediatrician for advice. She found the doctor’s opinion “sobering because headlines and pundits are one thing, but a doctor I’ve trusted my children’s well-being to since each were born” is another. Aesha then passed on what she learned in this 6-tweet thread that will make you seriously weigh the risks of letting your kids sit at a school desk any time soon.
This mom shared what her kids’ pediatrician had to say about sending kids back to school and it’s “sobering”
Image credits: aishacs
Image credits: aishacs
Image credits: aishacs
Image credits: aishacs
Image credits: aishacs
Image credits: aishacs
Image credits: aishacs
Schools are coping differently with the uncertainty of letting kids come back amid the recent surge in Covid-19 cases. Los Angeles Times reports that in Southern California, the region’s two main districts—Los Angeles Unified and San Diego Unified—said they would begin the new school year with full-time distance learning. Meanwhile, Orange County voted to let students onto campus without implying security guidelines like masks or social distancing.
But the resistance from parents is mounting in places where spread of the virus is still a daily threat that comes with President Donald Trump saying that opening schools is key to firing up the economy.
Image credits: aishacs
Image credits: aishacs
Image credits: aishacs
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine has just released an official report on reopening schools during the pandemic. The report says: “There is insufficient evidence with which to determine how easily children and youth contract the virus and how contagious they are once they do.”
In addition, such a knowledge gap “makes it extremely difficult for decision makers to gauge the health risks of physically opening schools.”
Parents and teachers joined in the thread to weigh in on going back to school amid the recent rise in Covid-19 cases
Image credits: RoseOwrites
Image credits: Whitsk
Image credits: Altair4_2381
Image credits: donalynbooks
Image credits: KathleenMarie13
Image credits: aishacs
Image credits: pearsoncrz
Image credits: Emilysaurus7
Image credits: wayfaringwalser
Image credits: EvanCampa
Image credits: angela_ford
Image credits: bellevelma
Image credits: rchallway
Image credits: Kpteach5
So what if your kid gets 1 year behind, at least it is alive and the teachers too. And we still don't know the longterm effects on the longs. Here in the Netherlands we even kept our kid home 4 weeks extra after daycare/schools reopened. Luckily no spike in cases so we felt safe to send her after 4 weeks.
I agree, though it will inevitably have a knock on affect on all the children coming up behind them. Who will teach those children if the teachers are still dealing with students who should have already moved on a year to other teachers and other lessons? Unless we increase the number of teachers, the number of lessons and the time spent in schooling (either home or in class) in order to catch up - which is easier said than done. It is going to be logistical nightmare. Still better than the kids getting sick.
Load More Replies...
Why aren't all bus drivers (not just those who transport school children) being screened in behind perspex barriers? Then no contact for payment either by correct fare only or contacless pay or pay in advance - there are things that could be done to protect them surely? Though I have to say I wouldn't send my children back either.
Because it costs money to install those screens, and whoever needs to pay for it won't.
Load More Replies...
Who said kids don't get it? They don't die at nearly the rate of anyone over 60, or at-risk groups, but kids get Covid. Keep the kids out of school, for pity's sake! *sigh* MORTALITY risk is not the sameas GETTING IT RISK.
You should hear them here in The Netherlands. Totally bat s**t. It was parents and teachers showing their worries about this "kids are fine" mentality. Don't think that the US is the only country making very counter intuitive decisions. My husband works at a local hospital (in IT not in care) and they are saddling up again for what's to come. All of the country is totally letting go of measurements. Besides face masks in public transport and faux routing in stores. Focus on cleanliness is receding, people get near to each other in stores and on the streets. We had an outbreak in a town nearby and I'm pretty sure we're in for a new wave here. And all these worries of everyone about kids are so on my mind and it's very unsettling, that's for sure.
Load More Replies...
Please note, the Orange County School Board voted to reopen schools, but the TEACHERS UNION is listening to sense and will not be there if the doors are open. And the janitors won't be there to open up, sooo...
Like the Kings of old who were on the front lines when they declared war, those on the Orange County School Board should have to be present in the schools all year long. Let's see how they vote then!
Load More Replies...
Only in the U.S. of Dumbfuckistan is this even a question. ESPECIALLY, since the curve is flattened in most of the world, save African countries, Brazil and of course the self-proclaimed "greatest country in the world", where amidst the pandemic, people are losing healthcare. Think about that for a moment. Honestly, the American nation has the president it deserves, because they are willfully ignorant for generations, and not only deny science, over 40% of them are aggressively against science while using all the things science brought them, which make their lives easier.
i'm very surprised at the number of people who thought doctors would say it's okay to send kids back, and who thought it would be. since the beginning of things reopening i've thought we shouldn't be so hasty about it, although overall it's been mostly fine. i still don't think we should be reopening anything that includes people being close together. teenagers especially won't follow regulations or wear masks most likely. of course some will, but hallways and classrooms aren't big enough to social distance and there are just too many kids in schools. i really don't think it's the right time to do that, we just closed everything and now we're opening up again. it's already bad enough with stores and restaurants returning, although i know it's for the economy and i'm glad we did that
also, just to clarify, i don't think all teenagers won't follow rules, i am a teenager and i follow them all the time and i know people who do. but hallways are very busy in schools, and i also know a lot of teens who won't wear masks or sanitize because they think it's stupid. and by 'too many kids in schools' i mean there's too many to have all at once during the pandemic. another thing, i'm not against reopening. i think it was very good that we did that, because it's important for peoples jobs and the economy and i understand that, i'm just saying that with the people who don't follow safety measures, it's made it harder and people have gotten sick more easily.
Load More Replies...
Schools do not even think this is a good idea or best for the students. But as they are funded by the government, their hands are tied. Your child will not be able to social distance with a full 5 day a week face to face schedule. Schools have at most, 2-3 ft. per student. Many southern governors are not requiring students to wear masks. Remember, the CDC does not recommend temp checks, so many schools will not do temp checks to get on the bus or once they arrive unless someone is not feeling well. By then it will be too late. I have taught for over 20 years, and I have never seen anything like this. This is reckless and dangerous. Teachers are being accused of being lazy and trying to get out of something, yet many have been working without pay to prepare for children to return and to make sure they get food. It is not safe, it is only as safe as we can make it under the circumstances. All of this is about the elections make no mistake, it is all political.
I'm hoping my son's school will opt for online learning. I have a job but I'll step into a teacher role to keep my son safe. The myth is that home schooled fall behind or not as well adjusted as their counterparts but that's not true.
are you saying that children will get sick from other kids when they go to school? Wow I have 10 children and that is scary, actually getting sick from other children!!! What could be next???
Yeah... well I'm very high risk with a very very weak immune system, and often get respitory illnesses during the winter months. EVERY school year since my son started (and he's in 2nd grade) I get very very ill because of whatever lingers onto him and then home, from the kids at his school. My son does NOT go to a public school, and the classroom sizes are quite small, and even if my son dosen't get sick, it doesn't mean I wont get it. I mean I personally don't want to die because my 3 kids went to f*****g school, preschool, or daycare. Because I think they deserve their mommy to be alive....I think I want to stay alive also.... but hey to each their own.
Load More Replies...
People seem to be preoccupied with the obvious, immediate respiratory effects of COVID, but the unseen effects are truly terrifying. Permanent organ damage, neurological effects, heart damage from "mini heart attacks" and tachycardia as well as undetected strokes. The second wave of COVID may be the long-term treatment of these residual issues in the millions of otherwise "asymptomatic" carriers.
In the UK, my school should be going back in September after the holidays. As a secondary school student, I will have to wear a mask around school and on the bus. To reduce movement around the school, for the first week at least, we will be remaining in our form groups and classroom. :)
Thankful that my son's school district (the largest in southern Arizona) has decided to do only distance learning and no in school classes until further notice. My kid is a Senior this year, but if the school had insisted on doing only IRL classes we would have transferred him to an online school (or we would have given him a gap year, and done practical life school instead). The worry that your kid will "fall behind" is ridiculous IMO... because EVERYONE in the world is dealing with the stress of this virus...there's bound to be a different learning curve this year for everyone, in school or not.
Idk about all the states, but many states don’t require a child go to kindergarten.
Kids who graduate from HS or college often times take a gap year off. Why not make THIS their gap year so they can survive to graduate. They can go back when this is over., And if they stay home, it will be over sooner.
Strange that CNN went and ask the doctors they trust and asked the same question. All five said yes they would send their kids to school. CNN is not a bastion for pro Trump or Conservatives, Yet the doctors there along with the CDC seam to disagree with the writers doctor. The doctors by and large on the other networks also said they would send their kids to school.
Tragically, there are things we could do to make it safe to open schools in two months time but America isn't up for that. It would require sacrifice and togetherness for a greater good and the super rich would have to lose a 0 or two on the end of their bank statements to help out, don't see that happening.
This is from NBC [not a right wing group]: Those interviewed included California Dr. Yvonne Maldonado, New Jersey Dr. Shilpa A. Patel, Vermont Dr. William V. Raszka, New York Dr. Jennifer Lighter and Tennessee Dr. Buddy Creech, and all offered the same assessment: It is safe to put kids back in the classroom. “In the U.S., children make up about 22 percent of the population, but kids account for only 2 percent of coronavirus cases so far, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,” NBC News reported. "Creech, an associate professor of pediatrics at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, told Torres it is not clear what accounts for the disparity between children and adults. “This has been a strange pandemic because usually for respiratory viruses, children are the first and the most substantially affected,” he said.
I worked a travel nurse contract this past winter, and we had a lot of kids with 2 different strains of coronavirus. There were so many sick children, the unit I was on had to use overflow space. Coronavirus, RSV, rhinovirus and flu is what we were seeing. So the winter will tell us the truth. Current data on COVID 19 in kids is also LIMITED data.
Load More Replies...
MamaG is responding to the spam posts by Singh Info, folks. Not the other posts here.
I attended a high school in NY that had so many students, we went in shifts - 8-12 and 12-4. What if schools now did something similar? Would something like this make it easier for the kids to social distance? Or what about staggering the days? One group goes M-W-F, the other T and Th; then switch the following week? Neither of these ideas may be doable, but I'm just thinking out loud. Personally, I wouldn't send my kids back at this time. During 'normal' times kids would bring home all kinds of germs that parents would catch, and be sicker than the kid. Baby germs ain't no joke. Neither is Covid.
Our kids school gave us a lay out of exactly that, dependent on the level we are in next month. All levels except red (including green phase) have alternating schedules with some online classes. They also have one whole day for deep disinfecting(along with their regular disinfecting time).
Load More Replies... Meanwhile, parent in Sweden get reported to social services and threatened with fines if they keep the kids home. Very different here. However, I am unsure if closed schools is a good idea or not. Here we have had ONE death in one millions kids -9 going to school, that has been open the whole time.
And I've just read where Sweden has a higher death rate than the U.S. for the overall population.
Load More Replies...
The people concerned about kids in unsafe homes, what will happen if the kids get COVID from attending school? If the parents are not good, what are the chances they will seek care for the child? As a pediatric nurse, I saw so many cases where the parents waited until their child’s sickness was really severe or the child became listless before bringing them to the hospital. Instead of exposing vulnerable children to COVID for their safety (the irony), how about increased social well-being checks? There has to be a better way. Any other ideas?
So what if your kid gets 1 year behind, at least it is alive and the teachers too. And we still don't know the longterm effects on the longs. Here in the Netherlands we even kept our kid home 4 weeks extra after daycare/schools reopened. Luckily no spike in cases so we felt safe to send her after 4 weeks.
I agree, though it will inevitably have a knock on affect on all the children coming up behind them. Who will teach those children if the teachers are still dealing with students who should have already moved on a year to other teachers and other lessons? Unless we increase the number of teachers, the number of lessons and the time spent in schooling (either home or in class) in order to catch up - which is easier said than done. It is going to be logistical nightmare. Still better than the kids getting sick.
Load More Replies... Why aren't all bus drivers (not just those who transport school children) being screened in behind perspex barriers? Then no contact for payment either by correct fare only or contacless pay or pay in advance - there are things that could be done to protect them surely? Though I have to say I wouldn't send my children back either.
Because it costs money to install those screens, and whoever needs to pay for it won't.
Load More Replies... Who said kids don't get it? They don't die at nearly the rate of anyone over 60, or at-risk groups, but kids get Covid. Keep the kids out of school, for pity's sake! *sigh* MORTALITY risk is not the sameas GETTING IT RISK.
You should hear them here in The Netherlands. Totally bat s**t. It was parents and teachers showing their worries about this "kids are fine" mentality. Don't think that the US is the only country making very counter intuitive decisions. My husband works at a local hospital (in IT not in care) and they are saddling up again for what's to come. All of the country is totally letting go of measurements. Besides face masks in public transport and faux routing in stores. Focus on cleanliness is receding, people get near to each other in stores and on the streets. We had an outbreak in a town nearby and I'm pretty sure we're in for a new wave here. And all these worries of everyone about kids are so on my mind and it's very unsettling, that's for sure.
Load More Replies... Please note, the Orange County School Board voted to reopen schools, but the TEACHERS UNION is listening to sense and will not be there if the doors are open. And the janitors won't be there to open up, sooo...
Like the Kings of old who were on the front lines when they declared war, those on the Orange County School Board should have to be present in the schools all year long. Let's see how they vote then!
Load More Replies... Only in the U.S. of Dumbfuckistan is this even a question. ESPECIALLY, since the curve is flattened in most of the world, save African countries, Brazil and of course the self-proclaimed "greatest country in the world", where amidst the pandemic, people are losing healthcare. Think about that for a moment. Honestly, the American nation has the president it deserves, because they are willfully ignorant for generations, and not only deny science, over 40% of them are aggressively against science while using all the things science brought them, which make their lives easier.
i'm very surprised at the number of people who thought doctors would say it's okay to send kids back, and who thought it would be. since the beginning of things reopening i've thought we shouldn't be so hasty about it, although overall it's been mostly fine. i still don't think we should be reopening anything that includes people being close together. teenagers especially won't follow regulations or wear masks most likely. of course some will, but hallways and classrooms aren't big enough to social distance and there are just too many kids in schools. i really don't think it's the right time to do that, we just closed everything and now we're opening up again. it's already bad enough with stores and restaurants returning, although i know it's for the economy and i'm glad we did that
also, just to clarify, i don't think all teenagers won't follow rules, i am a teenager and i follow them all the time and i know people who do. but hallways are very busy in schools, and i also know a lot of teens who won't wear masks or sanitize because they think it's stupid. and by 'too many kids in schools' i mean there's too many to have all at once during the pandemic. another thing, i'm not against reopening. i think it was very good that we did that, because it's important for peoples jobs and the economy and i understand that, i'm just saying that with the people who don't follow safety measures, it's made it harder and people have gotten sick more easily.
Load More Replies... Schools do not even think this is a good idea or best for the students. But as they are funded by the government, their hands are tied. Your child will not be able to social distance with a full 5 day a week face to face schedule. Schools have at most, 2-3 ft. per student. Many southern governors are not requiring students to wear masks. Remember, the CDC does not recommend temp checks, so many schools will not do temp checks to get on the bus or once they arrive unless someone is not feeling well. By then it will be too late. I have taught for over 20 years, and I have never seen anything like this. This is reckless and dangerous. Teachers are being accused of being lazy and trying to get out of something, yet many have been working without pay to prepare for children to return and to make sure they get food. It is not safe, it is only as safe as we can make it under the circumstances. All of this is about the elections make no mistake, it is all political.
I'm hoping my son's school will opt for online learning. I have a job but I'll step into a teacher role to keep my son safe. The myth is that home schooled fall behind or not as well adjusted as their counterparts but that's not true.
are you saying that children will get sick from other kids when they go to school? Wow I have 10 children and that is scary, actually getting sick from other children!!! What could be next???
Yeah... well I'm very high risk with a very very weak immune system, and often get respitory illnesses during the winter months. EVERY school year since my son started (and he's in 2nd grade) I get very very ill because of whatever lingers onto him and then home, from the kids at his school. My son does NOT go to a public school, and the classroom sizes are quite small, and even if my son dosen't get sick, it doesn't mean I wont get it. I mean I personally don't want to die because my 3 kids went to f*****g school, preschool, or daycare. Because I think they deserve their mommy to be alive....I think I want to stay alive also.... but hey to each their own.
Load More Replies... People seem to be preoccupied with the obvious, immediate respiratory effects of COVID, but the unseen effects are truly terrifying. Permanent organ damage, neurological effects, heart damage from "mini heart attacks" and tachycardia as well as undetected strokes. The second wave of COVID may be the long-term treatment of these residual issues in the millions of otherwise "asymptomatic" carriers.
In the UK, my school should be going back in September after the holidays. As a secondary school student, I will have to wear a mask around school and on the bus. To reduce movement around the school, for the first week at least, we will be remaining in our form groups and classroom. :)
Thankful that my son's school district (the largest in southern Arizona) has decided to do only distance learning and no in school classes until further notice. My kid is a Senior this year, but if the school had insisted on doing only IRL classes we would have transferred him to an online school (or we would have given him a gap year, and done practical life school instead). The worry that your kid will "fall behind" is ridiculous IMO... because EVERYONE in the world is dealing with the stress of this virus...there's bound to be a different learning curve this year for everyone, in school or not.
Idk about all the states, but many states don’t require a child go to kindergarten.
Kids who graduate from HS or college often times take a gap year off. Why not make THIS their gap year so they can survive to graduate. They can go back when this is over., And if they stay home, it will be over sooner.
Strange that CNN went and ask the doctors they trust and asked the same question. All five said yes they would send their kids to school. CNN is not a bastion for pro Trump or Conservatives, Yet the doctors there along with the CDC seam to disagree with the writers doctor. The doctors by and large on the other networks also said they would send their kids to school.
Tragically, there are things we could do to make it safe to open schools in two months time but America isn't up for that. It would require sacrifice and togetherness for a greater good and the super rich would have to lose a 0 or two on the end of their bank statements to help out, don't see that happening.
This is from NBC [not a right wing group]: Those interviewed included California Dr. Yvonne Maldonado, New Jersey Dr. Shilpa A. Patel, Vermont Dr. William V. Raszka, New York Dr. Jennifer Lighter and Tennessee Dr. Buddy Creech, and all offered the same assessment: It is safe to put kids back in the classroom. “In the U.S., children make up about 22 percent of the population, but kids account for only 2 percent of coronavirus cases so far, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,” NBC News reported. "Creech, an associate professor of pediatrics at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, told Torres it is not clear what accounts for the disparity between children and adults. “This has been a strange pandemic because usually for respiratory viruses, children are the first and the most substantially affected,” he said.
I worked a travel nurse contract this past winter, and we had a lot of kids with 2 different strains of coronavirus. There were so many sick children, the unit I was on had to use overflow space. Coronavirus, RSV, rhinovirus and flu is what we were seeing. So the winter will tell us the truth. Current data on COVID 19 in kids is also LIMITED data.
Load More Replies... MamaG is responding to the spam posts by Singh Info, folks. Not the other posts here.
I attended a high school in NY that had so many students, we went in shifts - 8-12 and 12-4. What if schools now did something similar? Would something like this make it easier for the kids to social distance? Or what about staggering the days? One group goes M-W-F, the other T and Th; then switch the following week? Neither of these ideas may be doable, but I'm just thinking out loud. Personally, I wouldn't send my kids back at this time. During 'normal' times kids would bring home all kinds of germs that parents would catch, and be sicker than the kid. Baby germs ain't no joke. Neither is Covid.
Our kids school gave us a lay out of exactly that, dependent on the level we are in next month. All levels except red (including green phase) have alternating schedules with some online classes. They also have one whole day for deep disinfecting(along with their regular disinfecting time).
Load More Replies... Meanwhile, parent in Sweden get reported to social services and threatened with fines if they keep the kids home. Very different here. However, I am unsure if closed schools is a good idea or not. Here we have had ONE death in one millions kids -9 going to school, that has been open the whole time.
And I've just read where Sweden has a higher death rate than the U.S. for the overall population.
Load More Replies... The people concerned about kids in unsafe homes, what will happen if the kids get COVID from attending school? If the parents are not good, what are the chances they will seek care for the child? As a pediatric nurse, I saw so many cases where the parents waited until their child’s sickness was really severe or the child became listless before bringing them to the hospital. Instead of exposing vulnerable children to COVID for their safety (the irony), how about increased social well-being checks? There has to be a better way. Any other ideas?
143
79