[TomPerry]

Originally Posted by blueash

I went to the link you provided. It discusses the situation in Sweden and Denmark. Neither country had the community spread we have here. Of interest in your link for how Denmark opened


I don't think that is what is being proposed here. For a more comprehensive discussion of what is known and more importantly what is not known. HERE

How many new cases were identified in Germany, Sweden, Norway, and Denmark yesterday? Can you really use their experience with safety of reopening schools as a guideline to the situation in the US where we are far and away the worst petri dish in the world.

What are the number of positive and negative test results in these countries? Probably not testing at the same level as the USA!

[WVB#1]

What I am amazed about is how many people are OBSESSED with this virus. Scouring websites, printing graphs, fact checking each other, taking about it non-stop. Endless threads on this website. Fear mongering. But I guess some people have to find something to do while they have stopped living. I'm also amazed how quickly people have bought into this "world is going to end" mantra. Have you not heard how the numbers are being over reported - drastically over reported. And for those that say one death is too many - give me a break. Name one thing, anything, that doesn't cause someone to die. It's a fact that we live, then we die. Fact check that.

[Jdunn]

Originally Posted by JimJohnson

Life threatening right now. How could anyone send their child into a crowded room under these circumstances?
This would be child abuse and WILL cause some children to die. One child dying is too many. Stop this insanity and listen to the medical and scientific experts. Wait for a vaccine before endangering the lives of children.

Maybe you should take your own advice and listen to actual doctors and experts.

[Dkay718]

Get a grip. Stop the fear mongering.

[GoodLife]

Originally Posted by TomPerry

What are the number of positive and negative test results in these countries? Probably not testing at the same level as the USA!

The comment you are replying to contains a gigantic error.

Originally Posted by blueash
It discusses the situation in Sweden and Denmark. Neither country had the community spread we have here.

Sweden was hit very hard by the virus with 7300 confirmed cases per million, USA is 9772 per million. Sweden is ranked #12 in the world for cases per million, USA is ranked #8. So saying Sweden did not have similar community spread to USA is complete nonsense.

Current COVID-19 situation - COVID 19 graph & data

So when you look at actual data from Sweden which kept schools open during entire outbreak and see zero deaths and very low positive cases in students and teachers you can see that in reality, reopening schools is not dangerous. Lots of people will make erroneous statements or quote irrelevant facts and try to convince you otherwise.

PS In regard to testing, USA has tested double the amount per capita as Sweden as I noted previously.

[Daxdog]

We are the greatest nation on earth, of course we can find a way! If parents don’t think it’s safe keep home schooling, it’s that simple. Now let’s press on with important stuff. How to stop robocalls!

[margearch309@gmail.com]

It seems we can't control the virus in the state of Florida and it grows each day so how can we expect the schools to be safe for our most precious children. Marge

[manaboutown]

I know an American who has for several years taught physics in a South Korean school. When the Chinese coronavirus outbreak started they closed the schools and he flew back to the US with his wife and baby. He taught over the internet for quite a while. Then in May he flew back, going through a two week quarantine after a thorough check at the airport. He then went back to teaching at the school. This is how the South Koreans are conducting school. It is a new norm for sure. South Korea'''s COVID precautions as students head back to school offers a glimpse of what'''s needed to re-open - ABC News

[Aspillaga60@yahoo.com]

It has to be tough being a parent with school age kids right now...you aren't sure if you should be buying back to school things, or just more wine

I spoke with an elementary principal yesterday...all 12 of the custodians at her school are currently out for 14 days due to one of them testing positive earlier in the week for the virus....although the custodians have been working for awhile, there's no way the building will be ready to open for the deadline.

At least one teacher is in quarantine as are a couple of aids

Do I personally think it's safe...to a degree yes, but this is not a yes or no question. It's a no for anyone (young of old) with a health issue.

It's critical that kids education continue...and they need to get out of the house and socialize with their friends...

IMHO there are too many open questions for those of us that are "beyond arm's length" to make an informed decision on this. I do believe that the adults will be the ones that will be most at risk though, as kids bounce back quickly.

So what happens when a significant number of teachers and aids in a school test positive? Or there's an outbreak among the bus drivers or the custodians? or the cafeteria staff?
Is there a contingency plan...most likely not.

If a teacher tests positive...does the whole class go into quarantine? If the teachers all share a lunch/break room, how many peers would have to go into quarantine?

If someone refuses to wear a mask because this is a free country...what's the school's position?

Are teachers, staff and students going to be screened upon entry daily, will they all wear masks? and will those that show signs of the virus be sent home? (or quarantined somewhere in the school until a parent can come for them)

What's the deal with meal programs? Many families depend upon the school meal program...will the school cafeteria practice social distancing?

Are the classrooms large enough so that the desks can be arranged in a social distancing pattern...or do class sizes need to be smaller?

Will every school have someone empowered to make the right call on all of the above?

We can't continue to 'give up' teaching the arts, history, geography, shop, home economics and gym...these are important too

It's time that a 'new model' for learning is introduced at all levels in the system....a blend of f2f and virtual most likely needs to be embraced. There should be enough folks in the higher ranks in the educational hierarchy to focus on designing a new approach for learning. Universities have done it...no reason that public school systems can't.

The younger generation has grown up with technology...it's the old adults that will have the most challenge making any shift from the traditional f2f format[/QUOTE]
This is a free country, is true but kind of self fish not to wear mask when you go out. It is to protect yourself and others. How hard is to understand that???:

[donfey]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

What is your personal opinion on schools opening? Is it safe for children? Teachers? Staff? Will it further spread Covid-19? How safe/dangerous is it?

IMO, if we DON'T reopen, pretty much everything, we will never gain the herd immunity few need. Personal responsibility should be what keeps us (a bit) safer, not government mandates - especially when "what we know" changes regularly.

I wear a mask as a courtesy - to protect others from me, not to protect myself. That nothing more than respect for others.

[donfey]

Originally Posted by karostay

Lack of proper education far more destructive than a virus.
Our youth are poorly educated as it is..Falling further behind will have much longer consequences that what they are facing now

But that our kids could get a "proper education" in our government schools.

[MandoMan]

Originally Posted by Gulfcoast

Retail workers, food service workers, police officers, EMTs, healthcare workers, pharmacy techs, prison guards, the staff taking care of the residents in LTCs...

All public facing positions are dealing with the public right now and have been for months.

I'm not sure why teachers and college professors would face any higher risk than the rest of these workers do. Our kids need an education, they want to be around their friends, they are also at low risk for complications from this virus. Most instructors were hired with the expectation that they would do face to face classroom instruction and they accepted their positions well aware that viruses go around every year.

You are right that college professors are not at more risk than are the other groups you mention. Perhaps less! Elementary and secondary teachers are in a similar position. They all need to take great care. I do know that many viruses go around, and I did accept that. I was careful enough that I was able to accumulate 370 days of sick leave. My intent was not to complain that teachers have it hard. My intent was to answer the original question regarding what is likely to happen this school year. I think many colleges will end up returning to online teaching by mid-semester. This will affect the economy in ways many people haven’t considered. In the town where my university is located, the school is by far the biggest employer, and many of those employees are local people.

[Doglover9409]

Originally Posted by GoodLife

Yes it is safe, many European countries have already done so without problems. Studies show children tend to not infect adults much at all, it is adults who infect children

CDC death totals per age group. As this chart shows, people under 24 years old are much more likely to die of other causes than from covid 19. Like 1000 times more likely. Under 24 deaths from Covid = 171 Under 24 deaths from other causes = 22,214

Let's keep everything shut down forever because someone might die.

Attachment 85146

My granddaughter caught COVID-19 at a Lady Lake daycare in the beginning of June. The school notified the parents that another student was positive and closed the school for cleaning. Seven year old granddaughter only had a sore throat and a deep cough. No fever. She spread to her mom and teenage brothers Before they suspected it was COVID. The teens took 10 days to have mild symptoms. Just sore throat and fatigue that lasted about 10-12 days. My daughter got sick 2 days after exposure and is still sick a month later! She has had a positive test. She had headache, chills, sore throat, deep cough and severe fatigue aches and brain fog. Much worse response than the kids. So yes, kids can get it and spread it to the parents!

[MandoMan]

Originally Posted by kenoc7

"If someone refuses to wear a mask because this is a free country...what's the school's position?"

Wearing a mask has - or should - have nothing to do with being a free country. It is about public health, the common good and protecting others, and others protecting us.

I agree with you. When I started teaching at my state university in 1986, students were allowed to smoke in the unventilated hallways and teachers were allowed to smoke in their offices and in the classrooms. (They weren’t allowed to drink on campus, though my department chair kept a bottle of scotch in his desk drawer.) Then students were not allowed to smoke in the halls. Then they weren’t allowed to smoke in their dorm rooms. Then teachers weren’t allowed to smoke in the classroom. The teachers weren’t allowed to teach in their offices. (This led to most teachers who smoked giving it up.) To me this seems like a matter of personal freedom (though I’ve never smoked a cigarette). Oddly, no one complained, not, even the union leaders who were heavy smokers.

I would assume that if masks are required at my school, masks will be worn. It’s not a matter of freedom. I wouldn’t be allowed to go to class without pants, even if I want to. Does that infringe on my freedom? Sure. But I live with it. I wouldn’t have been allowed to make sexist or racist remarks in class. I could lose my job over it. Does that infringe on my freedom of speech? Yes! But I didn’t want to, anyway. Even freedom of expression and speech has many limits in this country. So does freedom od assembly, and the press, and worship. Freedom from face masks was not enshrined in the Bill of Rights.

[Gulfcoast]

Originally Posted by Choro&Swing

You are right that college professors are not at more risk than are the other groups you mention. Perhaps less! Elementary and secondary teachers are in a similar position. They all need to take great care. I do know that many viruses go around, and I did accept that. I was careful enough that I was able to accumulate 370 days of sick leave. My intent was not to complain that teachers have it hard. My intent was to answer the original question regarding what is likely to happen this school year. I think many colleges will end up returning to online teaching by mid-semester. This will affect the economy in ways many people haven’t considered. In the town where my university is located, the school is by far the biggest employer, and many of those employees are local people.

I think that the colleges should reopen their campuses. Period. All of this strange, and quite frankly UNscientific freaking out over this thing is disturbing - especially in higher learning. If someone needs to avoid human contact then they can distance learn.