And we also read about the deaths of those wearing a seat belt. What's your point. It was their decision to not wear a seat belt and the gov should not decide otherwise. The gov should stay out of other folks' business. If you wish to suggest that other folks getting injured causes a raise in your health insurance, fine then someone should also put a stop to all of these FREE roof replacements that have caused my home owner's insurance to double.

And yet women are killing their unwanted unborn all the time. It's their "right."

And yet, you admit that you do not wear a mask. Some folks would call that being a hypocrite.
And do not tell me that you can do that because you are vaccinated. Children seem to have just as much resistance to the virus as the vaccinated seniors.

Not really. Based on a lot of data, I still believe masks are relatively useless except in a few settings. Outdoors----useless except in a rugby huddle:1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl:. Riding alone---useless. However, indoors when social distancing cannot be guaranteed around unvaccinated or immunocompromised people they will do some good.

School kids under 12 haven't been vaccinated, therefore I agree with masking when they are in the classroom or on the bus, even though the mortality rate in this group is low. I see no reason for a mask on the playground.

I generally hate "mandates" but in this case I can't see leaving a decision that affects the health of a whole school to individual parents who do not possess the expertise required. A local school board is no smarter either. That's why I advocate a state or national mandate for masks in school classrooms and busses for those under 12 until the children's version of the vaccines are approved. As far as parents who will refuse to have their kids vaccinated, place them in a "basket of deplorables" but congratulate them for enhancing the gene pool.

For the people that are scared of this whole Covid thing and they think you are going to die if you go outside, check this out from a leaked video conference of a meeting from a hospital:
https://mobile.twitter.com/NationalF...66927703138308

Didn't you say that using anything other than a N95 was basically useless? Not trying to argue, but it does seem that you have been very adamant about useless paper and cloth masks in the past.

Completely disputable...

I don't think so, I'm pretty sure I've been consistent in stating that their only use was indoors when social distancing could not be guaranteed. If not, my apologies

Presactly!

I'm sorry but I cannot agree with mandating masks for children as that would disenfranchise minorities just like voter ID.
Yes, that is me being facetious. Kind of hard to take this subject seriously when those that advocate such a preposterous idea have no skin in the game.
Someone mentioned raising taxes for the school system. I've seen that done in the past, as an example the lottery in which all the money was supposed to go to the school system. What actually happened is that very little money goes to schools and the rest goes to what the state decides to spend it on.

No apology warranted. Perhaps I misunderstood.

What does this Have to do with the Talk Of The Villages
 

No Interest

Condensation!
 

Now that’s funny.

"A mask mandate for children in school is necessary to slow the spread of this Covid virus."

That's all it will do, is slow it somewhat. Masks (I wear one) are for transitory contact. They help you in grocery stores, brief meetings, etc. They will do next to nothing to stop the spread when people are sitting a few feet from each other for hours per day five days a week. Some schools have even mandated masks for outdoor sports like track. There is ZERO science for requiring something so stupid.

Google "phycological effects of child masking" and read a few articles. Perhaps you will change your mind.

You're kinda assuming that any child not getting a vaccine will die. I think a case could be made that children would be better off catching COVID rather than trying to protect them with a vaccine. They're not really at risk if they catch the disease. I've seen some reports claiming children are exposed to more risk of harm taking the vaccine vs catching the virus. Let them develop natural immunity which is infinitely better than the vaccines.

Not assuming that at all. I will assume that a vaccinated child is far less likely to die of COVID than one that is not vaccinated. While the mortality rate among children is low, they are at some degree of risk if they "catch the disease". As far as the "danger" of the vaccine---that's a bunch of hype from anti-vax groups with an agenda that is adverse to the common good and is completely unsubstantiated. And I don't know how much better natural immunity is vs. the vaccines, but I can guarantee it isn't "infinitely"

Gotta love the death culture. Yeah, parents know best. Is that why some leave them in cars?

Child COVID Cases Surge to 500k in Two Weeks as Pfizer Waits for Data on Vaccines for Kids

Agree, if nothing else, a mask minimizes children putting their fingers up their noise or in their mouth.

LOL. Well, maybe I was using its secondary meaning, "to a very great degree; immensely". Yes, probably not the best word to use.....

Not sure I agree about the hype. Myocarditis and pericarditis are well documented side effects in youngsters, especially males. I think there may even be warnings now on both Pfizer and Moderna.

I simply personally believe kids don't need the vaccine. The death rate was so low even before they became eligible for the vaccine, it doesn't make sense. Let them get the virus and develop immunity which is to a very great degree, immensely better than the vaccine. :icon_wink:

Thank you.

Correct.....I have not worn a mask since I have been fully vaccinated and do not plan to do so anywhere unless it is required. I don't believe I am a hipocrite because I want UN-vaccinated children to mask up in the classroom. I guess we will have to agree to disagree.

Thank you for your expert opinion. You have validated my stance and I thank you for that too.

May I borrow this word from you. I LOVE it!

There are "psychological effects" when children are kept out of the classroom too. Masking is the lesser of two evils, IMHO. I'd rather see the children in the classroom, in person learning and interacting with others than see them schooled on a computer screen at home. These kids need to be social distanced in the classroom along with universal masking and that is the safest way to go.

Bwaahahaha! In age group 0 to 17 there have been 439 covid deaths

In age group 0 to 17 there have been 4,465,332 confirmed covid cases. Because kids are asymptomatic at higher rates than adults CDC estimates 26,838,244 total cases in kids 0 to 17.

Lets do the math. Using confirmed cases (4,465,332) the chance of a kid dying from covid is 0.009%. Thats 9/100,000 as a fraction

Using CDC estimated number for total cases 0 to 17 (26,838,244) the chance of a kid dying from covid is 0.001%. That's 1/100,000 as a fraction.

Both of these calculations show a better chance of survival (by far) than a fully vaccinated adult.

Estimated COVID-19 Burden | CDC

What a ridiculous endeavor and waste it would be to vaccinate 74 million kids and make them sit in school with useless facemasks.

Every kid counts right? About 70,000 die every year, and we are going to inject all 74 million of them with a vaccine they clearly don't need.

What a laugh. :1rotfl:

Off the top of my head, I can think of 439 parents that aren't laughing

I can think of 70,000 other parents that aren't laughing, but that's not relevant to a discussion of whether it is a rational health policy to vaccinate 74 million kids in a foolish attempt to lower chance of covid death from 1/100000 to 0/100000 when there are many other health problems that kill more kids every year.

"I will assume that a vaccinated child is far less likely to die of COVID than one that is not vaccinated"

Apparently someone was asleep in math class. Going from 1/100000 to 0/100000 is definitely not "far less likely"

It's 0.001% less likely.

If we accept your numbers, which I need to check

My youngest just graduated from HS and I could not agree with you more OrangeBlossomBaby.

As a parent, I was happy to see schools reopen last year. I feel that the kids in Florida benefited greatly from having in class instruction, being able to participate in sports and other activities and simply being around their friends. When the mask requirement was lifted towards the end of the school year that was a good thing in my opinion - I have felt very fortunate to be living in Florida because I think Florida schools got it right. But this school year I no longer have a kid in school. Both of my kids are now young adults in college.

I think the parents of school children know what they are doing and no one loves their children as much as they do. Raising kids is hard enough without all of the contentiousness surrounding COVID. I'm glad that this is no longer my fight and I wish the parents of school children the best of luck going forward. I know that they've got this.

This may be an unpopular opinion but here goes..........

OK, children may not "need" the vaccine to protect them but those children need to be vaccinated to contribute to a much needed herd immunity. Our country will never reach herd immunity without vaccinated children. There are adults who can not be vaccinated due to medical reasons and they need the protection of herd immunity.

Finally someone has actually posted the real reason people are pushing to vaccinate kids, who are in no real danger from Covid. To save themselves! They would rather have a child, with an infinitesimal chance of dying from Covid, receive a vaccine with no data on the long term side effects, just to make themselves safer! I find that thinking to be totally abhorrent.

Not sure if you know this, but the one-room schoolhouse has been replaced. Nowadays, kids have to walk through hallways to get from one class to the other. In some schools, they have lockers all along the walls, where you might see 5-6 kids all standing shoulder-to-shoulder to try and get their books in and out, pick up their gym clothes, grab their lunch from the shelf, etc.

In addition, the desks are close enough within the classrooms that school-origin flu and cold is (and has always been) a thing. When one kid gets mono, the whole class gets mono. When one kid comes down with the flu, the whole class comes down with it.

That's because of a virus being passed through droplets from their nose and mouth, shooting through the air and landing either on someone's hand, or in their eyes, nose, mouth. A single sneeze while the kids stand up when the bell rings for the next class, can hit 1, 2, 3, even 4 kids who are all in the process of turning to reach for their books, or grab their sweater, or crowding near the doorway on the way out, etc. etc. etc.

One person needs to sneeze - that's all it takes. Just one person infected with COVID-19, with a little dust in their nose - to infect a few dozen kids out of a school full of them. And each of THOSE kids - has the potential to continue the spread once the infection gets into their system and becomes contagious.

Masking isn't guaranteed to keep every kid in school from getting sick. But it will REDUCE THE RISK. It reduces the risk, it's safe, it's inexpensive, and it's nothing more than a minor inconvenience MOSTLY to adults. Kids tend to be fine with the idea of masking, as long as their parents don't teach them that they should have a problem with it.

Teach your kids fear, and they'll be afraid. Teach them that this is just part of their school uniform, and they'll come up with inventive ways to comply. Maybe a "decorate your own mask" project at home, for the cloth masks with the paper filters inside them.

This isn't even an issue in some parts of the country. Kids just wear the masks, they don't make a fuss over it, it doesn't bother them in the least, it doesn't prevent them from learning, or socializing. It's no different to them from wearing gloves when it's cold outside.

I don't even like wearing a mask at the grocery store for an hour so I can't imagine having to wear one all day long. It's unnatural to have half your face covered! Don't you realize that? The harm it does to a child is far worse than possibly getting Covid or being a spreader.

Why not concentrate on masking the adults, teachers and administration, whether they're vaccinated or not? That's what everyone is really worried about, right? Not the kids, but that adults might get it and become ill or whatever it is so many people are cowering in fear over.

Interestingly, when Swine Flu/H1N1(I think we all remember that) hit the U.S. in spring of 2009 it was mainly children who were affected. Adults had acquired some immunity through contracting similar viruses throughout their lifetime so if they got it it usually was mild. A vaccine wasn't available to the public until December 2009 but the majority of vaccinations took place the following year. It was classified as a worldwide pandemic, and Pres. Obama declared it a national emergency in the fall of 2009.

Even though children were at risk for illness, sometimes of a serious nature, only one school ever closed due to an outbreak, and at no time did the Obama administration, state officials/governments, or the CDC mandate that children wear masks at school even though their risk of exposure and infection was often high.

Bingo!! Hit the nail on the head.

Mask are more psychologically helpful than physically helpful.

For decades we have been told by the medical community that keeping your hands away from you face will minimize your chance of being infected. So now we have millions of people touching their face in the process of putting on a mask, adjusting a mask, removing a mask, which, in many cases that mask is worn improperly anyway.

If you are a healthy individual you have an IMMUNE system. That system is better than any injection, mask, booster you can conjure. If that statement were not true the human race would have become extinct thousands of years ago. All Covid statistics are exaggerated to fit some other agenda, and that agenda is not the welfare of us citizens. <IMO>

BINGO!! :boom:

IMO children are more vulnerable to the FLU than Covid, and yet NO ONE has suggested masks in schools in the past.

THIS IS ALL MASS HYSTERIA based on a snowball effect of an idea that has gotten larger and larger as it progresses. I have grandchildren in the public school system and college that have all had Covid and survived with little to no effect in their activities. Now you all are demanding that they wear masks? There was no vaccine for their parents at that time and they also caught Covid with little effect other than quarantine from work. Oh, to be honest with you one adult had a lingering cough that was also gone after a brief period. Out of all the folks I have known that have been infected (including two in their 80's) I have only known of two that passed away and they were both in the hospital for other serious illnesses. The ones in their '80s are still fine.
A mask mandate for children is cruel and will be a slippery slope to mandating masks for the FLU and colds, etc. Sorry, but until someone proves that it will save ALL lives, I am against the idea. If you want definite safety for your children, then keep them at home and never let them out in public. Do not let them travel in any type of transport and never let them outside to play. After all, they might get hit by a baseball or fall from a tree.
I respect the view of our resident doctors on here, but I also have my opinion.
The OP only proves a hypocritical opinion by ALWAYS saying they do not wear a mask and won't, but demanding someone else do it for their (OP'S) safety.
After doing a lot of my own reading, I am also NOW skeptical of the vaccination program for anyone other than seniors and those that might have medical issues. I have my vaccination, but was motivated by protecting my spouse. I have very little doubt that I would be bothered with any infection if I had not been vaccinated. But, I guess I will never know. Hopefully, I will not have any negative effects from the vaccination. If so, oh well.
Oh, and just a side note that might mean nothing to most, but I have been in physical contact with several Covid survivors and none of us were wearing masks. Yes, it was after I was vaccinated. It might mean nothing other than proving that I have not allowed Covid hysteria rule my life.

I’ll give you a reason why people in the Villages should worry about children, it’s
grandchildren.