As the rate of new cases climbs to near that of the pandemic's peak, some Transylvania County School Board members say they want to discuss the current mask-optional policy at Monday's meeting.
The optional mask decision the Board members made is the best decision that could be made. It allows parents the choice of what to do for their children. It also allows those who feel masks will help their children to mask their children. Currently schools have temperature checking to catch a possibly infected child.
Scientific American reports the true risk covid-19 poses to school age children.
“We know that among children ages 5–14, the COVID-19 mortality rate has been reported at around one per million. To put this in perspective, by contrast, transport accidents account for 15 times that mortality rate. Children in that age range are almost 10 times more likely to die by suicide, than die from COVID-19 (see Figure).” https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/science-and-society-are-failing-children-in-the-covid-era/
The CDC has omitted the psychological effects masks and lockdowns have on children. But has published suicide rate increases: “ During February 21–March 20, 2021, suspected suicide attempt ED visits were 50.6% higher among girls aged 12–17 years than during the same period in 2019; among boys aged 12–17 years, suspected suicide attempt ED visits increased 3.7%.” https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7024e1.htm
As a grown adult I have been harassed and had merchandise thrown at me for not wearing the mask. Imagine the bullying masked children submit non masked children to, thus explaining the suicide increase.
Please leave politics out of our education system! Please stop muzzling our children for a one in a million death rate disease when the flu has an exponentially higher death rate and nothing has been done to stop it’s spread.
I will be at the meeting in Rosman on Monday. My approach to masks being optional is not political but scientific. This virus, and it’s subclades (variants) are weakening.
The CDC and WHO say the subclades (variants) are spreading faster and that is scientifically speaking good news. So here is the science from the experts.
SARS-CoV-2 is an RNA virus. The cool thing about RNA viruses is that they mutate with either speed or fidelity. Fast spread or the same virulence. But they can‘t do both. Example: mutate faster and they are weaker. Mutate slowly and they are more virulent.
The Delta, Gamma, Kappa and Lambda are spreading at a high rate which means the viruses’ “subclade” or children if you will, are getting weaker. Here is the research on that. Wear a mask if you’re concerned but the good news is the virus is weakening.
I think people need to remember that a confirmed case does not indicate death or debility. It indicates exposure and with weakening viral subclades it means exposure to the virus that is now in a weakened state. Similar to what happened after the outbreak of the 1918 corona virus. My heart hurts for many friends who have so much stress and fear about the virus and the limited, scientific information being disseminated. If family members/parents are concerned then they have the option to vaccinate and/or mask themselves and their children. I received an email from Brevard High School stating that “ Screening stations will be in place again and no students are to enter the building without being screened at one of the three screening stations.” I would hope that all of our Transylvania County schools will keep entry screenings in place. This act will help to identify students who have fever symptoms and will help, along with optional vaccinations and optional masking, to protect staff and students.
The optional mask decision the Board members made is the best decision that could be made. It allows parents the choice of what to do for their children. It also allows those who feel masks will help their children to mask their children. Currently schools have temperature checking to catch a possibly infected child.
Scientific American reports the true risk covid-19 poses to school age children.
“We know that among children ages 5–14, the COVID-19 mortality rate has been reported at around one per million. To put this in perspective, by contrast, transport accidents account for 15 times that mortality rate. Children in that age range are almost 10 times more likely to die by suicide, than die from COVID-19 (see Figure).” https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/science-and-society-are-failing-children-in-the-covid-era/
The CDC has omitted the psychological effects masks and lockdowns have on children. But has published suicide rate increases: “ During February 21–March 20, 2021, suspected suicide attempt ED visits were 50.6% higher among girls aged 12–17 years than during the same period in 2019; among boys aged 12–17 years, suspected suicide attempt ED visits increased 3.7%.” https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7024e1.htm
As a grown adult I have been harassed and had merchandise thrown at me for not wearing the mask. Imagine the bullying masked children submit non masked children to, thus explaining the suicide increase.
Please leave politics out of our education system! Please stop muzzling our children for a one in a million death rate disease when the flu has an exponentially higher death rate and nothing has been done to stop it’s spread.
I will be at the meeting in Rosman on Monday. My approach to masks being optional is not political but scientific. This virus, and it’s subclades (variants) are weakening.
The CDC and WHO say the subclades (variants) are spreading faster and that is scientifically speaking good news. So here is the science from the experts.
SARS-CoV-2 is an RNA virus. The cool thing about RNA viruses is that they mutate with either speed or fidelity. Fast spread or the same virulence. But they can‘t do both. Example: mutate faster and they are weaker. Mutate slowly and they are more virulent.
The Delta, Gamma, Kappa and Lambda are spreading at a high rate which means the viruses’ “subclade” or children if you will, are getting weaker. Here is the research on that. Wear a mask if you’re concerned but the good news is the virus is weakening.
This is peer reviewed research from our National Institute of Health https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6040757/
I think people need to remember that a confirmed case does not indicate death or debility. It indicates exposure and with weakening viral subclades it means exposure to the virus that is now in a weakened state. Similar to what happened after the outbreak of the 1918 corona virus. My heart hurts for many friends who have so much stress and fear about the virus and the limited, scientific information being disseminated. If family members/parents are concerned then they have the option to vaccinate and/or mask themselves and their children. I received an email from Brevard High School stating that “ Screening stations will be in place again and no students are to enter the building without being screened at one of the three screening stations.” I would hope that all of our Transylvania County schools will keep entry screenings in place. This act will help to identify students who have fever symptoms and will help, along with optional vaccinations and optional masking, to protect staff and students.