Coronavirus in Massachusetts (babysitters, how to get, disabled)

[id77]

I'd also like the hear the answer to this.

Shutting down indefinitely because even a single life lost is unacceptable to you is not an answer. Being indignant to every option proposed is not an answer. Expecting UBI and money to come from some magical spring to keep everything afloat for months or even years because there's some high-risk people out there is not an answer.

Time is running out on the shutdown, and the gates are going to burst open again soon. Things simply cannot stay shutdown; the cost to do so is beyond what can be sustained much longer. Kids cannot stay home for another year. Daycares cannot be restricted if there's any expectation for parents to return to work in any normal manner.

To everyone saying no and making snarky comments about how stupid the plan to opening is, what is the answer to the problem? Things are going to open, so how do you open?

[charolastra00]

Originally Posted by Bridge781

A lot of teachers seem angry and terrified about school reopening. A lot of parents are afraid to send their kids. I guess I’m up in the air. Of course I don’t want my 4 and 6 yr old to get corona but it seems like most young kids who get it end up being asymptotic or have cold/cough symptoms. Unless someone’s kid is immunocompromised, or the parent is and they’re worried about them bringing it home what are they so worried about that they are terrified of getting corona?

I can’t help but feel irritated a parents worrying about healthy toddlers and 1st graders getting it to the point of not wanting schools to reopen. It seems idiotic.

Will you be teaching in a classroom in the fall?



Also, remember that surviving is different that recovering. We don't know the full extent of issues.


A good friend's 4 year old is on day 92 (give or take) of a fever. She's 4. Zero pre-existing conditions, and she didn't get particularly sick.

[GeoffD]

Originally Posted by id77

I'd also like the hear the answer to this.

Shutting down indefinitely because even a single life lost is unacceptable to you is not an answer. Being indignant to every option proposed is not an answer. Expecting UBI and money to come from some magical spring to keep everything afloat for months or even years because there's some high-risk people out there is not an answer.

Time is running out on the shutdown, and the gates are going to burst open again soon. Things simply cannot stay shutdown; the cost to do so is beyond what can be sustained much longer. Kids cannot stay home for another year. Daycares cannot be restricted if there's any expectation for parents to return to work in any normal manner.

To everyone saying no and making snarky comments about how stupid the plan to opening is, what is the answer to the problem? Things are going to open, so how do you open?

You do something like Fairfax VA. A couple days per week. 6' of separation. An opt-out for parents who don't want their children in a school this year where they do remote learning. From a staffing point of view, there are an awful lot of high risk teachers who shouldn't be doing anything but remote learning this year. If there was a mandate to go back to business as usual with jammed classrooms for 6 hours per day and 5 days per week, I'd expect widespread strikes and massive sick-outs.


If you're going to mandate something, mandate flexibility with employers, not throw teachers under the yellow bus.

[GeoffD]

Originally Posted by charolastra00

Will you be teaching in a classroom in the fall?



Also, remember that surviving is different that recovering. We don't know the full extent of issues.


A good friend's 4 year old is on day 92 (give or take) of a fever. She's 4. Zero pre-existing conditions, and she didn't get particularly sick.

But it's just the flu. 99% of coronavirus cases are totally harmless.

[charolastra00]

Originally Posted by GeoffD

But it's just the flu. 99% of coronavirus cases are totally harmless.

My best friend died of the flu as a healthy woman in her 30s in the really awful 2017-18 flu season. I was the one who found her body, so I am very aware and conscience of the dangers of the flu.


People who recover from the flu don't typically have blood clots/strokes, long-term fatigue, lung damage, heart damage, kidney damage resulting in dialysis, or cognitive impacts. Those are all factors previously healthy friends in their 20s and 30s are dealing with 3, 4, 5+ months after surviving covid, so say nothing of multiple people in my life who have passed away.


Even if only 10% of people who survive covid experience long term effects, that's hundreds of thousands of people potentially out of the workforce, reliant on disability, and costing billions of dollars in medical care.

[BostonMike7]

Originally Posted by Shrewsburried

IMO, this should not be the teachers problem. They aren't healthcare professionals who are used to or willing to wear proper PPE. I don't think people understand the rigor required.

Unfortunately it is now. Teachers are being asked to figure out all the details regarding this new learning model in Sept.

Committees within the school consisting of the teachers themselves are tasked with figuring out all the details surrounding how to manage things like morning drop-off, restroom breaks, lunch, how to use available space to allow for proper social distancing, how to manage children wearing a mask all day when it's 90 degrees in an non-air-conditioned classroom, how to manage sending someone to the nurse, etc etc.

On top of this they are being asked to modify their curriculum to "front-load" core principles in the event that after 5-6 weeks, they are forced to switch to a hybrid or distance learning model.

I've been privy to a number of the zoom meetings to set all this up. They get minimal guidance and have to figure it all out among themselves.

[Shrewsburried]

Originally Posted by Bridge781

I’m sorry but it does seem like life has returned to normal for many around here and there hasn’t been a spike. I’ve been down the cape every weekend and it’s surprising to me how crowded the beaches, restaurants, stores and hotels are. If people can do these activities then why is opening schools such a problem?

The data is rolling. People are currently acting like the risk is low, but it will take a good 3-5 weeks to see whether infection rates and hospitalizations begin spiking badly as a result.

For example, see those pointing at TX as example of "full open" success. Now a month later the state's healthcare system is getting absolutely slammed with hospitalizations.

[Bridge781]

I agree that we can’t shut down the country and schools again for the at risk groups. Unfortunately those people are the ones who will have to make life changes. I say open the schools and if you don’t want to send your kids to school keep them home. If you’re an immunocompromised teacher then maybe you should get some kind of early retirement package. We already kept schools closed all last spring. I do think there are some paranoid people out there who really need to get over their worries about this. I’m tired of hearing healthy parents with healthy kids who don’t even have to work express worry about sending their 4 yr old to school in the fall. Ok then keep them home and home school or shut up. There are many people out there who actually have to go to work and have kids in high school who’s lives are actually in turmoil over this.

My daughter is 4 and it won’t be the end of the world if she doesn’t go to school this fall but if the school opens I’ll happily send her.

[Bridge781]

Originally Posted by charolastra00

Will you be teaching in a classroom in the fall?



Also, remember that surviving is different that recovering. We don't know the full extent of issues.


A good friend's 4 year old is on day 92 (give or take) of a fever. She's 4. Zero pre-existing conditions, and she didn't get particularly sick.

No I’m not a teacher.

What you’re describing about the 4 yr old you know sounds highly unusual. 92 days of a fever !?

[Bridge781]

I empathize with the sick or at risk people but they can’t rule the lives of everyone.

I also get the fear that people are afraid to open schools because what if all the kids at school get corona and don’t recover. Is that a rational way to think though? And again if that’s the approach then it doesn’t seem like schools will be able to open even with a vaccine. Corona isn’t going away. It’s here.

We already don’t allow peanut butter or nuts in schools for fear of the handful of kids in the whole school who have an allergy could go into anaphylactic shock of exposed. There isn’t an easy answer for this one but I don’t believe we can just protect the small majority from this forever. The answer is they will have to make other arrangements.