Coronavirus in Massachusetts (Springfield, Lee, Harvard: high schools, closing, living)

[htfdcolt]

Originally Posted by rach5

And also disturbing: Delta is taking off in UK schools, with schools just trying to hang on until end of term in July. Lots of absences due to contact with cases. https://www.theguardian.com/educatio...k-due-to-covid

I've been as cautious as anyone during the pandemic...but can't help but think we're succumbing to panic again. Isn't the risk very very low for us in MA who are vaccinated, especially with one of the mRNA vaccines, and living in areas where (a) vaccination rates are high and (b) test positivity rates are <1%?

[Shrewsburried]

Originally Posted by htfdcolt

I've been as cautious as anyone during the pandemic...but can't help but think we're succumbing to panic again. Isn't the risk very very low for us in MA who are vaccinated, especially with one of the mRNA vaccines, and living in areas where (a) vaccination rates are high and (b) test positivity rates are <1%?

What's largely fueling the panic is individuals and media not understanding or providing context for what, for example, 33% effective against symptomatic infection actually means in terms of one's health and risk.

People envision ICUs and intubations versus 48hrs of sluggishness and full recovery. There's a whole bunch of reputable infectious disease and epidemologists suggesting vaccinated individuals need not worry, but certain media outlets jump all over a single WHO epidemologist suggesting lowered vaccine efficacy against the Delta variant.

[msRB311]

I am not panicking but I also don't know what to expect. I think many are in the same boat as I am. There's just a lot of unknowns still.

[porterhouse]

Originally Posted by htfdcolt

I've been as cautious as anyone during the pandemic...but can't help but think we're succumbing to panic again.

Of course. Let's not forget the actual, near-0 risks Covid poses to children & teens.

Here we go again though. Let's keep hyping the variant du jour so school superintendents impose ridiculous restrictions in September to please unions, public health officials, & politicians.

People need to watch less news (and much less social media) and read more data.

[Amontillado]

I'm worried. Think I'll go out and stock up on toilet paper.

[msRB311]

I wasn't too worried about my kids getting it until reading about these brain issues now...

[rach5]

Originally Posted by htfdcolt

I've been as cautious as anyone during the pandemic...but can't help but think we're succumbing to panic again. Isn't the risk very very low for us in MA who are vaccinated, especially with one of the mRNA vaccines, and living in areas where (a) vaccination rates are high and (b) test positivity rates are <1%?

I happen to care more about just my vaccinated self. I live in a city that's well under 50% fully vaccinated - and RI is a state that overall is doing pretty well. So many people around the US are unprotected - and many of them not because they make a privileged choice against vaccination. Wrt kids, we simply don't know yet what the long-term effect of covid will be. Long covid, brain shrinkage, early start of auto-immune diseases, mild heart/organ damage - it will likely take years and possibly decades to collect the data. Just like mild lead position was ignored for many decades, until they realized it damaged kid's brains well under the traditional cutoff of 10.

[msRB311]

I am hoping more info comes out on the brain damage thing...I mean people had covid and didn't even know it. I can understand how lead poisoning causes brain damage because it's a chemical (but many kids have had lead poisoning or high lead levels and went on to be fine). It seems weird to me that being asymptomatic for covid or having a cough/runny nose would cause brain damage.

I am also one of those people who loses my sense of taste and smell when I have a cold (this goes waay back before covid) Anytime I get a cold I can't smell or taste...I thought this happened to everyone because if you have a stuffed up nose this makes sense than you can't taste or smell. My son has the same thing happen to him when he gets stuffed up.

[mdovell]

First it took awhile but we had the testing down
Then it took awhile but we have three vaccines out

Now place are bending over backwards to give it out. At this point get the shot and encourage others to get it. Academia requires it for enrollment and public schools probably will. I don't see us wearing masks in schools in the fall. The vaccine is out there's plenty to go around.

I don't see a huge surge in the fall. But what I do see is the vast majority of those still sick with this are those that didn't get the shot. I'm much more concerned about other countries at this point because of the global implementations relative to the Boston, Mass and new england economy.

[rach5]

Originally Posted by msRB311

I am hoping more info comes out on the brain damage thing...I mean people had covid and didn't even know it. I can understand how lead poisoning causes brain damage because it's a chemical (but many kids have had lead poisoning or high lead levels and went on to be fine). It seems weird to me that being asymptomatic for covid or having a cough/runny nose would cause brain damage.

I am also one of those people who loses my sense of taste and smell when I have a cold (this goes waay back before covid) Anytime I get a cold I can't smell or taste...I thought this happened to everyone because if you have a stuffed up nose this makes sense than you can't taste or smell. My son has the same thing happen to him when he gets stuffed up.

The thing about lead poisening - if you look at a kid with lead poisoning and think they went on to be fine - you don't actually know that because you don't know the counterfactual. Perhaps that person, without lead poisoning, would have been valedictorian in school, been top of their grad program and revolutionized their field, instead of "just" being in the top 10% of class and in a lower ranked Ivy.
I am sure they will study covid for years to come. Looks like quite a weird disease.