📍OUTBREAK OF #B117 AT SEVEN SCHOOLS—sudden outbreak of #COVID19 cases at a British Columbia 🇨🇦—all elementary and middle schools. Genetic sequencing shows #b117 in early cases linked to outbreak. Classes quarantined. All the schools still remain open. 🧵 cbc.ca/news/canada/br…
2) British Columbia 🇨🇦 teachers are now incredibly worried by the latest sudden 7 school outbreaks, and demanding decisive actions.
3) British Columbia is having a major increase in transmission — and has the highest R in Canada 🇨🇦 currently.
4) A statement from the Surrey School District to parents says the strain detected at two of the schools was connected to positive cases dating back to Jan. 26 because testing for the variants takes longer than the standard COVID-19 test.
5) The three-week delay is too long, said Sarah Otto, a professor in evolutionary biology at UBC.
"We expect it to double every eight to 10 days, and so for every eight- to 10-day delay there's potentially twice as many other people who have caught it and not know about it.''
6) The Fraser Health statement says it is working to identify any more connected variant:
"The variant strain can transmit more quickly and easily but does not seem to cause more severe illness”
➡️ this is incorrect. #B117 is said by 🇬🇧 experts to increase severity as well.
7) Apparently, masks weren’t mandated at every school, according to @bctf.
Epic fail.
8) Recently, UK says #B117 variant can be 30-70% more severe than old common strains.
9) This BC follows the heels of two other notable school outbreaks in Austria and Denmark and kids surge in Israel.
10) The Danish multi school outbreak was also #B117 related.
11) As was the Italian village #B117 outbreak in which 60% of the infected were children.
12) This divergence in children also seen in the UK, despite general lockdown. After winter break, positivity in 5-9 year olds higher vs adults after primary partially schools reopening. This wasn’t seen last year at all.
13) These can no longer be dismissed as isolated stories. We know school reopening lead to rise in cases. We cannot delude ourselves on this!
14) Meanwhile, BC 🇨🇦 leaders downplay everything even as #B117 spreads and BC’s R is increasing, says @PennyDaflos.
bc.ctvnews.ca/b-c-health-off…
15) BC schools are also atrociously **SCREWING SHUT WINDOWS** to prevent teachers from opening them for fresh air!!! Can’t make this insanity up—all while in middle of outbreak. cbc.ca/news/canada/br…
16) But that^ is exact opposite of what we need to do to stop school transmissions. We need more ventilation and air cleanings. Ventilation is the easiest and best. Air disinfection next best. See thread 🧵
17) Ventilation and air disinfection is just so critical for schools and any crowded places.
18) Another datapoint of pediatric case surge ever since schools reopened without mitigation in Iowa.
19) Another reminder we have known the coronavirus is airborne—long distance aerosol travel and aerosol infection means we need to take serious transmission in schools and prevent indoor dining.
20) And I agree with anxious and worried @bctf teachers... they need widespread rapid testing to stay ahead of outbreak before epidemics grow to multiple classrooms, grade levels, and schools.
21) Meanwhile.... another multi-school outbreak in Toronto that seems similar to BC #B117 school outbreak.
22) And the clearest evidence of school #COVID19 transmission of teachers and kids comes from Quebec... the evidence on schools is irrefutable.
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