Thread by @davejereb

COVID, Kids MH & School- an alt view of the Aussie study of Kids and COVID in NSW
Let’s discuss this study used to preach return to school for kids MH, inc by the authors.
1.Not peer reviewed- ie no journal willing to print it. So, publish in SMH. 1/

smh.com.au/national/it-s-…

2.Says 1.26% kids in hosp for COVID June to Oct 2021. Show me what else sends 1 kid in every 3 primary classes to hospital. If it were paint fumes, the school would be shut down. 2/

3.A further 2.46% in hospital cos they have no one without COVID to care for them. Let’s stop and think about the trauma of that. I know someone who is caring for these kids and she is a…TRAUMA specialist. Brought in from the TRAUMA unit cos this experience is… TRAUMATIC. 3/

Massive impact on MH. Probably worse for MH than being hospitalised for sickness in many cases, imo. 4/

4.The study occurred during lockdown/ school closure. Lower COVID percentage in NSW kids in this study (vs the world) reflect the safety of school closing, not that schools are safe. 5/

5.This data has little relevance to where we are today. It could though, as the pre-test for the data of 2021 term 4 or unfortunately when we get data from 2022 term 1. 6/

Now this thread is useful for determining the impacts on child MH throughout this pandemic. 7/

I’m not an expert in COVID but I know my stuff with kids, particularly vulnerable kids. There is not one truth. Some kids are not safe at home. Many don’t feel safe at school even outside pandemics, with bullying and stress of the demands of academics. 8/

So schools should be made as COVIDsafe as possible with Vax + (including option to #DelaySchool until kids are vaxxed, CO2 monitors, HEPA units and good masks truly encouraged). 9/
ozsage.org/media_releases…

And a comprehensive MH approach is needed. Some kids MH impacted by lockdowns but also by getting covid, fear of covid, watching sick loved ones, fear of spreading covid to loved ones, kids in class disappearing, bullying and shaming for having covid, etc.
/10

So let’s take an approach that has the sophistication and complexity of the human brain. Not the simplicity of the brains of some of our politicians and so-called experts. /11
#auspol
#nswpol
#nsweducation
#DelaySchool

@drbecs @drkerrynphelps @YouAreLobbyLud @RageSheen @DrEricDing @EpiEllie @PMGPSC @takesthecake2 @CovidSafeEdAus @AugersMonster