Thread by @MarcelHarmon1

This is an all hands on deck moment. In-person school is starting. W/ the #DeltaVariant, even w/ the majority of the relevant strategies in place, it’s going to be difficult to prevent transmission in our schools (linkedin.com/pulse/in-perso…). 🧵1/

#ksed #ksleg

In an elementary classroom w/ unvaxxed students, generally ASHRAE compliant ventilation/filtration, the addition of (1) portable HEPA filter unit, & theoretical 100% mask wearing (double layer cloth mask), max exposure is only about 1.2 hrs before an additional student... 2/

is potentially infected at full occupancy (assuming 1 infected student is present).

Accounting for the potential reality of younger kids not always effectively wearing their masks (50% mask wearing), the max exposure is under an hour before an additional student is infected. 3/

If students had N95/KN95 masks, the probability of infection would substantially decrease (assuming they were correctly & consistently worn). At 100% mask wearing, the max exposure is well over 6 hrs before an additional student is potentially infected. 4/

But accounting for inconsistent wearing (50% mask wearing), that max exposure time is still pretty low - 1.25 hrs. Which speaks to the importance of using a mask that will be consistently worn correctly, & working w/ kids to make sure they are doing so.

This analysis also... 5/

emphasizes the importance of implementing all of the relevant mitigation strategies in our schools (& again, avoid additive air cleaning tech -

https://twitter.com/marwa_zaatari/status/1426723095260319745?s=20

; also see @marwa_zaatari's excellent recent thread on air cleaners:

https://twitter.com/marwa_zaatari/status/1426723024175255556?s=20

). 6/

And it emphasizes the importance of communities taking the appropriate measures to reduce their community transmission rates - universal mask wearing, creative vaccination initiatives (or mandates), canceling or postponing indoor/outdoor crowded events (or going online),... 7/

limiting indoor dining, improving community building ventilation & filtration, gofundme campaigns to purchase age appropriate high efficiency masks for all kids, etc. Keeping community transmission low goes a long way to reducing the total risk of transmission in our schools. 8/

The previous figure shows how both the number of people present & the community transmission rate influence the likelihood that an infected person is present, and therefore the total risk in a given setting.

The health risk to our kids is real, as well as the continued... 9/

disruption to their education & social/emotional well-being that’s going to happen if we have large groups of students/staff frequently quarantining or have to go back to remote learning for a time. The financial impacts on school districts have also been extensive. 10/

Many students/families not surprisingly left their districts last year, translating into losses of millions of dollars to district budgets this year. That has been devastating (inequitably so) to so many districts who were already struggling financially. 11/

Many districts projected the start of a recovery process this year as families started to come back. But any recovery is now in jeopardy w/ Delta, & they could even lose more students depending on how these 1st weeks/months go. 12/

Communities would do well to remember that their own success is closely tied to a thriving public education system.

Advocate w/ your community leaders to come together & drive their transmission rates back down. 13/

#DeltaVariant #schoolreopening

Schools have barely started & in some already seeing transmission high enough to force a return to virtual. Students are ending up in the hospital & dying. From a lack of needed school & community measures. Community leaders must step up. 14/

cnn.com/2021/08/11/us/…

@LDCHEALTH @douglascountyks @lawrenceks - where are our community mask mandates, limits on large gatherings, & emphasis/guidance on improving ventilation/filtration?

School starts this week & schools need community action to drive down transmission. 15/

kansascity.com/news/coronavir…

“The Delta variant is now picking off all the young unvaccinated people who have been lucky enough to escape Covid so far...” We may not get as bad as the south, @douglascountyks @lawrenceks @LDCHEALTH, but we should take action to help ensure that. 16/

theguardian.com/world/2021/aug…

And some great reporting from @marysdesk on school, masks, & vaccination in the south. Districts, public health officials, & communities have to pay attention to what’s going on beyond their county line. The virus doesn’t care about borders. 17

megaphone.link/SLT8599372943