๐งตA letter, signed by Prof Jennifer Harries OBE, has informed parents of Clinically Extremely Vulnerable children that they are not CEV anymore.
Even being identified as needing a vaccine isn't a reason to shield.
NB/ Many (12-15) have still not received a first dose yet. 1/
Seeking to reassure parents
"Recent clinical studies have shown that children & young people are at very low risk of serious illness if they catch the virus. We are pleased to let you know that your child is therefore no longer considered to be clinically extremely vulnerable" 2/
...before the big blow...
"It is important that your child continues to attend their school or other educational settings."
* With a caveat that actually maybe your child is still CEV and "will still have to isolate or reduce their social contact".
3/
Next they remind parents about vaccines, which too many approved 12-15yos still can't access, but state that
"being eligible for vaccination does not mean that the child is considered to be clinically extremely vulnerable."
4/
Parents "will be pleased to know" that their child is no longer CEV.
Their mental health is a priority. Returning them to schools without any mitigations and high prevelance of an airborne infection is, it would appear, the antidote.
5/
Mental health has regularly been a focus for the DfE:
For children missing school for a couple of weeks in termtime (when school holidays have never caused such issues).
For Vulnerable parents whose fears for life were dismissed as 'anxiety' to keep their children in school.
6/
Once again, mental health is the reason.
Prioritising an unassessed, presumed, mental health condition above a proven physical health condition * all of whom have been flagged by medical professionals as high risk, a concern.
We have safe remote learning alternatives.
7/
Having children attending school during Covid with a threat to life in the household is like living with a gun to your head. Playing Russian Roulette each day.
That is the known threat to mental health.
Why would parents choose to put their child in the firing line?
8/
We have remote learning. If there is *any perceived threat to live* we have an obligation to protect it. Education never previously came with such a threat.
Our data, collected thanks to mask wearers during the General Election, reveals troubling issues...
#MyMaskMyVote๐ท #CleanAir๐จ
2/ Disenfranchisement is real.
Voter ID checks varied significantly:
- 38% were IDed with a mask on
- 42% asked to de-mask indoors
- 26% removed their mask indoors
- 1% โ๏ธ were disenfranchised โ๏ธ
#MyMaskMyVote๐ท
3/ Some voters were masking to protect others from Covid.
Nobody should have to de-mask indoors. Everyone deserves to vote safely.
If you do use one of these devices, it is worth knowing that whilst they have a net benefit, you really must be in the air stream to experience the most gains*.
* ..and that means being pretty close!
2/
A quick reminder that the QT3 can be improved by taping. Even with taping, the most gains are up to 40cm - and the closer the better.
Unfortunately, the fan is not very powerful, so the air flow is lower than the others above.
๐งโโ๏ธAs I sat in the hall during our Primary School assemblies, I used to watch the fairies dancing within a strip of light from between the curtains.
Little did I know...
1/๐งต
... that when they 'disappeared' that they were still there.
Or that the whole room was filled with them!
2/
Oh, and they weren't really fairies...they were 'particulate matter' or PM for short.
Which is kind of mind-blowing when you are taking in all of these different particles. Some will scatter light, and others can absorb it - so you can't always see them.
If you unfamiliar with the term, Wikipedia explains "Critics argue that the QALY oversimplifies how actual patients would assess risks and outcomes, and that its use may restrict patients with disabilities from accessing treatment."
1๐งต
In this context, it might have been used to determine whether people with Clinical Vulnerabilities were worth protecting.
It was never used, not because they didn't try. They attempted it twice.
#CVAwareness 2/
The team of analysts had a go, but they "didn't take it to Ministers because it simply wasn't advanced enough.".
"It would need to be established in 'peace time' so it was valuable in 'war time'."
โก๏ธ Equality Impact Assessments (and the Equality Act) must be *urgently updated* to consider Clinically Vulnerable people, and others who mask, ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ the General Election.
๐จ PLEASE ๐จ Repost this to MPs ๐จ
1/ #MyMaskMyVote
It was simple, easy, and a great start.
Many thanks to @EastleighBC ๐
STEP 1 (SHORT TERM)
โ ๏ธ Staff training
โ ๏ธ Outside ID check
โ ๏ธ CO2 monitor (at one polling station)
โ ๏ธ Main door open
2/ #MyMaskMyVote
But not everything happened...
โ๏ธ Staff not masked for ID check
โ๏ธ Windows were all closed
โ๏ธ Doors weren't all open