CDC is recommending #TestToStay. But focuses only on the unvaccinated. Breakthrough cases of vaccinated people jumped 64% suddenly recently in Northern Virginia. We need to ramp up RAPID testing for ALL kids, vaxed and unvaxed, who are exposed to COVID.
Short additional 🧵: There are important qualities of such a #TestToStay program that APS would need to emulate. Can't pick and choose, get same results.

#1 - The kid who got exposed limited exposure b/c both parties WORE MASKS. Eliminate masks, gotta quarantine 'cuz certain 🤮.
#2 - No symptoms ever developed. Had to agree to either 2 (LA) or 4 (Lake County) tests, or go quarantine at home.

#3 - For "close contact" #TestToStay kids, mask wearing was required everywhere: indoors, outdoors, on bus. They didn't go to extracurriculars or after school care. Image
#4 - The schools had other layers of mitigation, including surveillance testing programs and physical distancing.

Also, for distance, they went back to 6 feet. Close contacts who had **unmasked** exposures within 6 feet of a COVID-19 patient were NOT eligible for #TestToStay.
(Just a side note here for a second, but that indicates that if there were 8 kids sitting within 6 feet of each other in a cafeteria indoors, they would all need to be quarantined at home if one of them had COVID, per CDC recommendation.)
#5 - #TestToStay kids had to have >6 feet of distance between themselves & other kids at lunchtime if indoors. But ideally, they just went out with the school's outdoor lunch program.

An exposure eating lunch in cafeteria would require at-home quarantine, so not on this list.👇 Image
#6 When not at school, the #TestToStay kids were asked to remain at home and not go other places. A few who became infected did also infect family members.

#7 - This program coincided with #Delta variant being dominant, not #Omicron, which is more infectious.

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More from @smartrestartaps

23 Aug
1/ It would be easy to call out some of the schools that have done little for #APSOutdoorLunch, because they have a "can't do" attitude. But today, we're going to call out some of the bright points. Hope to see more of the "can do" attitude across APS, like these examples:
2/ Kenmore 2020-21: Cafeteria staff noted that #APSOutdoorLunch has turned out to be more organized, more relaxed, quieter, less stressful, and less restricted for them and for students. Thanks @apskenmore for keeping our kids safe!
3/ Barcroft 2020-21: The community @BarcroftEagles came together to keep students safe: donated yoga mats, sit-upons, and stumps made #APSOutdoorLunch a fun part of the day last spring.
Read 16 tweets
22 Aug
1/ Risk reduction in a room that has at least 5 air changes per hour. @APSVirginia, another study shows how layered mitigations work. We need to add True HEPAS to rooms *now* to #CleanTheAir, and boost filtration, because #DeltaVariant is far more infectious.
2/ The blue line👆 is where most APS rooms are, if not WORSE for about 1/3 of our rooms. APS chose the most minimal goal it could (4 ACH). We haven’t prioritized providing the same BETTER 6ACH ventilation for all kids.

@APSVaSchoolBd, please ask for #6ACHforAll & #AirEquity!
3/ APS’ ionizers produce 20% less extra clean air, so they’ve underestimated ventilation.

They’ve doubled capacity, which means now 1/2 the clean air for each student returning to school in a week, against #DeltaVariant, which is 2x more infectious.

Read 6 tweets
22 Aug
1/ Regarding music classes, @APSArts, students who participate in indoor singing were 2.8 times MORE likely to get #COVID19 in Omaha schools study. Also, air samples from choir rooms contained virus, even w/ kids singing in masks.
medrxiv.org/content/10.110…
2/ CDC: "High-risk extracurricular activities are those in which increased exhalation occurs…” CDC recommends activities be canceled or held virtually (unless ALL participants are fully vaccinated) when a community is in high transmission.
cdc.gov/coronavirus/20…
3/ APS, go outside to sing; it’s best and requires little to no mitigation!

Best resource so for performing #arts and #COVID19, including other recommendations for band and orchestra 👇

Caveat: #DeltaVariant requires extra precautions, not minimums!

nfhs.org/articles/retur…
Read 8 tweets
21 Aug
1/ #CO2monitors: How cool! San Diego Unified put CO2 monitors and particle counters in schools to monitor #ventilation and #filtration — making sure it was adequate to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in every room.

Using science + data to target and actually fix problems!
👏👏
2/ Here's a great thread 🧵 explaining how this works.

3/ We asked @APSVirginia and @APSReady to strengthen reopening plans, to rise to challenge of #DeltaVariant. Conference of 1,000 experts + education advocates this week outlined best ideas.
(@kprather88 describes San Diego effort.👇)
#DeltaSchoolsAirborne

Read 10 tweets
21 Aug
1/ This is why we need to #AlertTheClass, and the lack of mandatory #COVID19 #testing for all in place before opening #schools here may be a big mistake.

The #DeltaVariant is surging in #Arlington County, but the people who spread it "feel just fine."

nature.com/articles/d4158…
2/ #Delta's #KillerAdvantage:

Infected folks spread 🦠 for 1.8 days before they ever get first symptom.

Symptoms show up 5.8 days AFTER infection, on average, says Hong Kong research team.

Spreaders also have far higher viral load.
74% infections from presymptomatic spread
3/ One bit of good news in this: Vaccinated individuals were 65% less likely to infect someone, but the estimate is based on a very small sample size.
Read 8 tweets
13 Aug
1/ We have results from Illinois Institute of Technology lab that is evaluating electronic air cleaners.

They tested the Blueair 211 units (which APS bought).

Results are disappointing to us.

📌 Project:
built-envi.com/portfolio/air-…
📌 Report:
built-envi.com/wp-content/upl…
2/ There was some inaccurate information being put forth that these machines were not ionizers, because they were not listed by the California @AirResources Board as ionization devices.

But these machines do indeed have an ionizer. 👇
3/ The use of additive and electronic air cleaning devices, often marketed with HEPA in the name although they ARE NOT HEPA cleaners, has come under scrutiny this year.

motherjones.com/politics/2021/…
Read 19 tweets

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