Thread by @dgurdasani1

Usual misinformation we're used to from the BBC now... there's actually a lot of very strong evidence that masks in schools reduce school outbreaks, infection in children, and in parents alongside other measures. But don't let facts get in the way of your preferred narrative.🧵

https://twitter.com/NickTriggle/status/1477619718085296132

Here's one study from Arizona published by the CDC that showed outbreaks in schools with mask mandates were 3.5 lower than schools without:
cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/7…

Another US study showing counties with mask mandates in schools had much 2x lower rises in paediatrics infection after schools re-opened:
cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/7…

Another study published in science showing multilayered measures (of which mask wearing was one of the most common ones) reduced risk in parents of children to baseline:
science.org/doi/10.1126/sc…

And real-world data?
France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Austria have all had mask mandates in primary and secondary schools (with massive surges when rules were relaxed). France has had far less educational disruption than us for example. They provide medical grade masks to children.

Prior to vaccination of children for the very short period England had masks in secondaries, infection rates in secondary school age children dipped below those in primary school age children for the first time, as per ONS data.

And in terms of impact on children:
England alone has had comparable (only slightly lower) hospitalisation rates for children with COVID-19 compared to *10 European countries combined* for the same period outlined here:
eurosurveillance.org/content/10.280…

9000 children had been orphaned in England and Wales by end of March 2021 - but no one talks about the impact of early life bereavement on children.

77,000 children estimated to have long COVID- doubled over 4 months due to mass infection in children. 14,000 have had symptoms for *more than a year*. Name any other childhood illness that's had this level of impact.

And loads of people in media and even scientists say impact on kids is minimal in terms of deaths- but we shouldn't have to compare with adults (we don't need a 100K children to die before we consider this a serious issue). Let's compare with childhood illnesses.

COVID-19 caused (yes, caused as per ONS death certification) 82 deaths in children by Dec 2021. The no. of deaths *just this year* is >2x the deaths caused by flu annually prior to the pandemic. Far more than chicken pox, far more than measles or any childhood illness.

So sure, make vague statements about negative impact of masks on 'educational disruption' when it's mass infection that's led mass educational disruption and mass impact to children's physical and mental health. And masks prevent disruption.

We had >200,000 children absent for COVID-19 related reasons with many ill prior to end of term. If that isn't educational disruption what is? Teaching is one of the occupations that has the highest rates of long COVID after health and care workers.

By contrast there is little evidence of harm in the millions of children who've been wearing masks to school for years in some countries, or at least when levels of transmission have been very high.

I agree the equation may be different for children with hearing disability, but there are solutions (transparent masks), and exemptions exactly for these reasons.

As per last ONS publication on New Years eve 1 in 15 primary school age children were infected with SARS-CoV-2 - higher than any other age group, and 1 in 20 2ndary school age children. These are the infection rates children may go back to school with.

What are the plans for preventing superspreading? Not only have we no masks, no supplemental ventilation, parents are mandated to send children to schools in England even if they have infection, and there is no contact tracing in schools.

Apparently sharing air with a case for 7 hours a day in a crowded room with no social distancing, ventilation and masks doesn't make you a contact - so infected and infectious children are mandated to remain in classrooms which fuels infection.

We are the exception in our policies on school, and lack of vaccination offered to all children. Result: exceptionally high rates of hospitalisations, avoidable deaths, and rapid rises in chronic illnesses we don't know how to treat, & children orphaned.

Clinically vulnerable households have little choice but to accept members in the household getting very ill or having to deregister and homeschool. This shouldn't be the choice parents and children have.

Much of this impact on children is on disinformation groups like UsForThem widely platformed in the media, with preferential access to MPs, JCVI (promoting infection in children as advantageous) and scientists that have promoted the pseudoscience platformed in this article.

Great thread from @chrischirp with evidence from @trishgreenhalgh on the same article:

https://twitter.com/chrischirp/status/1477623893628182532?s=20