PPE is in the 2nd group- for staff taking care of sick kids. Of course, this ignores the 58% presymptomatic transmission rate for SARS2, 38% for influenza.
Masks for kids are buried in the
"If illness activity is elevated, schools can consider implementing additional strategies"
section. Look at the action words...
Schools CAN CONSIDER implementing additional strategies.
Whoa! Your principal will be RUNNING to implement mask mandates. (Not mentioned).
"These additional strategies depend on several considerations, but include actions such as:"
What considerations? This is just such bad public health writing.
You don't say "there are several things" - and then not actually talk about those things.
Wearing masks are included with increasing space and distance between students and cohorts.
Really? The ONLY time that has been used in the US was during pandemics. (This does not include whole school closure for temporary outbreaks).
So, prima facie, the most effective NPI (NonPharmaceutical Intervention) is only listed in the pandemic section. And not even an effective version, masks, or the fact that mask mandates are necessary for wide uptake.
Especially in schools which are EVEN MORE subject to peer
pressure than adult society. (Mandates work by removing peer pressure).
But hey!
You can applaud the CDC because they actually mentioned the word masks.
✅ Everyone applaud the CDC for dropping the word into a page
You can. Not me.
Let's move on. Maybe it gets better?
Intro page here, but let's look at the quick (the fact) sheet
"Fact Sheet: Help Your Child’s School Prevent the Spread of Infections"
The CDC goes on to recommend possibly adding masking to anti-bullying programs - acknowledging the issue with not having mask mandates. While not mentioning the word.
And a bit later, they point out that immunocompromised children should not be segregated...while ignoring the
fact that not having all in masks? Segregates those in masks.
These CDC guidelines are a touch better than what they had before, but it not only continues to hurt the kids? But the CDC and public health.
/Continued...
Which brings us to maximizing school attendance.
THE NEW CDC GUIDELINES WILL NOT MAXIMIZE ATTENDANCE, and hurt the public's view of the CDC.
That's right - the CDC is hurting public health. Hurting themselves. Hurting the kids. Hurting America.
With this guidance.
/Cont
I will say /fin when done.
Will infectious disease transmission be reduced by the new guidance?
Well, they already had handwashing, cleaning, sanitizing, formally before.
Ventilation was already there before, informally, thanks to Covid.
And infectious disease transmission
has only gone up since the end of public health emergency.
RSV, influenza, etc.
The Zeitgeist has Americans feeling constantly infected. Reddit, Facebook, x/Twitter, etc .
And this new guidance was already in place.
Let's take a simple example, "Jack and Diane".
They see the CDC guidelines. They think, "Yay! The CDC is stepping in to help keep Burt and Ernie from being sick nonstop."
But Burt and Ernie keep getting infected because nothing amhas actually changed since the end of the PHE.
Will Jack and Diane look favorably upon
public health? Or are they more likely to think, "Hey - maybe it IS the vaccines making our kids sick."
Because they already knew their kids school HVAC had been improved.
It is truly ironic that the CDC continues to hurt public health.
While trying to help public health.
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I almost forgot to close out on the maximize attendance point.
The CDC is "trying" to maximize attendance. This ostensibly is to be done by preventing the spread of the flu, norovirus, strep throat.
Interestingly, covid not mentioned there.
And even more interesting?
All of those are airborne. But as Covid has shown, near field aerosol dominates transmission of airborne diseases.
The CDC is putting fomite and far field aerosol strategies at play.
MASKING is the THE near field aerosol NPI, and is shoved into the back of the closet.
(Note: far field improvements will result in small improvements in near field. Distancing as listed in Alternative strategies is also a near field aerosol NPI)
By ignoring the PRIMARY form of transmission in their HIGHLIGHTED NPIs?
The CDC WILL NOT MAXIMIZE ATTENDANCE.
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Please explain how a study measuring physical improvement in a Cognitive and Behavioral study can have unmeasured Graded Exercise Therapy - and be considered as well-controlled. Not confounded.
So, I emailed Dr. Ebell and asked how that was nitpicking.
I also agreed with the comments at the bottom of the study, linked below.
If you change analysis protocols post hoc? That's not nitpicking in my book. But maybe that is nitpicking?
DYK that you, and me, and everybody are Pig Pen from Charlie Brown?
We shed our entire outer layer of skin every 2-4 weeks, about 500 million cells daily.
Your corneocytes (outermost cells) lift off of your body with the
gentlest of micro-air currents. Like a leaf picked up off the ground for the briefest of moments in fall.
They act like 12 micron aerosols in float time, but 25% of total skin flakes are sub 5 microns...and you know what that means. Deep deposition - or shallow as
sub 5 likes to also deposit in the nose.
It's funny...I embrace push-back in debate. Tightens up my game.
Imagine if those skin flakes now have Ebola on them?
Two studies show that Ebola literally oozes through the skin - both ways. In and out.
"...due to the desirability of an off-
the-face design, and not for protection from aerosols, respirators may be used instead of medical masks"who.int/publications/i…
If you can stay 3 feet away while screening? No medical mask needed.