COVID contrarians claim that closing schools was a mistake, in part because of the impact on their mental health. But that’s not what the data says at all. @mehdirhasan speaks to @tylerblack32 about one of the most pervasive myths about COVID, kids and remote learning.
Researchers are beginning to view long COVID not as a single disease but as multiple disease subtypes, even if instigated by the same virus https://t.co/G1yCgk32NU
New study in @JAMANetworkOpen shows that the reintroduction of universal #masking in Ottawa #schools in spring 2022 reduced student absenteeism.
Students gained nearly 2,000 days of learning in the schools studied.
The study likely considerably underestimated the real benefit of masking and enormously underestimated the potential benefit of masking.
Real Benefit:
Often, schools that have stronger masking policies are lower socioeconomic status. They don't have high-level ventilation and HEPA filters, so masking becomes more important. Moreover, at the lower-socioeconomic status schools, families are more likely to be multi-generational, have higher occupational exposure, and more in-home exposure (smaller homes, more people, less ventilation). Since it's not randomized which schools mask, the schools with good masking policies are up against many other obstacles. It's truly remarkable to see the pro-mask schools actually perform better against all of these other obstacles, so the real benefit of masking is likely underestimated.
Potential Benefit:
Under universal masking policies, most children wear poor-fitting low-quality masks, such as low-filtration cloth masks or baggy blue procedure masks. There are also frequent mask breaks for snacks, lunch, and water. There has been very little emphasis on helping children wear masks that excellently fit their faces without gaps, and very little emphasis on high-quality masks like KN95s, KF94s, CAN99s, Flo Masks, and N95s (for teens). There's often very little serious consideration surrounding how to mitigate during meals and snacks. Distancing itself has very limited benefit in settings with low ventilation and filtration, which is often the case in schools. Well-designed masking programs would have a much more powerful benefit.
https://t.co/GPM7Mjbnwz
"A new report adds to a growing line of research showing that police departments don’t solve serious or violent crimes with any regularity, and in fact, spend very little time on crime control, in contrast to popular narratives." https://t.co/9O8uviCGMD
@jackcalifano I thought the insane smoke would bother people but they wouldn’t even cancel my toddler’s soccer game. So I just don’t think some of this stuff even bothers people.
@sarah_ohalloran @estellemartin_1@clhubes My son too. And when another kid said something rude about his rainbow themed bday party, my son said “You know it’s weather, right?” Lol
@Natesfault@AngryBlackLady We always pay extra to sit together. But twice they have moved my infant to a random seat rows away from me. They refuse to change it. What am I supposed to do?
White House Says COVID Testing Protocols Still in Place After Israeli Delegation Members Test Positive
« anybody who meets with the president does indeed get tested »
Davos for thee… not for me https://t.co/PEATfRbQlo
A stunning investigation: A team of @wsj reporters discovered a sprawling network of lead-covered cables that have contaminated sediment and soil across the country.
https://t.co/oXSlJqTxYb
@msmartinart @TRyanGregory This is true for my family as well and still they complain every time I stop to put sunscreen on my toddlers. “They’re just in the backyard. It’s not the beach!���
@britneyqueers_ I had pictures of her taped all over my room in 6th grade when it came out. I LOVED her and also distinctly remember thinking “I’ll never let myself get that fat”. Our minds were truly warped.
@KenMarino You all should just start a new series called “Also, Those Ones” and just pick up from where it leaves off but change everyone’s name slightly.