New paper addresses one of the biggest COVID-19 stories in the world: What the hell happened to Israel?
https://www.eurosurveillance.org/content/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.25.29.2001352#html_fulltext
One upshot: Mask rules were suspended in schools during a May heat wave. Student cases spiked soon after. Then secondary spread exploded.
https://www.eurosurveillance.org/content/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.25.29.2001352#html_fulltext
One upshot: Mask rules were suspended in schools during a May heat wave. Student cases spiked soon after. Then secondary spread exploded.
From the text: "Infection spread involved return of teenage students to regular classes after a 2-month closure (on 18 May) and an extreme heatwave (on 19 May) with temperatures rising to 40 °C and above, that involved exemption from facemasks and continuous air-conditioning."
One Israeli school community tested and interviewed 1,300 students and staff. Among the positive tests, 57% of students were asymptomatic.
Seems very likely that thousands of asymptomatic kids went home and passed COVID to lots of older family members.
Seems very likely that thousands of asymptomatic kids went home and passed COVID to lots of older family members.
The northeast US watched East Asia fight back its first COVID surge —and didn't learn.
The south/west US watched the northeast fight back its first COVID surge—and didn't learn.
Now, Israel is flashing red: NO MASKS IN SCHOOLS + A/C = MASSIVE COMMUNITY SPREAD. Let's learn.
The south/west US watched the northeast fight back its first COVID surge—and didn't learn.
Now, Israel is flashing red: NO MASKS IN SCHOOLS + A/C = MASSIVE COMMUNITY SPREAD. Let's learn.
To be clear, I don't know how you safely open schools in a community with a huge preexisting outbreak.
Masks + distance + open windows is a plan for keeping schools open.
Masks + distance + open windows is a plan for keeping schools open.