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1. By failing to mandate masks in schools for children and staff, we’re not just ignoring the scientific consensus. We’re laying the groundwork for a less compassionate, pretty brutal society. https://twitter.com/adamhamdy/status/1304535438313623554
2. We now know children catch and transmit the virus. We know the virus is airborne as aerosol. We know masks work to reduce transmission, protect the wearer, and reduce viral load and severity of infection if that protection is incomplete.
3. We also know that if this virus spreads, which it’s doing, after a certain level of transmission, we will see hospitalisations and death. Parents, teachers and school staff will suffer most, because of the age-based mortality of #COVID19
4. But a small number of children will also get seriously ill. Not scaremongering, just mathematical reality.
The argument isn’t between opening up and letting it rip, or staying hunkered down until there’s a vaccine.
The argument isn’t between opening up and letting it rip, or staying hunkered down until there’s a vaccine.
5. Neither of those extremes is sensible. There shouldn’t even be an argument. I believe we all want the same thing: maximum resumption of life with minimum harm.
We can already see from the number of schools reporting confirmed cases that we’ve done something wrong.
We can already see from the number of schools reporting confirmed cases that we’ve done something wrong.
6. And if we don’t rectify the problem immediately, transmission is going to rise significantly, which will eventually give us two choices:
We reach a level of illness that forces us to shut schools, or we accept a higher rate of illness and death as the new normal.
We reach a level of illness that forces us to shut schools, or we accept a higher rate of illness and death as the new normal.
7. In the end, we may have to accept a higher rate of illness and death, but we’ll be a less compassionate society if we don’t take every reasonable step to reduce it. I hate seeing my kids in masks, but if it helps protect them and others, it’s a worthwhile inconvenience.
8. Masks aren’t political. They’re social. They protect your neighbour, your friends, colleagues and family. They protect you. Have we become so entitled and detached from society that we’d rather someone else fell ill or died so we can pretend things are normal?
9. Things aren’t normal. We’re in a pandemic. At my daughter’s school, the kids have been talking about how COVID-19 has impacted their families. One of my daughter’s classmates lost her grandfather and now her dad has Long Covid. Some of the other children have similar stories.
10. The world’s leading scientists tell us children should be wearing masks in schools, and the UK is becoming increasingly isolated. Other countries are listening to the scientific evidence and have mandated masks in schools.
11. Why haven’t we?
Shouldn’t we be doing everything we can to reduce illness and the associated suffering, AND keep schools open?
What does it say about us if we’ve already reached the point at which we won’t even try?
Shouldn’t we be doing everything we can to reduce illness and the associated suffering, AND keep schools open?
What does it say about us if we’ve already reached the point at which we won’t even try?
