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1/ Open schools -> Save lives, as I wrote here
https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/packalen-reopen-ontarios-schools-to-save-lives
School closures -> Early deaths now and later.
Ontario Science Table and Government still do not acknowledge this simple fact.
It's also not a difficult decision (thread). https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/24/us/politics/student-suicides-nevada-coronavirus.html?smid=tw-share
https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/packalen-reopen-ontarios-schools-to-save-lives
School closures -> Early deaths now and later.
Ontario Science Table and Government still do not acknowledge this simple fact.
It's also not a difficult decision (thread). https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/24/us/politics/student-suicides-nevada-coronavirus.html?smid=tw-share
2/ Many decisions in life are difficult because there are large benefits and costs to each action.
Opening schools is not a difficult decision as there is virtually no trade-off. Open schools -> huge benefits, close schools -> huge costs, and impact on virus spread is so small.
Opening schools is not a difficult decision as there is virtually no trade-off. Open schools -> huge benefits, close schools -> huge costs, and impact on virus spread is so small.
3/ So why are so many Ontario schools still closed? The best I can tell there are three reasons:
Many people in government, academia and media do not understand how important schools are to children's development. They know schools play some role, but vastly underestimate it.
Many people in government, academia and media do not understand how important schools are to children's development. They know schools play some role, but vastly underestimate it.
4/ There is a widespread misunderstanding of the role that schools play in virus spread. This has been created by many correlational studies that confuse community spread and spread within schools. There is little pushback because they 'validate' irrational fears about schools.
5/ And as a society we still continue to stare at only one set of numbers to guide our policy: Covid cases, Covid deaths, and lately also Covid hospitalizations. What our restrictions are doing to our children has not really interested us.
