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Just an observation that while we're still debating mask use in schools in the UK, countries in Europe are revising policy on grade of masks in school (e.g. France on surgical or FFP2 grade masks in schools). Exceptionalism means we're constantly behind on evidence-driven policy.
In the UK, we've built ideologies around exceptionalism.
'Our children wouldn't tolerate masks' (despite millions of children around the world & in Europe wearing these - both in primary & secondary school settings - without any evidence of harm).
'Our children wouldn't tolerate masks' (despite millions of children around the world & in Europe wearing these - both in primary & secondary school settings - without any evidence of harm).
We live in an environment where we feel children are exceptional in that they aren't very susceptible to infection, or don't transmit much, and school environments are exceptional environments where significant transmission doesn't occur. These ideas are not grounded in evidence.
Despite so much evidence to the contrary, even just within England, we persist in this thinking, and resist evidence-based policy in schools recognising aerosol transmission- that so many countries across the world have already implemented.
And this exceptionalism is keeping us from doing what we need to do- and what the CDC & WHO suggest - to keep children, teachers, and communities safe when schools do reopen. We keep making the same mistakes again & again hoping the results will be different this time.
Why?
Why?
