Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #99

[Lilibet]

No link…info from an American friend who lives in a very undeveloped country near Indonesia. People are quite superstitious and are afraid the Covid test swab will kill them, and few are vaccinated. Cases are burgeoning.

She and her husband just found out that the second AZ vax they got in mid June at the National Hospital was spoiled….over 700 doses! The fridge malfunctioned and froze them. So they will go back to the hospital Monday to get it again. The funny thing is that they both had a reaction to that dose, so there must have been *something* in it still working. They maintain strict isolation, except for rare errands. People they know are coming down with it. While it’s worse there than here, I do sometimes feel that we live in a “third world country” in terms of Covid attitudes.

 

[SouthAussie]

Across the United States, religious figures, doctors, public officials and other community leaders are trying to help people circumvent COVID-19 precautions.

In Oregon, superintendent Marc Thielman of the rural Alsea School District told parents they can sidestep the governor's school mask requirement by applying for an accommodation for their children under federal disabilities law.

In Kansas, the Spring Hill school board is allowing parents to claim a medical or mental health exemption from the county's requirement that elementary school students mask up. They do not need a medical provider to sign off.

Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry posted sample letters that would allow parents to seek a philosophical or religious exemption from Edwards's mask rule at schools — or from a vaccine requirement, if one is enacted.

In California, the state medical board is investigating a doctor who critics say is handing out dozens of one-sentence mask exemptions for children in an attempt to evade the statewide school mask requirement.

Pastor Greg Fairrington of Rocklin's Destiny Christian Church has issued at least 3,000 religious exemptions to people with objections to the vaccine, which is becoming mandatory in an increasing number of places in California.


...an infectious disease specialist at the University of California, San Francisco, warned ... The virus is "looking for fractures in the system," he said, "and we have plenty of fractures in the system."

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/coronavirus-covid19-canada-world-august21-2021-1.6148680

 

[Lilibet]

Across the United States, religious figures, doctors, public officials and other community leaders are trying to help people circumvent COVID-19 precautions.

In Oregon, superintendent Marc Thielman of the rural Alsea School District told parents they can sidestep the governor's school mask requirement by applying for an accommodation for their children under federal disabilities law.

In Kansas, the Spring Hill school board is allowing parents to claim a medical or mental health exemption from the county's requirement that elementary school students mask up. They do not need a medical provider to sign off.

Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry posted sample letters that would allow parents to seek a philosophical or religious exemption from Edwards's mask rule at schools — or from a vaccine requirement, if one is enacted.

In California, the state medical board is investigating a doctor who critics say is handing out dozens of one-sentence mask exemptions for children in an attempt to evade the statewide school mask requirement.

Pastor Greg Fairrington of Rocklin's Destiny Christian Church has issued at least 3,000 religious exemptions to people with objections to the vaccine, which is becoming mandatory in an increasing number of places in California.


...an infectious disease specialist at the University of California, San Francisco, warned ... The virus is "looking for fractures in the system," he said, "and we have plenty of fractures in the system."

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/coronavirus-covid19-canada-world-august21-2021-1.6148680

Can you imagine how hard it will be for the poor teachers to keep track of mask exemptions in their classes! Basically, these are fake exemptions, designed to teach kids that it’s OK to disobey public health mandates. Do they understand the serious health consequences they’re risking? How are these kids going to treat the ones who wear masks because their parents insist? Pressure? Call them sissies? Bullying? Pull masks off? How are teachers going to protect themselves? Seems to me if you don’t want your child wearing a mask just do online learning. But no, it’s going to be the parents whose kids wear masks who end up having to pull them out of school to keep them (and the whole family) safe.

 

[GRT]

Snipped for focus from your post...

"In Kansas, the Spring Hill school board is allowing parents to claim a medical or mental health exemption from the county's requirement that elementary school students mask up. They do not need a medical provider to sign off."​

Ever since the local school board voted to mandate masks in classrooms in my district, a huge number of parents have been having fits. One doctor has made it clear that all parents need to do is drop by his office, and he'll give their child a medical excuse slip so they can be excused from wearing masks. He's a doctor!

Meanwhile, we're seeing actual, in-person protests from the parents, blocking Main Street, etc.

With the kinds of attitudes I'm seeing, we don't stand a chance of ever getting rid of Covid, we're just going to have to let it run its deadly course, and (hopefully) mutate to a milder virus and then disappear. I fear many will die as a result.

 

[SouthAussie]

The Kentucky governor's efforts to aggressively combat COVID-19 suffered a legal defeat Saturday as the state's high court cleared the way for new laws to rein in his emergency powers.

“The governor has had the courage to make unpopular decisions in order to keep Kentuckians safe” "The court has removed much of his ability to do so moving forward."

Last year, the state Supreme Court upheld the governor’s authority to issue coronavirus-related restrictions on businesses and individuals to try to contain the spread of COVID-19.

The legislature responded by passing the new laws this year.
(My comment: So, essentially, they changed the laws so the governor lost his covid restriction powers.)

https://www.newsobserver.com/news/article253657553.html

 

[SouthAussie]

Ever since the local school board voted to mandate masks in classrooms in my district, a huge number of parents have been having fits. One doctor has made it clear that all parents need to do is drop by his office, and he'll give their child a medical excuse slip so they can be excused from wearing masks. He's a doctor!

Meanwhile, we're seeing actual, in-person protests from the parents, blocking Main Street, etc.

With the kinds of attitudes I'm seeing, we don't stand a chance of ever getting rid of Covid, we're just going to have to let it run its deadly course, and (hopefully) mutate to a milder virus and then disappear. I fear many will die as a result.

I notice there is a huge gap in the covid info for Kansas. They only report cases on Mon, Wed and Friday. And they don't report daily deaths on the state site (consequently, no deaths show on Worldometer either).

Sounds as if the Kansas residents might be totally ignorant of what the real situation is there?
(ETA: I just noticed that they do show a graph of deaths by day. Sorry, my error. Looks like Kansas is in a 3rd wave, that is larger than the first wave in 2020, and smaller than the 2nd wave in 2020/2021, so far.)

COVID-19 Cases in Kansas | KDHE COVID-19
United States COVID: 38,519,294 Cases and 644,840 Deaths - Worldometer

 

[303gmf]

I notice there is a huge gap in the covid info for Kansas. They only report cases on Mon, Wed and Friday. And they don't report daily deaths on the state site (consequently, no deaths show on Worldometer either).

Sounds as if the Kansas residents might be totally ignorant of what the real situation is there?
(ETA: I just noticed that they do show a graph of deaths by day. Sorry, my error. Looks like Kansas is in a 3rd wave, that is larger than the first wave in 2020, and smaller than the 2nd wave in 2020/2021, so far.)

COVID-19 Cases in Kansas | KDHE COVID-19
United States COVID: 38,519,294 Cases and 644,840 Deaths - Worldometer

Frightening ignorance and political blame shifting seem to rule Kansas!
Gov Kelly tried

 

[SouthAussie]

Frightening ignorance and political blame shifting seem to rule Kansas!
Gov Kelly tried

Yes, I can see that. (Now that I have looked, after your comment.)


Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly begged residents to get vaccinated against COVID-19 on Friday and condemned politicians who spread misinformation as she described a state health care system pushed to the brink.

“The campaign of misinformation is not limited to Facebook. There are people in positions of leadership, who hold influence, who have used COVID and politics to divide us,” Kelly said. “I want those who are weaponizing this misinformation to know your actions don’t hurt me.”

“Your actions hurt your neighbors with pre-existing conditions … your actions hurt your local businesses … your actions are hurting our teachers, who have to risk their safety every day because their students are not wearing masks.”

Kelly was asked to respond to remarks made by Sen. Roger Marshall, a Republican who has spoken against mask mandates.

https://www.kansascity.com/news/coronavirus/article253628818.html

 

[nhmemorymaker]

Scared which people? I am not scared and will get a booster. The ones who refuse to vaccinate didn't get their first two doses, so why should they worry about the third?

so..ditto.

 

[musicaljoke]

Can you imagine how hard it will be for the poor teachers to keep track of mask exemptions in their classes! Basically, these are fake exemptions, designed to teach kids that it’s OK to disobey public health mandates. Do they understand the serious health consequences they’re risking? How are these kids going to treat the ones who wear masks because their parents insist? Pressure? Call them sissies? Bullying? Pull masks off? How are teachers going to protect themselves? Seems to me if you don’t want your child wearing a mask just do online learning. But no, it’s going to be the parents whose kids wear masks who end up having to pull them out of school to keep them (and the whole family) safe.

It's too bad that children are caught in the middle of this needless fight.

Are there no compromises? Like, masked kids and teachers go to school one week, maskless people the next? Or split classes Masked Mornings, split classes Maskless afternoons? Or masked east wing of school closed off by firedoors, and maskless west wing ... or move kids to different schools, one masked, one maskless ... surely there is something that can be done.

 

[CoverMeCagney]

It's too bad that children are caught in the middle of this needless fight.

Are there no compromises? Like, masked kids and teachers go to school one week, maskless people the next? Or split classes Masked Mornings, split classes Maskless afternoons? Or masked east wing of school closed off by firedoors, and maskless west wing ... or move kids to different schools, one masked, one maskless ... surely there is something that can be done.

Or how about these stupid parents just respect the school policy to keep staff and children safe during a pandemic, and stop kicking up a ridiculous fuss over a bit of fabric? Or alternatively just home school their precious little angels.

Really, what are they teaching the next generation of Americans? To shout and tantrum every time there’s something they don’t like? Honestly I’m shocked to see such a carry on. The level of anger, arrogance and hatred is sad and dangerous. Like teachers haven’t gone through enough already. How dare they!

 

[WildOrchid]

That is a very sensible idea. For reasonable people. The parents in my school district are not being reasonable. They’re still screaming after all this time, that if we (the masked) are so scared we can stay home. So the ones who take precautions, follow science, etc are the ones who *do* stay home while the ones blowing their Covid all over the place are the ones out there creating the chaos. I guarantee they are going to screech if the schools try to “segregate” in any way. They’re already on SM and at school board meetings and blowing up the superintendent’s email about masks. There’s always a “scientist” (aka the guy with no degree in anything) making a graph to “prove” why the actual Covid numbers are cooked and we are all sheep. As of now, schools have a mask mandate here. But there are exceptions already (unless your kid feels it’s too hot/they have a medical exemption) which are not verified. If you walk into school mask less and say you have a medical reason, the school can’t ask more. I am terrified for my child and all others who face this horror in 2 weeks.

It's too bad that children are caught in the middle of this needless fight.

Are there no compromises? Like, masked kids and teachers go to school one week, maskless people the next? Or split classes Masked Mornings, split classes Maskless afternoons? Or masked east wing of school closed off by firedoors, and maskless west wing ... or move kids to different schools, one masked, one maskless ... surely there is something that can be done.

 

[MimosaMornings]

It's too bad that children are caught in the middle of this needless fight.

Are there no compromises? Like, masked kids and teachers go to school one week, maskless people the next? Or split classes Masked Mornings, split classes Maskless afternoons? Or masked east wing of school closed off by firedoors, and maskless west wing ... or move kids to different schools, one masked, one maskless ... surely there is something that can be done.

Who is going to teach the maskless class?
Not the teacher wanting to be masked.
If teachers get sick, we will go fully remote which I guess is what the anti-maskers want to happen?
JMO

 

[ChatteringBirds]

Why are schools capitulating to those who won't agree to their children wearing masks? That's what boggles my mind. It's a mask. No mask ----> homeschool. Should be end of story.

 

[Turkeytrot]

Across the United States, religious figures, doctors, public officials and other community leaders are trying to help people circumvent COVID-19 precautions.

In Oregon, superintendent Marc Thielman of the rural Alsea School District told parents they can sidestep the governor's school mask requirement by applying for an accommodation for their children under federal disabilities law.

In Kansas, the Spring Hill school board is allowing parents to claim a medical or mental health exemption from the county's requirement that elementary school students mask up. They do not need a medical provider to sign off.

Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry posted sample letters that would allow parents to seek a philosophical or religious exemption from Edwards's mask rule at schools — or from a vaccine requirement, if one is enacted.

In California, the state medical board is investigating a doctor who critics say is handing out dozens of one-sentence mask exemptions for children in an attempt to evade the statewide school mask requirement.

Pastor Greg Fairrington of Rocklin's Destiny Christian Church has issued at least 3,000 religious exemptions to people with objections to the vaccine, which is becoming mandatory in an increasing number of places in California.


...an infectious disease specialist at the University of California, San Francisco, warned ... The virus is "looking for fractures in the system," he said, "and we have plenty of fractures in the system."

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/coronavirus-covid19-canada-world-august21-2021-1.6148680

So, reading about this superintendent in Oregon has me particularly ticked off. I have a disabled child and the thought of someone encouraging parents to cite federal disability law to skirt around mask wearing... Unethical and disgusting. I'm assuming these are children without disabilities (from how the article sounds.)

 

[CoverMeCagney]

Why are schools capitulating to those who won't agree to their children wearing masks? That's what boggles my mind. It's a mask. No mask ----> homeschool. Should be end of story.

I don’t know what the actual law was here when our kids had to wear them, but up and down the UK the conversations went something like this:

Parents: right kids, I know it’s a pain but you have to wear a face mask in class to help protect your friends and teachers.

Kids: urgh, I don’t really like wearing a face mask.

Parents: well thems the rules, so here’s your mask and here’s a spare and wash your hands and have a good day!

 

[GRT]

Yes, I can see that. (Now that I have looked, after your comment.)


Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly begged residents to get vaccinated against COVID-19 on Friday and condemned politicians who spread misinformation as she described a state health care system pushed to the brink.

“The campaign of misinformation is not limited to Facebook. There are people in positions of leadership, who hold influence, who have used COVID and politics to divide us,” Kelly said. “I want those who are weaponizing this misinformation to know your actions don’t hurt me.”

“Your actions hurt your neighbors with pre-existing conditions … your actions hurt your local businesses … your actions are hurting our teachers, who have to risk their safety every day because their students are not wearing masks.”

Kelly was asked to respond to remarks made by Sen. Roger Marshall, a Republican who has spoken against mask mandates.

https://www.kansascity.com/news/coronavirus/article253628818.html

I know Marshall, personally, and a classmate of my daughter' is his media secretary. Marshall is like any politician--he's drawing lines in the sand based on partisan positions and he's trying to play both ends against the middle.

I don't know why this has to happen. Politics in Kansas have always been explosive and divisive. Early on in Kelly's tenure, she tried to separate the KCC from the Kansas Office of Energy, and it resulted in virtual mutiny. By the time covid entered the scene, there was a lot of political water under the bridge, and the Kansas Legislature quickly voted to take away Kelly's power to shut schools, businesses, etc. A big part of the reason they voted to do that was to pay her back for the previous issues.

I wish everyone could let each issue stand on its own and forget about all this revenge politics. I was involved in the Energy Office issue, and I also disagreed with Kelly on that one, but I support her in her attempts to keep Kansans safe from Covid.

Everything is so political these days. So many of the decisions are fraught with getting revenge. It's just nuts. And, some are willing to let citizens die just to get the last word. Shameful.

 

[WildOrchid]

It’s an election year. I would bet dollars to donuts that many politicians are thinking of what will benefit them come November. Hmmm how can they not p off voters? Or, in a less jaded version, what happens if they p off enough and they lose the election? Then who will make decisions to mitigate this virus? School boards, governors, etc are all facing this in November. It’s very very disheartening.

Why are schools capitulating to those who won't agree to their children wearing masks? That's what boggles my mind. It's a mask. No mask ----> homeschool. Should be end of story.

 

[SouthAussie]

It’s an election year. I would bet dollars to donuts that many politicians are thinking of what will benefit them come November. Hmmm how can they not p off voters? Or, in a less jaded version, what happens if they p off enough and they lose the election? Then who will make decisions to mitigate this virus? School boards, governors, etc are all facing this in November. It’s very very disheartening.

It is a very dangerous game these politicans are playing. Playing with children's health and lives.

I don't see this happening anywhere else. Sure, there are some people who don't wear a mask when they should. But that is because they are selfish and "don't want to" "they don't help" "blah, blah, blah". It is not because any politcal leader is telling them they don't have to.

 

[acutename]

It’s an election year. I would bet dollars to donuts that many politicians are thinking of what will benefit them come November. Hmmm how can they not p off voters? Or, in a less jaded version, what happens if they p off enough and they lose the election? Then who will make decisions to mitigate this virus? School boards, governors, etc are all facing this in November. It’s very very disheartening.

here are the main problems:

1. everyone wants to make the "right" decision and be a winner
2. the data we have now seems to show that masks help, but they do not totally stop transmission...
3. virus is evolving
4. no one really knows for certain what will happen in the future
5. no matter what decision a person makes, s/he will probably be criticized
for it

it is kind of a no win situation for a politician IMO