Our school is in hybrid mode, kids split into a totally online group and two hybrid groups that alternate days in person. Tenuously holding on, no outbreaks so far, just 1 week with hybrid in person, and community covid spread increasing around us again.
So why on God's green earth do we have full-on football right now? Why is our wrestling season about to begin? Why am I bugging people to cover their noses, and annoying parents by sending their kids home for 10 days with minor symptoms, and breaking up lunch groups of more than two kids at a table.... So they can have contact sports, and travel on busses to breathe heavily in close contact with kids from other schools and neighborhoods?
Why are we jumping in to the highest risk activities without making sure we're going to get everyone through algebra and English class safely?
I don't get it, I really don't. I don't think I understand anything about how schools are run. Is this typical?
Specializes in Alternative Medicine, Psych,Cardiolgy,SchoolRN.
Initially, our school deemed football too high risk. Parents protested, and now we are allowing sports without spectators. What is also "crazy" ...our Volley Ball team practices indoors WITHOUT a mask, but I have to wear a mask if I go to the gym to take Yoga or Zumba. Pennsylvania also says we can wear face shields instead of masks, so people are walking around wearing plastic devices that only cover their mouths(not noses). Our public health official said that most of our spread now is coming from these sports teams that have get-togethers after games or practice. I was hoping that we could do the lower risk, outdoor sports, to offer the kids exercise & socialization. Once again a failure of leadership has everybody doing their own thing at the expense of the community
Specializes in School Nurse. Having conversations with littles..
Legally- A school in the area- ran all this by their school lawyer. They were told that if there is a specific county recommendation- and the school doesn't follow it- that opens up a big potential for legal ramifications if an outbreak happens/a parent wants to push it.
This seemed to open up some otherwise closed ears.
Specializes in ICU/community health/school nursing.
11 minutes ago, EnoughWithTheIce said:
I just sent a student home with 4 covid symptoms, including a temp. Reason for being sent to school - so she would not miss basketball tryouts!
And it's not even lunchtime. I called two of my fellow school nurses for different things and...they were both in the isolation room at 0830 in the morning. Y'ALL. Please.
Yesterday a student told me "corona is the city water" and that is why she won't drink anything. I just cannot even understand where they are getting this information, but it absolutely breaks my heart. I tried to educate her on the facts, but I am not sure she bought what I was selling.
Trying to find a positive here...they believe corona exists???
So, returning to this thread now that I have a little bit of data.
Looking at the cases that parents have voluntarily reported to me at school (as our PH dept is too overwhelmed to contact trace or initiate investigations for schools):
**Students with confirmed COVID who are NOT in sports, just on campus for classes, have exposed an average of 3 other people related to school - not in classrooms, but in other situations like lunch, study group, carpool
**Students with confirmed COVID who DID participate in a team sport have exposed, on average, 20 other people.
**All** of the students with confirmed COVID cases reported to me, and enrolled in in-person classes, came to campus while symptomatic....despite my diligent efforts to send kids out, and my constant yakking on the subject....in a couple cases, came to campus while symptomatic AND while a family member or the student themself was awaiting test results.
[though this is selection bias, as the parents of kids with COVID who didn't come to school probably didn't bother to inform me of the diganosis]
Over 90% of our contact tracing efforts has been focused on exposures at athletic practices or events (!). Zero exposures in classrooms have been documented so far.
But hey, what do I know, I'm just the nurse....I don't have the command of epidemiology or public health guidance enjoyed by, say, coaches and athletics associations. ?
Specializes in Alternative Medicine, Psych,Cardiolgy,SchoolRN.
Our county commissioner, who also is an MD,MPH, traced several cases to hockey, cheer, & soccer, Unfortunately, a few days ago a bus driver died. We closed schools for 2 weeks, and some parents brought a law suit saying there wasn't "evidence". The administrators say they should be trusted to keep the schools open, when we know parents send kids to school sick, what is a joke is this "monitor at home" policy( check child's temp every day , etc...) Good point that several people are waiting for a test to come back from a close contact, but never report that to school either. Here we still have issues getting a test, it's like winning the lottery. I needed a test after a Covid positive CNA exposed a patient I was caring for. Every single CVS was booked .
I usually make a recommendation that new members change their names to something anonymous for safety reasons. You never know who all is reading these posts. Everybody & anybody can follow, incl lurkers.
I usually make a recommendation that new members change their names to something anonymous for safety reasons. You never know who all is reading these posts. Everybody & anybody can follow, incl lurkers.
And then you see the whole thread on FB where all kinds of non medical folks have an opinion...based on their momma, grandpa, aunt Tilly, experience as a child...etc. Good Times!
Kate Pietrowski, BSN
2 Posts
Initially, our school deemed football too high risk. Parents protested, and now we are allowing sports without spectators. What is also "crazy" ...our Volley Ball team practices indoors WITHOUT a mask, but I have to wear a mask if I go to the gym to take Yoga or Zumba. Pennsylvania also says we can wear face shields instead of masks, so people are walking around wearing plastic devices that only cover their mouths(not noses). Our public health official said that most of our spread now is coming from these sports teams that have get-togethers after games or practice. I was hoping that we could do the lower risk, outdoor sports, to offer the kids exercise & socialization. Once again a failure of leadership has everybody doing their own thing at the expense of the community