Kids At Risk

Florida education officials have voted to punish the Broward County and Alachua County school districts for requiring students to wear masks.

Unmasked kids at risk:

At least 11,000 Florida students in quarantine after just 5 days in school.

In Tennessee children back at school testing positive has increased 950%.

Meanwhile:

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Author: craigcrawford

Trail Mix Host. Lapsed journalist, author & retired pundit happily promoting nothing but the truth for Social Security checks.

39 thoughts on “Kids At Risk”

  2. wapo editorial board yesterday:

    Opinion: If GOP governors want schools to remain open, they will walk back reckless anti-mask mandates
    […]
    The governors who have issued bans on mask mandates via executive order — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R), whose office announced Tuesday that he had tested positive for the coronavirus, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) — have the ability to wipe them away with the stroke of a pen. Even some within their party think they should.
    […]
    School boards have continued to pursue mask mandates despite state bans and, in Florida’s case, vague sanctions on some counties. In Florida’s Leon County, which includes the capital, a K-8 mask mandate is in place. Superintendent Rocky Hanna explained his decision plainly: If “heaven forbid we lost a child to this virus, I can’t just simply blame the governor.”
    Child deaths from covid-19 are possible, though exceptionally rare. Of even greater concern are long-haul covid and the risk of school closures. Children under 12 are not yet eligible for the coronavirus vaccines and are therefore especially vulnerable to the highly transmissible delta variant. More than 120,000 children were infected with covid in the United States last week. It has been estimated that 10 percent of children who contract covid will have chronic symptoms such as heart conditions, decreased lung function and behavioral abnormalities. Meanwhile, when a certain threshold of students and staff are infected, and their contacts hopefully quarantined, a school simply cannot function. Some schools in the South have already put the academic year on pause or switched to temporary online instruction after staff shortages and covid spikes have made in-person instruction impossible.
    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended universal masking in K-12 schools for a reason. If governors have any concern for student safety, and want fragile school reopenings to hold, they must get out of the way of local actors and work to undo reckless anti-mask mandates.

  3. colbert, lapook & covid last night

    Physician and professor of medicine at NY Langone who serves as Chief Medical Correspondent for CBS News, Dr. Jon LaPook, is here to share his expertise about the pandemic and talk about his empathetic approach to talking to people about vaccines.

    more lapook

    Dr. Jon LaPook founded the Empathy Project to encourage medical professionals to take a nuanced approach when counseling patients on sensitive issues like vaccine hesitancy.

  4. back to the kiddos

    (CNN) — More than 121,000 child Covid-19 cases were reported in the US in the last week, according to a report from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
    After declining in early summer, child cases have “steadily increased” since the beginning of July. From August 5 to August 12, a total of 121,427 child cases were reported, which the AAP calls “a continuing substantial increase.”
    Children represented 18% of the weekly reported cases.
    Since the start of the pandemic, the AAP cites a cumulative total of 4,413,547 child cases reported, with children representing 14.4% of all cases.
    Hospitalizations were reported by 23 states and New York City, and children ranged from 1.6% to 3.5% of their total hospitalizations. Of all child Covid-19 cases, 0.2% to 1.9% resulted in hospitalizations.
    Children made up 0% to 0.25% of all Covid-19 deaths, which were reported in 43 states, New York City, Puerto Rico and Guam. No child deaths were reported by seven states, and 0% to 0.03% of all child Covid-19 cases in the states that reported resulted in death.
    […]
    During this Delta variant surge, Covid-19 hospitalizations have soared among children. But the full extent of severe pediatric cases is unknown, said Giroir.
    “Only 23 states and New York City actually report the number of children in hospitals,” said Giroir, a pediatrician. He said Texas and Florida are among the states where the total number of child Covid-19 hospitalizations are unknown.
    “Talking about flying blind, relative to children,” Giroir said. “We need better data, and that’s got to be the basis for action.”

  5. Can parents sue someone/an entity for medical bills and/or funeral expenses for their child?

    https://www.texastribune.org/2021/08/17/texas-covid-19-cases-hospitalizations/

    “We are entering the worst surge in sheer numbers,” said Dr. Mark Casanova, a palliative care specialist in Dallas and a member of the Texas Medical Association’s COVID-19 Task Force.”

    “This is the fourth round of what should have been a three-round fight. We do have very sincere concerns that the numbers game is going to overwhelm us.”

  6. Mike Herriot
    Greg Abbott has armed guards who don’t let people get close, daily testing for anyone he comes into contact with, a whole team disinfecting the Governors mansion and a medical staff on standby And he STILL got that shit.
    I’m sure those unmasked Texas schoolkids will be fine, tho

  7. I hope the politicization of masks in schools will turn kids away from the Republican Party. If they get sick because their parents sided with Republican governors, they might be future Dems. An unforeseen side effect of covid.

    https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/18/health/us-coronavirus-wednesday/index.html

    “Why tie the hands of the public health officials behind their backs? You have two weapons here, one is vaccines the other is masking, and for children less than 12 that’s the only weapon they have,”

    “In Arizona, Gov. Doug Ducey said the state would use federal Covid relief money to increase the funding available to public school districts only if they’re open for in-person learning and don’t require children to wear masks.“

    tRUMPism is going to kill school children.

  8. Pogosian……..If you’re worried about the smoked grapes, I’m pretty sure that with Thunderbird, MD 20/20, and Mogen David, you can’t tell the difference.
    Do they still make Boone’s Farm and Mateus Rose? (Asking for a friend.)

  9. that other paris, the one in TX

    Paris ISD to require masks as part of dress code | Free | theparisnews.com

    Paris ISD will require masks as part of its dress code when school starts Thursday after action by the Board of Trustees during an emergency meeting Tuesday.
    “The Texas Governor does not have the authority to usurp the Board of Trustees’ exclusive power and duty to govern and oversee the management of the public schools of the district. Nothing in the Governor’s Executive Order 38 states he has suspended Chapter 11 of the Texas Education Code, and therefore the Board has elected to amend its dress code consistent with its statutory authority,” the district stated in a press release after the meeting.
    Trustees held the meeting at Paris High School, where for more than an hour they heard from district employees, parents and members of the local medical community expressing opposing views. Doctors, parents and staff implored the board to protect children and staff by requiring face masks as local active Covid-19 cases continue to rise rapidly. Several parents and staff members urged trustees to allow families to choose for themselves whether their children would wear masks.
    [continues]

  10. the fart of the deal

    Trump’s actions possibly ‘undermined’ his deal with Taliban, former Defense Secretary Mark Esper says | CNN

    […]

    The Trump administration’s “Agreement for Bringing Peace to Afghanistan” outlined a series of commitments from the US and the Taliban related to troop levels, counterterrorism and intra-Afghan dialogue aimed at bringing about “a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire.”

    But, Esper told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, “my concern was that President Trump, by continuing to want to withdraw American forces out of Afghanistan, undermined the agreement, which is why in the fall when he was calling for a return of US forces by Christmas, I objected and formally wrote a letter to him, a memo based on recommendations from the military chain of command and my senior civilian leadership that we not go further – that we not reduce below 4,500 troops unless and until conditions were met by the Taliban.”

    […]

    After years of negotiations, the Taliban and the Trump administration finally signed a peace deal in 2020. The US agreed to withdraw troops and release some 5,000 Taliban prisoners, while the Taliban agreed to take steps to prevent any group or individual, including al Qaeda, from using Afghanistan to threaten the security of the US or its allies.

    But the deal didn’t bring about peace.

    [continues]

  11. BTW, can’t take credit for “Fart of the Deal” goody.

    that is/was a book now out of print (with limited availability) according to amazon

    The Fart of the Deal: Drumpf, Donald: 9781709468780: Amazon.com: Books  11/25/2019

    President Donald Drumpf proudly presents his classic bestseller, with all of the president’s timeless wisdom painstakingly condensed into 24 — mostly blank — pages. (Author’s note: There are also a few great, great drawings. Tremendous drawings. These drawings are incredible.) Like many who have done business with America’s 45th president, readers will soon discover that they’ve been tremendously ripped off.

    The perfect gag gift for birthdays and holidays!

     

  13. BTW… now that I’ve recovered from my fair… I want to say something about Afghanistan.  That was another one of those countries that was carved out of the desert after WWII.  the Afghanis (don’t know what else to call them) never saw that territory as “their country”.  They belong to their tribes and have allegiance to their warlords.  The concept of “fighting for one’s country” is a foreign concept to them.  The fact that we… the USA…  were trying to get them to think like us..  was and is… stupid.  We’ve done this over and over again.  So no… we have not learned the lessons of Viet Nam… or Iran… or Iraq… or whatever.

  14. The Taliban beat their children with whips, Republican governors infect our children with deadly plague

  15. “Sorry your kid is in an ICU, but on the bright side, the DJIA has never been higher, so, maybe buy stocks!”

  16. DFW is in the midst of a flash flood.  The TARDIS (blue port-a-potty) at the construction site down the road hasn’t floated away…yet.

  19. Biden just now: The federal government will direct all nursing homes to *require* their staff be vaccinated against Covid-19 in order to continue receiving Medicare and Medicaid funds.

  20. Biden just now: escalating fight with GOP governors over masks in schools. The Department of Education will use its civil rights arm to go after states that block school districts from requiring masks, and reimburse educators denied salary for requiring masks. 

    https://t.co/2u3HEGrEp0

  22. Hmmmm, not sure that the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan will be much of a help to Republicans campaigning for office, especially since 70% of Americans wanted us to get out out, and, Republicans are politicizing health measures that sicken and kill folks, including children.

    https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/18/politics/epa-pesticide-ban-children-health/index.html

    “After the delays and denials of the prior administration, EPA will follow the science and put health and safety first,” he added. The statement said the agency would revoke all “tolerances” for chlorpyrifos, which is used on crops including soybeans, broccoli, cauliflower, and fruit and nut trees and also has “non-food uses.” The chemical has “been associated with potential neurological effects in children,” the statement said.“

    It seems that Republicans aren’t pro-life, at all.

  23. https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/18/politics/robert-reeder-capitol-riot-sentencing/index.html

    Bwa- ha -ha!

    “…the online group known as the Sedition Hunters tweeted newly discovered clips and photos, apparently showing Reeder fighting with police on January 6.”

    “US District Judge Thomas Hogan said he was “concerned” about the new videos because Reeder was previously portrayed as “more as an observer than a participant” in the violence.“

    “Robert Reeder of Maryland was charged in February with four misdemeanors. He pleaded guilty to unlawfully demonstrating inside the Capitol and was set to be sentenced on Wednesday afternoon…”

    “Prosecutors planned to go forward with sentencing and request the maximum six-month jail term, but after reviewing more of the videos, they asked to delay the hearing. He is now scheduled to be sentenced on October 8.“

  24. The vaccination argument will never ever be settled by the force of argument and persuasion.  For every “remember polio?” They have a “Remember lobotomies?” and never the train shall budge. The only way out seems to be that the unvaccs wind up hoisted on their own petards. Unless it’s the Vaccs who get hoisted. We will all find the truth in dirty pudding.

  25. https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/18/politics/kenneth-kurson-trump-pardon-kushner/index.html

    “We will not accept presidential pardons as get-out-of-jail free cards for the well-connected in New York,” Vance said in a statement. “As alleged in the complaint, Mr. Kurson launched a campaign of cybercrime, manipulation, and abuse from his perch at the New York Observer, and now the people of New York will hold him accountable.”

    “The charges, announced Wednesday by Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance, come seven months after Kurson, a close friend of Jared Kushner, was pardoned by Trump of federal criminal charges alleging he cyberstalked three people.“

  27. After just a week in school 1,000 Orlando students and teachers tested positive, another 700 in quarantine, mask opt out option eliminated for 30 days. 

  29. https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/texas/why-gov-abbott-receiving-regeneron-treatment-no-covid-19-symptoms/287-22b6ea37-9784-42a2-8e54-03235f451882

    “Medically, doctors are likely keeping a close watch over Gov. Abbott while politically his campaign is closely monitoring whether catching COVID will help or hurt his re-election next year.”

    “He may change his approach as it relates to political events in the future although he will have antibodies. So, in some way he may be at lower risk than he was before when does Reagan Day and Lincoln Day dinners,” Mackowiak added.…”

    He’ll learn nothing. He’s all ego and self-interest.

  30. Yes, without a doubt the Russians are stirring the pot.  To them it’s  the absolutely most coolest thing they’ve ever pulled off, and they ain’t about to let it go till they’ve milked it for all it’s worth. And so far all the fools in town are on THEIR side.

  31. I do not know the impact on the American public concerning the collapse of the Afghanistan Army and the government.  My thoughts are that after decades of censorship and lack of information, the general public goes “meh?”.  I see the papers.  I see the front page.  But, places like Afghanistan were written off years ago.  Cheney and Rumsfield did the job.  They removed SouthWest Asia from the American public attention.

  33. Excellent movie on *yta (WTF channel is THAT?). The Werewolf vs. the Vampire Woman. 1971. And it’s worse than it sounds. Starring Paul Naschy and Gaby Fuchs. Never heard of either of them -and if anyone on the screen is either of them, it’s no wonder. 

  34. https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/18/us/superintendent-texas-teachers-parents-masks-trnd/index.html

    “One case concerned a masked teacher and a parent who repeated loudly, “I can’t understand you if you don’t take that mask off,” Leonard said, and the teacher felt uncomfortable and reported it.“

    “In another instance, a parent made the unwise decision to physically remove the mask from the teacher …”

    Intimidation and physical assault. That’s not the ~freedom~ they keep yelling about, that’s bullying and abuse.

    Too selfish to wear a mask or to even let anyone else protect themselves. The anti-maskers and unvaccinated adults are infringing on the safety of others. Selfish morons.

  36. You were right about hunkering down, BiD. You might want to wear floaties , a helmet, and steel-toed boots around the house, too, because  i think your state is out of ICU beds

  38. Ah- imdbtv has some of the old racist “Charlie Chan” movies, so i watched some of them to see what Los Angeles looked like in the 1930s- pretty neat to see places i recognize in their natural form before mass development (terrible movies though)

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