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https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2211029

 

 

Lifting Universal Masking in Schools — Covid-19 Incidence among Students and Staff

 

Abstract

BACKGROUND

In February 2022, Massachusetts rescinded a statewide universal masking policy in public schools, and many Massachusetts school districts lifted masking requirements during the subsequent weeks. In the greater Boston area, only two school districts — the Boston and neighboring Chelsea districts — sustained masking requirements through June 2022. The staggered lifting of masking requirements provided an opportunity to examine the effect of universal masking policies on the incidence of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) in schools.

METHODS

We used a difference-in-differences analysis for staggered policy implementation to compare the incidence of Covid-19 among students and staff in school districts in the greater Boston area that lifted masking requirements with the incidence in districts that sustained masking requirements during the 2021–2022 school year. Characteristics of the school districts were also compared.

RESULTS

Before the statewide masking policy was rescinded, trends in the incidence of Covid-19 were similar across school districts. During the 15 weeks after the statewide masking policy was rescinded, the lifting of masking requirements was associated with an additional 44.9 cases per 1000 students and staff (95% confidence interval, 32.6 to 57.1), which corresponded to an estimated 11,901 cases and to 29.4% of the cases in all districts during that time. Districts that chose to sustain masking requirements longer tended to have school buildings that were older and in worse condition and to have more students per classroom than districts that chose to lift masking requirements earlier. In addition, these districts had higher percentages of low-income students, students with disabilities, and students who were English-language learners, as well as higher percentages of Black and Latinx students and staff. Our results support universal masking as an important strategy for reducing Covid-19 incidence in schools and loss of in-person school days. As such, we believe that universal masking may be especially useful for mitigating effects of structural racism in schools, including potential deepening of educational inequities.

CONCLUSIONS

Among school districts in the greater Boston area, the lifting of masking requirements was associated with an additional 44.9 Covid-19 cases per 1000 students and staff during the 15 weeks after the statewide masking policy was rescinded.

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On 11/12/2022 at 10:44 AM, 6of1_halfdozenofother said:

https://globalnews.ca/news/9272293/immunity-debt-covid-19-misinformation/

 

Watch people try to conflate this:

with "[insert public health measure here] is harming the immune system" or some other conspiracy theory.  :rolleyes:

 

And just to re-iterate another excerpt within the article:

 

In fact, these health measures are also applicable for air-transmissable concerns such as the flu.  Too bad people are too afraid to smell their own bad breath (or other similarly juvenile reason) to mask up and protect others.  :rolleyes:

LOL I don't like it because it fogs up my glasses. When I was forced to wear a mask to go places, I had many incidents, including getting a tray of hot soup all over me, due to not being able to see.

 

I have no issue with wearing one in the hospital or an old folks home for example, but being vaccinated with everything, I feel I have done my part. The bigger issue I see coming, is team scaredy cat wants us to go to full time masking all winter, every year, for ever! 

 

Right now in Ontario the head doctor is recommending a return to mask mandates, not for COVID, but for "respitory viruses". 

 

If nature wants to get you sick, it's going to get you sick. The zero COVID policies in China, which we can look at as an example of extreme masking ideas gone mad, has not stopped COVID from spreading!

 

People should just get vaccinated, and thus minimise the impact for when they inevitably get these viruses. If they don't, that's their problem.

 

I promise you that outside a hospital or old folks home, mask mandate or not, if they come back here, it's going to be a challenge to get me to wear one. From I don't have one, to lowering or removing when I can, to checking on enforcement, to exploiting loopholes, I promise I will full on mock the system. The only people that have something to fear are the unvaccinated, and if they are that scared, stay home. I don't need any more lockdowns thanks, I would rather be sick.

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34 minutes ago, ronthecivil said:

LOL I don't like it because it fogs up my glasses. When I was forced to wear a mask to go places, I had many incidents, including getting a tray of hot soup all over me, due to not being able to see.

 

I have no issue with wearing one in the hospital or an old folks home for example, but being vaccinated with everything, I feel I have done my part. The bigger issue I see coming, is team scaredy cat wants us to go to full time masking all winter, every year, for ever! 

 

Right now in Ontario the head doctor is recommending a return to mask mandates, not for COVID, but for "respitory viruses". 

 

If nature wants to get you sick, it's going to get you sick. The zero COVID policies in China, which we can look at as an example of extreme masking ideas gone mad, has not stopped COVID from spreading!

 

People should just get vaccinated, and thus minimise the impact for when they inevitably get these viruses. If they don't, that's their problem.

 

I promise you that outside a hospital or old folks home, mask mandate or not, if they come back here, it's going to be a challenge to get me to wear one. From I don't have one, to lowering or removing when I can, to checking on enforcement, to exploiting loopholes, I promise I will full on mock the system. The only people that have something to fear are the unvaccinated, and if they are that scared, stay home. I don't need any more lockdowns thanks, I would rather be sick.

It's probably a function of the issues that Ontario was having with its emergency rooms and that there has been an uptick in hospitalizations of young people with respiratory issues.  They don't really have a problem now, but they don't want to have an issue like Alberta did during the Delta wave.

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4 minutes ago, thedestroyerofworlds said:

It's probably a function of the issues that Ontario was having with its emergency rooms and that there has been an uptick in hospitalizations of young people with respiratory issues.  They don't really have a problem now, but they don't want to have an issue like Alberta did during the Delta wave.

Have we ever had enough emergency rooms? Weren't people being put in beds in the hallway a thing before COVID? 

 

Obviously the problem is that people weren't masking.....:rolleyes:

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Just now, 6of1_halfdozenofother said:

Like I said, juvenile reasons.  :rolleyes:

 

Except we've never really had lockdowns performed in the greater part of civil society here.  The only parts that were locked down were care facilities and hospitals (to a certain extent).  Pretty sure you fall into neither category.

Not being able to see is a safety issue. 

 

Not taking personal responsibility for looking after your own health and safety first is juvenile though.

 

Either way, I don't care. I don't care if the scaredy cats are scared. I don't care if the antivaxers suffer debilitating sickness, or lost their jobs.

 

i don't care if I am called juvenile. I don't care if I get called a jerk. I am done with lockdowns. Everyone is getting sick eventually, nature always finds a way, and is way stronger than humans and science. I did what I need to protect myself and feel comfortable, and yes I know I will get sick, and I am comfortable with that. Everyone else is free to do what they need to do to feel comfortable. If that means staying home, or if it means trying to get a Darwin award by doing nothing, that's up to them.

 

I am done. Well, except for abusing and mocking any mask mandates that show up.

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3 hours ago, ronthecivil said:

Not being able to see is a safety issue. 

 

Not taking personal responsibility for looking after your own health and safety first is juvenile though.

 

Either way, I don't care. I don't care if the scaredy cats are scared. I don't care if the antivaxers suffer debilitating sickness, or lost their jobs.

 

i don't care if I am called juvenile. I don't care if I get called a jerk. I am done with lockdowns. Everyone is getting sick eventually, nature always finds a way, and is way stronger than humans and science. I did what I need to protect myself and feel comfortable, and yes I know I will get sick, and I am comfortable with that. Everyone else is free to do what they need to do to feel comfortable. If that means staying home, or if it means trying to get a Darwin award by doing nothing, that's up to them.

 

I am done. Well, except for abusing and mocking any mask mandates that show up.


I used that line on a Worksafe BC inspector once when he wrote me up for an employee not wearing his safety glasses working around a hot tank (very steamy). With the most condescending look possible he replied “I guess you’ve never heard of anti-fog spray before.”

 

Be done all you want but just admit that your foggy glasses is just an excuse, and not a good one.

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1 hour ago, 4petesake said:


I used that line on a Worksafe BC inspector once when he wrote me up for an employee not wearing his safety glasses working around a hot tank (very steamy). With the most condescending look possible he replied “I guess you’ve never heard of anti-fog spray before.”

 

Be done all you want but just admit that your foggy glasses is just an excuse, and not a good one.

Where do you get this anti-fog spray?

 

Foggy glasses may be a minor issue but it can be a nuisance.  I once asked an optometrist about such a product and he said there wasn't any.

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13 minutes ago, UnkNuk said:

Where do you get this anti-fog spray?

 

Foggy glasses may be a minor issue but it can be a nuisance.  I once asked an optometrist about such a product and he said there wasn't any.

Cheapest thing I've seen is Barbasol shave cream, spay on the glass, wipe it around and then wipe it off. Will do a decent job of stopping fog.

Divers would just spit in their mask and smear it around to prevent/reduce fogging- I prefer the barbasol way.

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5 hours ago, 6of1_halfdozenofother said:

So in other words, you're pro-transmission, since you can't be bothered to mask up to help reduce the risk (and degree) of transmission, and would rather abuse and mock such measures instead.

 

Good job, Ron.  Such a great example of civic responsibility and good citizenship.

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He is doing what he feels is sufficient to stay safe.  
Everyone else should do the same.  
Quit thinking your health is everyone else’s responsibility.   
Take care of yourself. 

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1 hour ago, UnkNuk said:

Where do you get this anti-fog spray?

 

Foggy glasses may be a minor issue but it can be a nuisance.  I once asked an optometrist about such a product and he said there wasn't any.

I run a shop with 60 grown babies.  
I had so many complaints about foggy glasses, I spent 4-500$ on every anti-fog spray I could find.
None worked well.  
Some lasted for an hour or two at most. 
Some gave glasses an oily view.  

They mostly all suck. 

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The friday night before Halloween my school had a halloween dance and by tuesday we were up to 40% absence and that lasted all week.  Last week we were better, but still around 30% absent and this week, closer to 10%........these aree numbers I've never seen before and we've had a few kids in the hospital on respirators and othr kids gone for two full weeks who are now coming back and still very sick with the after affects.

 

No one wants to say it's covid, as they take one test and if it's neg then it's "the flu", but I've never seen so many kids sick, nor as sick as they are........adults too.  One teacher said a parent told him that the emerg doc told her that they think the rapid tests aren't picking up the virus, for whatever reason, but he's sure most of it is covid.  

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27 minutes ago, stawns said:

The friday night before Halloween my school had a halloween dance and by tuesday we were up to 40% absence and that lasted all week.  Last week we were better, but still around 30% absent and this week, closer to 10%........these aree numbers I've never seen before and we've had a few kids in the hospital on respirators and othr kids gone for two full weeks who are now coming back and still very sick with the after affects.

 

No one wants to say it's covid, as they take one test and if it's neg then it's "the flu", but I've never seen so many kids sick, nor as sick as they are........adults too.  One teacher said a parent told him that the emerg doc told her that they think the rapid tests aren't picking up the virus, for whatever reason, but he's sure most of it is covid.  

I was sick last week.  I tested 4 times through the week so when I called sick, I could say if I was negative.   They were all negative. 

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1 hour ago, stawns said:

The friday night before Halloween my school had a halloween dance and by tuesday we were up to 40% absence and that lasted all week.  Last week we were better, but still around 30% absent and this week, closer to 10%........these aree numbers I've never seen before and we've had a few kids in the hospital on respirators and othr kids gone for two full weeks who are now coming back and still very sick with the after affects.

 

No one wants to say it's covid, as they take one test and if it's neg then it's "the flu", but I've never seen so many kids sick, nor as sick as they are........adults too.  One teacher said a parent told him that the emerg doc told her that they think the rapid tests aren't picking up the virus, for whatever reason, but he's sure most of it is covid.  

Back at the beginning of October I had a bit of a sore throat so I tested.  Negative.  Tested again the next day.  Negative.  3rd day I tested positive.  I have heard that story numerous times.  Not sure if people are shedding much virus early on or what.

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6 minutes ago, Wilbur said:

Back at the beginning of October I had a bit of a sore throat so I tested.  Negative.  Tested again the next day.  Negative.  3rd day I tested positive.  I have heard that story numerous times.  Not sure if people are shedding much virus early on or what.

I think either people arent using the tests right, variants are able to evade some detection or people are using expired tests.

 

I know that in 16 years of teaching we've never seen numbers like that, never seen kids out for two weeks with the flu or had a "flu super spreader event".

 

 

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24 minutes ago, cuporbust said:

that's ah uh...that's a weird gif there but k

 

Masks?  Oh no.  I might be moderately inconvenienced.  

 

After the cold my kid just brought home two weeks ago and how messed up my wife and.I still are from it; I'll wear the mask.  Especially after standing in line with the idiots coughing and sneezing on everything behind me in it

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14 hours ago, UnkNuk said:

Where do you get this anti-fog spray?

 

Foggy glasses may be a minor issue but it can be a nuisance.  I once asked an optometrist about such a product and he said there wasn't any.

I use anti-fog cloths purchased at Costco. They substantially reduce fogging for a while, although you do need to reapply them regularly. A minor inconvenience, certainly much better than getting/spreading a nasty disease. At least to those of us who are not totally selfish a-holes, like the ones who wandered around the malls or arenas carrying a plastic cup for hours to evade masking regulations.

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