Is anyone concerned about the health implications of mask-wearing in school?

[Noodlevonstrudle]

Just that really. With the best will in the world children and teens are likely to be touching their face way more wearing a mask than they ever would otherwise. There will be masks dropped on the floor, stuffed in pockets, left in the bottom of bags and then put back on again. It worries me a lot that not only will they be ineffective against Covid but that they will actually be harmful.

Yeah it’s just fab that the government announced a basic safety measure on Monday only to completely undermine it within the same week.

This doctor died after wearing the same mask..she had asthma...could be concerns if not cleaned / changed I suppose. However most young people would be low risk I suppose.

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/oct/07/texas-doctor-adeline-fagan-covid-coronavirus

Yep, guidance only

Suits me. There has been absolutely no risk analysis done on mask use for children.

This doctor died after wearing the same mask.

She died of covid, not of wearing the same mask.

“ It is unclear how Fagan contracted coronavirus, but to Maureen it seemed linked to her July rotation in the ER. HCA West is part of HCA Healthcare – the country’s largest hospital chain – and in recent months a national nurses union has complained of its “willful violation” of workplace safety protocols, including pushing infected staff to continue clocking in.”

It's only till Easter as well so what is that 3/4 weeks?

@noblegiraffe

This doctor died after wearing the same mask.

She died of covid, not of wearing the same mask.

“ It is unclear how Fagan contracted coronavirus, but to Maureen it seemed linked to her July rotation in the ER. HCA West is part of HCA Healthcare – the country’s largest hospital chain – and in recent months a national nurses union has complained of its “willful violation” of workplace safety protocols, including pushing infected staff to continue clocking in.”

"The physician tested positive for the virus in early July and died on 19 September after spending over two months in hospital. She had worked in a Houston emergency department, and a family member says she reused personal protective equipment (PPE) day after day due to shortages

My thoughts are that if they really do work well and prevent virus transmission then what other viruses are they preventing transmission of which children need to be exposed to to help build up their immune systems? I worry that whilst they seem harmless now, several years down the line we might discover that actually a significant proportion of young children that were masked all day didn't develop their immune systems in the right way.

[quote Orangeblossom1977]This doctor died after wearing the same mask..she had asthma...could be concerns if not cleaned / changed I suppose. However most young people would be low risk I suppose.

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/oct/07/texas-doctor-adeline-fagan-covid-coronavirus[/quote]
I think that gets shelved as a one in a million incident. The kids are much more likely to get hit by a car on the way to school. That kind of article will no doubt be past around know just like the normal scare mongering about vaccines. We live in a ridiculous world where people can't think logically it seems.

It was the same mask, with her name on.

My dc have been wearing masks since in person school started in August.
They are annoying but manageable.
They are not magic but used with social distancing, bubbles and hand sanitizer they have ensured that there has been no spread of c19 cases within the school.
My dc have gum to help with mask breath and have needed gentle facial scrubs as their skin has got a little spotty at times.
I'm sure they will be delighted when they can go but they manage PE and dance in them.

I really worry for the future of the children in the uk. Not because of Covid or homeschooling, but because the rest of the world's children just get on with things whereas ours are babied to ridiculous extremes.

It's secondary school children being asked to wear masks, not toddlers.

"Amid national shortages, Maureen said her sister faced a particular challenge with PPE. “Adeline had an N95 mask and had her name written on it,” she said. “Adeline wore the same N95 for weeks and weeks, if not months and months.”

The CDC recommends that an N95 mask should be reused at most five times, unless a manufacturer says otherwise."

@Mummabeary

My thoughts are that if they really do work well and prevent virus transmission then what other viruses are they preventing transmission of which children need to be exposed to to help build up their immune systems? I worry that whilst they seem harmless now, several years down the line we might discover that actually a significant proportion of young children that were masked all day didn't develop their immune systems in the right way.

It is likely to only be for a few months. There is even a review at Easter. Which is a much shorter time than kids in other countries have been wearing masks.

A shortage of PPE leaving nurses inadequately protected seems rather irrelevant to a discussion about kids in school wearing a face covering.

Our school have said children will be expected to wear masks and will be provided with a mask should they not have one, names of pupils will be recorded and those repeatedly without will be given extra support (presumably for parents struggling to supply them) anyone who is exempt needs to provide proof and will be given a lanyard to wear instead

I am so fucking happy to be leaving the profession at Easter so I never, ever have to endure this shit again.

And by the way, I haven't taught a class without a mask since September. I even wear glasses. I survived, along with millions of adults and children across the world who just get on with wearing a mask and doing life.

The fact that so many of you are still struggling with this utterly basic, common-sense measure shows me that although your children undoubtedly need good teachers, I am right not to be one of them any more.

@lunar1

I really worry for the future of the children in the uk. Not because of Covid or homeschooling, but because the rest of the world's children just get on with things whereas ours are babied to ridiculous extremes.

It's secondary school children being asked to wear masks, not toddlers.

Absolutely true

Sadly this was a problem before covid too. Teenagers are young adults and should be treated like that. Not babies devoid of all responsibility. That is why we have so many irresponsible and selfish adults.

then what other viruses are they preventing transmission of which children need to be exposed to to help build up their immune systems

What kind of viruses do children need to build up their immune system? Do we need viruses to build up our immune systems? Where did you get that from?
Or do we tend to get debilitated when we do get sick?

Among the reasons life expectancy for children is better in developed countries is less exposure to bugs. More bugs, more risk to children.

@3littlewords

Our school have said children will be expected to wear masks and will be provided with a mask should they not have one, names of pupils will be recorded and those repeatedly without will be given extra support (presumably for parents struggling to supply them) anyone who is exempt needs to provide proof and will be given a lanyard to wear instead

Good. Hopefully other schools will do the same.

@lunar1

I really worry for the future of the children in the uk. Not because of Covid or homeschooling, but because the rest of the world's children just get on with things whereas ours are babied to ridiculous extremes.

It's secondary school children being asked to wear masks, not toddlers.

I worry that we are teaching children to comply without any questions to nonsensical rules

Young people used to be renowned for rebellion and individuation. This is all about compliance.

They go to school to learn how to analyse and understand the scientific method. Wearing a mask in a classroom is way off the mark of scientific methodology. It's about appeasing people with Health Anxiety, let's face it.

@Lweji

then what other viruses are they preventing transmission of which children need to be exposed to to help build up their immune systems

What kind of viruses do children need to build up their immune system? Do we need viruses to build up our immune systems? Where did you get that from?
Or do we tend to get debilitated when we do get sick?

Among the reasons life expectancy for children is better in developed countries is less exposure to bugs. More bugs, more risk to children.

Immune systems absolutely need exposure to pathogens to become healthy - this is a fact known for many many years

It is anti-knowledge to try and not expose children to viruses.

I dread to think about the constant anti-bac'ing that is going on for children. It is so terribly terribly unhealthy

An idea of this here: www.nytimes.com/2020/09/10/parenting/children-immunity-staying-home-coronavirus.html

On balance I agree with the scientific evidence for masks as more safety benefits to outweigh potential misuse risks. Children have been wearing masks globally for years. It's only a "new invention" in the UK. But good to catch up and be proactive as with all other combined health and safety risk mitigation measures as each sensible proactive measure makes the marginal health difference between opening or closing crowded face to face teaching.

@Lweji

then what other viruses are they preventing transmission of which children need to be exposed to to help build up their immune systems

What kind of viruses do children need to build up their immune system? Do we need viruses to build up our immune systems? Where did you get that from?
Or do we tend to get debilitated when we do get sick?

Among the reasons life expectancy for children is better in developed countries is less exposure to bugs. More bugs, more risk to children.

In recent years, scientists have discovered that there is a type of childhood leukaemia which kids are in increased risk of catching if they have not been exposed to a certain virus by a certain age. And we know there are viruses which are better to catch when younger e.g. chicken pox (and even Covid).

I suppose I just feel like for millenia children have been interacting with each other unmasked (even when childhood diseases were a huge risk) and we think we now know better and there are no unknown downsides. As human beings we encounter millions of viruses a day and our immune systems have involved for this.

For clarity, I am not referring to teenagers but to these masked 5 year olds in other countries.

Stop fussing and get on with it

I live in a masks for 5 year olds country and I'm not concerned because it isn't going to be forever. ( also chicken pox is vaccinated against)