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.

@HalfPastThree

Forced, or “strongly encouraged” masking of children is a medical intervention, and we should expect the same standards of proof as any other medical intervention. I’d expect proof to exist that it’s safe, effective, and essential.

You might try an experimental intervention on a patient who would otherwise die, but you wouldn’t try it out on a child who is at no personal risk, just because you reckon they might give it to someone who might give it to someone who might give it to someone who might give it to someone’s grandmother who didn’t take the vaccine.

It is not a medical intervention. It is a safety precaution. Do you think Whitty, Sage and all the experts around the world just sit down and make this stuff up?

Ds school have worn them since Sept. All day except eating. Inc outdoors.
He's been fine.

A hard hat and boots are a safety precaution, because they protect the wearer from risk.

An 80 year old’s mask is a safety precaution.

A healthy teenager’s mask in school is a medical intervention to prevent them from carrying or transmitting a disease, which might infect someone who might infect someone who might infect someone.

A healthy teenager’s mask in school is a medical intervention to prevent them from carrying or transmitting a disease, which might infect someone who might infect someone who might infect someone.

It is NOT a medical intervention, FFS.
And it helps protect the wearer.

Btw the main benefit of masks for EVERYONE is to protect other people, more than the wearer. That's why it's important all wear them.

Children may not have a high risk of death, but they may get ill and get complications anyway.
Would a teenager want to take covid to his home, even if they didn't suffer badly?

And, once again, masks are perfectly safe. They are for adults and they are for children.

Masks might have some benefits, but they have zero personal benefits to a healthy child - anyone who thinks children benefit from wearing masks is delusional

Jesus. It’s a mask. For a few weeks. That might stop kids infecting people and prevent us staying in lockdown

Other than medical or personal trauma issues, just get on with it

No I'm far more worried about idiot anti maskers.

DC wore them at school for months. They were happy to and had no issues. Actually made them less anxious.

@HalfPastThree

A hard hat and boots are a safety precaution, because they protect the wearer from risk.

An 80 year old’s mask is a safety precaution.

A healthy teenager’s mask in school is a medical intervention to prevent them from carrying or transmitting a disease, which might infect someone who might infect someone who might infect someone.

So what really object to is potentially stopping a pregnant class teacher or a vulnerable child in the classroom getting infected?

Only your own childs safety matters then. Pretty sure your kid will need pigging counselling if that happens or is your child as compassionate as you?

@HalfPastThree

Masks might have some benefits, but they have zero personal benefits to a healthy child - anyone who thinks children benefit from wearing masks is delusional

Read all the other posts here and educate yourself. Nobody thinks the mask wearing protects the wearer. It is about protecting each other.

@Incogweeto

OP you think you’re so much cleverer than the rest of us but yet you’re not clever enough to disguise your agenda. Your faux ‘innocent concern’ to push your dangerous and misguided anti-mask agenda was laughably transparent from the first post.

We see you.

No you don’t ‘see her / him’ Don’t be so bloody arrogant and patronising.

It is allowed in the UK (for now at least) to actually question something you have been told to do. We don’t live in China or North Korea.
Fed up of arrogant demeaning posters who come on to say the OP is ‘faux’ or anti this or anti that. You have no bloody close what the OP thinks. She was asking a question and hoping for a discusssion.

@Noodlevonstrudle

only 3% were picked up on the school tests.

What on earth is the point in doing them then?

And just for future reference, you don't ever persuade someone to your viewpoint with patronising comments like "Read this carefully", it just gets people's backs up. I hope that helps you word your arguments better in future.

When I was a teacher if you ever met a mum like the OP you just knew what their ‘little darling’ was going to be like

Put a damn mask on your kid and don’t be so selfish.

@HalfPastThree

Masks might have some benefits, but they have zero personal benefits to a healthy child - anyone who thinks children benefit from wearing masks is delusional

You still make your kid wear a damn mask. It’s called being part of a society. I honestly pity these poor children being brought up my selfish, entitled idiots.

@Notthemessiah

I'm just fed up with everyone telling kids what they have to do without ever seemingly caring about what it is they want, all in order to protect other people rather than themselves.

Will they get any thanks for all of the things they have had to do (or not do), all the stress they've had to endure, the life-building experiences they have had to give up, from grateful older generations? Will they fuck - they'll get exactly the same as they get now - sit down, do what you're told and if you're lucky you'll get some crappy insecure job with no chance of enjoying the same things their parents unless they're either A. Very lucky or B. Have wealthy or well connected parents.

I imagine wearing or not wearing masks is fairly low down their list of things to worry about.

With some of the stupid anti mask wearing idiots on here for parents they will be lucky to get a low paid, insecure job because they will be as unpleasant as their Us4Ourselves mothers on here and they will be the employee from hell.

Well, anti-maskers are nothing if not consistent.

We’ve had “masks don’t work. They only protect other people, therefore there is no point me wearing one.”

And now “they have zero personal benefit to me/my child so we shan’t be wearing them.”

Yikes.

My dc are annoying at times but to be fair to them they aren't total arses.
So they understand that wearing masks protects their teachers and means they aren't spreading an illness around the kids to take home to their families.
Their friends all get this too, I'm sure that UK dc can understand this.

The OP can relax: neither masks nor tests will be compulsory in schools:

www.theguardian.com/world/2021/feb/25/covid-tests-masks-not-compulsory-english-schools-nick-gibb

Nobody thinks the mask wearing protects the wearer. It is about protecting each other

There are several posters stating exactly this though.

@noblegiraffe

If your goal is persuasion, then maybe you should be fussed.

Definitely not fussed about you. 🤷‍♀️

If that was really the case you wouldn’t be replying to me at all 😏

Let’s not pretend that a 12 year old wearing a mask and taking them on and off around break times will be as hygienic as a surgeon wearing a mask... and not will they probably hydrate as well.

But for 3 weeks I’m sure that most children - some SN aside - can deal with it for a 7-45% reduced transmission rate...

We can make sure they drink plenty at home.

@Noodlevonstrudle

Right, well I'm off. Thanks for the "engagement".

I was hoping for a bit of reassure or advice, but no, this is obviously not the place for that. Thanks for whoever it was that suggesting bags for masks and also to keep drinking lots - will take that onboard.

If anyone has any suggestions of parenting boards where people engage respectfully when someone ask a question that is "counter" to the herd do let me know because this is obviously not it. Worth a try thought I guess.

I'm sure you'll be back under a different user name before too long.

[quote echt]The OP can relax: neither masks nor tests will be compulsory in schools:

www.theguardian.com/world/2021/feb/25/covid-tests-masks-not-compulsory-english-schools-nick-gibb[/quote]
Doesn't mean you shouldn't consent without a very good reason not to though!

@MangoFeverDream

Nobody thinks the mask wearing protects the wearer. It is about protecting each other

There are several posters stating exactly this though.

Well yes but that is a very small minority. So long as their kid is wearing a mask does it matter why?

You never know they could even be in a magical area where everyone wears medical grade masks. So the poster is talking gospel

So the attitude that everything is optional- masks, tests, proximity distancing, hygiene etc etc. Does that mean in person schooling is optional too? Or is it now a matter of reckless selfishness to do minimum health and safety risk mitigation too maximise risks and keep lockdowns and NHS overwhelmed with one disease!? The least we can be concerned or bothered to do as a society the greater the risk, super spreading and more mutations that will eventually beat the vaccines! Once again classic world beating British entitlement exceptionalism Covidiots chooses risks not risks mitigation as risks first safety last stupidity in a pandemic!

Doesn't mean you shouldn't consent without a very good reason not to though!

I was being sarcastic, Trulymadly

Having been through the Melbourne lockdown, which made the UK one look like a walk in the park, the minister has completely undermined any efforts to mitigate the spread of Covid in schools.

What shit he is.

The take up will be very high here. Apart from small number of medical exemptions.

I don’t know for sure as I don’t have a way to see but so far the school has been excellent at communication and students have been really good at following it.