On my local NJ parents Facebook group a concerned parent asked the following question –
I came across this article showing how Taiwan’s early action greatly curtailed the spread of Covid-19. Do any fellow parents believe we should preemptively close the school ASAP, instead of waiting for next week?
Even before I saw this post on Facebook I had emailed the director of my three year old daughter’s daycare. We actually didn’t send her this week – but I wanted to know how things would continue. Would this cost of keeping her home be all on my family? Or would the daycare be responsible and close for all families?
Have you had any contact with the board of health or some other authority – about what the recommendations are for remaining open?
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/
Additionally, I was sufficiently concerned that I had written an op-ed in The Philadelphia Inquirer about politicians having to make tough choices.
“No one knows for certain what happens next. Are the models that show U.S. cases doubling every seven days accurate or are some health-care professionals being dramatic? I sincerely believe that thoughts and prayers are rarely helpful in any public health crisis and that declarations of emergency matter less than deeds.”
Full op-ed – https://www.inquirer.com/health/coronavirus/coronavirus-covid19-cherry-hill-new-jersey-jefferson-20200310.html
This was my reply in the Facebook group :
Other reactions to her post :
She received more than a 120 comments. Parents were on both sides of the action plan – do nothing or increase social distancing efforts. Overall, like anything on social media – people responded with indignation, indifference, rage and humor.
A few seemed to understand the potentially devastating impact of COVID-19 but worried about the burden on caretakers; about lost income and upcoming mortgage payments if they had to stay at home with kids.
One man predicted school closures would need to happen, but slowly: “This is a very helpful discussion. I appreciate everyone’s view point. There are certain benefits and costs of keeping schools open, and certain benefits and costs of closing the schools. My view is that we should shut the schools down in a rapid manner, but not in a way that it would paralyze our society. People need to take appropriate measures to assure that their work schedule is worked out, or that they are able to work from home or that they have appropriate babysitting services lined up, etc. Schools need to work out kinks in remote learning. These things cannot, unfortunately, happen overnight. We need to do it at a controlled, measured way and not under-react or over-react.”
A woman who was against school closures implored: “Please stop the hysteria. Trust facts from medical professionals (CDC, department of health, doctors, nurses). Stop posting articles written by journalists. Journalists are not health care professionals!!!”
Another invoked another disease to urge calm: “Where is the hysteria for the flu?
11 children died from the flu the last week of February 2020. Many of those did NOT have underlying medical conditions
136 total children died this flu season (higher than any other season w exception of 2009)
20,000 people have died from the flu this year!!! (according to CDC)
Did we close schools? No.
Did we panic, no. ”
It’s always amazing that two people can look at the same article and have completely different reactions.