Maternal COVID-19 infection associated with offspring neurodevelopmental disorders

Maternal COVID-19 infection associated with offspring neurodevelopmental disorders | Molecular Psychiatry

Montgomery County Stops Monitoring Wastewater for COVID-19 [Motto: The less you know, the better.]

 

COVID-19 Wastewater Surveillance in Montgomery County

https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/covid19/data/wastewater-surveillance.html#data

COVID-19 Reinfections Can Increase the Risk of Organ-Failing Long COVID and Other Severe Respiratory Diseases

...The study shows that the more reinfection cycles a patient endures, the more the disease alters our immune system. Over time, it obliterates the T-cells responsible for helping our body remember how to fight the virus. The virus seems to thrive on repetition, exploiting our weakened defences with each encounter and increasing the risk of long-term organ system damage. This is true even for low-risk groups such as the vaccinated, younger people or children...

https://weather.com/en-IN/india/coronavirus/news/2023-12-28-covid-reinfections-increases-long-covid-risk

Masks Temporarily Required at Silver Spring School Due to COVID Outbreak

Masks are back in one Rosemary Hills Elementary School classroom.

According to a Sept. 5 letter from Principal Rebecca Irwin Kennedy, three or more individuals tested positive for COVID in one classroom during the past 10 days.

Therefore, the school gave out extra KN95 masks and instructed students and staff that they must wear the masks while in school for the next 10 days except while eating and drinking...

Masks Temporarily Required at Silver Spring School Due to COVID Outbreak - Montgomery Community Media (mymcmedia.org)

As new COVID variant arrives in NYC, here’s how to track the back-to-school surge

 

A late-summer COVID surge is adding even more stress to an already busy time of year.

Next week, undervaccinated kids will return to New York City classrooms without many of the precautions that marked previous pandemic-era school years. And the city health commissioner warned this week that the new BA.2.86 variant has arrived and may be more likely to sidestep people’s pre-existing immunity, making people vulnerable to reinfection.

It’s also hard to know exactly how bad the surge will be. Because of changes in how officials and clinics test for and track the virus, old data standbys — cases, test positivity and community transmission levels — don’t mean as much as they once did.

“It really is hard to look at cases and conclude much beyond whether community transmission is on the rise or not,” said Denis Nash, an epidemiology professor at the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health. “It doesn't really help us quantify what really is a surge.”...

As new COVID variant arrives in NYC, here’s how to track the back-to-school surge - Gothamist

Does Your Kid's Classroom Need An Air Purifier? Here's How You Can Make One Yourself

 On A Back-To-School Supply List: Materials For DIY Air Purifiers : Back To School: Live Updates : NPR

Why Haven’t We Made It Safer to Breathe in Classrooms?

Two years ago, we got a chance to assure parents and teachers, in any future epidemic, that the air in classrooms was safer, making it easier for children to attend school in person and avoid learning loss and isolation.

In March 2021, Congress allocated $122 billion for schools to cope with the Covid pandemic and its aftermath — to hire tutors, retain teachers or improve their facilities. Public health and clean air advocates hoped that this would lead to widespread improvements in classroom ventilation and air quality to help ward off future pathogenic threats and reduce problems like dust, allergens and wildfire smoke.

But only about 34 percent of school districts said they used any of the money to upgrade their heating ventilation and air-conditioning systems, according to a recent survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 28 percent more installed in-room air cleaners, 8 percent said they installed ultraviolet lights — a more expensive and complicated method — and the rest reported no changes that would substantially improve air quality.

Moreover, once the federal spending was approved, aggressive salespeople descended on school officials who were struggling to open. School officials often were persuaded to spend more for products that many scientists believe aren’t substantially more effective than cheaper alternatives that have been thoroughly studied. Some of the products could even be dangerous...

Opinion | Few Schools Have Covid Relief Funds to Improve Air Quality - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

NYT: Schools Received Billions in Stimulus Funds. It May Not Be Doing Enough.

Pandemic aid was supposed to help students recover from learning loss, but results have been mixed.

When the pandemic shut down schools across the country, the federal government responded with billions of dollars to help districts support remote learning, serve free meals to students and safely reopen schools.

In 2021, the Biden administration gave districts another $122 billion through its $1.9 trillion stimulus package, an amount that far surpassed previous rounds. Districts were required to spend at least 20 percent of those funds on helping students recover academically, while the rest could be used on general efforts to respond to the pandemic.

Yet, while most schools have since deployed various forms of interventions and some have spent more on academic recovery than others, there are ample signs that the money has not been spent in a way that has substantially helped all of the nation’s students lagging behind.

Recent test scores underscore the staggering effect of the pandemic, which thrust much of the nation’s students into remote learning for extended periods of time. Students in most states and across almost all demographic groups experienced major setbacks in math and reading after many schools closed their doors. In 2022, math scores underwent the largest declines ever recorded on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, which tests a broad sampling of fourth and eighth graders dating back to the early 1990s...

Pandemic Stimulus Aid May Not Be Doing Enough to Help Schools - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Illinois Department of Public Health Launches $30 Million Program to Distribute Air Purifiers in Illinois Schools - 60,000 HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) purifiers to Illinois schools to help reduce the transmission of respiratory viruses, including COVID-19.

IDPH Launches $30 Million Program to Distribute Air Purifiers in Illinois Schools

Press Release - Thursday, March 16, 2023

EMAIL

CHICAGO - Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced today that the state is launching a $29.6 million program to distribute more than 60,000 HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) purifiers to Illinois schools to help reduce the transmission of respiratory viruses, including COVID-19.

IDPH is coordinating the program with the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE). The program is funded by the CDC through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and is targeted for school districts that serve lower income communities and counties that have elevated air pollution counts. IDPH estimates almost 3,000 schools will be eligible for the program, covering 68 percent of school districts in the state. It will cover schools throughout the state, including Cook County, with the exception of Chicago, which has received a separate federal grant.

"There is nothing more important to me than keeping Illinoisans safe and healthy—especially when it comes to our youth," said Governor JB Pritzker. "We know that our children need to stay healthy and study in classrooms that are well-ventilated in order to thrive and succeed. Thanks to this $30 million investment, schoolchildren will experience cleaner air—preventing illness and absenteeism, while improving our children's ability to think and learn."

"I have devoted much of my career to protecting and promoting the health of children," said IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra, who is a pediatrician. "Data over these last three years have shown us the critical importance of good ventilation to keep children and adults safe from respiratory illnesses. These HEPA air purifiers are a significant investment in our children, and I am very excited that the State of Illinois can make this impact. They will keep kids healthy and in school, ensuring more opportunities for learning and success for years to come."

"Every Illinois student deserves a safe, healthy learning environment regardless of zip code or income level," said State Superintendent of Education Dr. Tony Sanders. "Improving classroom ventilation with air purifiers is a proven method we can use to reduce the transmission of respiratory viruses, including COVID-19, the flu, and RSV, and, at the same time, reduce absences related to illness. A child's health and attendance is inextricably tied to their ability to learn, and I'm pleased the State is making this vital investment."

IDPH is launching an enrollment process in coordination with ISBE through which schools can submit orders for portable HEPA air purifiers. The administrators of eligible school districts will be contacted directly with information about how many purifiers that their districts are eligible to receive. The portable air purifiers will be delivered to school districts in the coming months. Schools will generally be eligible for one small air filter unit for each 20 students in a school, with a limited number of larger units for districts with more than 1,000 students.

Questions from school administrators should be directed to the IDPH Air Purifier Project Inbox at DPH.AirPurify@illinois.gov.

Studies show that cleaner air can reduce absentee rates, and improve students' abilities to think, learn, read and solve math problems.

Last year IDPH issued ventilation guidance to educate the community on the impact of ventilation systems and to provide information about low cost and DIY interventions for ventilation upgrades.

IDPH Launches $30 Million Program to Distribute Air Purifiers in Illinois Schools

Children – even healthy teens and the very young – can have long Covid, several studies have found, and it can follow an infection that’s severe or mild.

Children – even healthy teens and the very young – can have long Covid, several studies have found, and it can follow an infection that’s severe or mild. https://t.co/X22qGCxPVr

— CNN (@CNN) January 16, 2023

Is @mcps Health Officer Waking Up? [Hint: COVID-19 Hospitalizations are a Lagging Indicator]

 

IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM THE MCPS SCHOOL SYSTEM MEDICAL OFFICER

JANUARY 17, 2023

Dear MCPS Community,

On Thursday, Jan. 12, county leaders shared their concerns about rising rates of COVID-19 in our community. Since hospital admissions for COVID-19 have increased, our county’s community risk level is now at MEDIUM. This stresses the importance of heightened awareness and preventing severe disease in our most vulnerable community members. On our school dashboard, we saw a higher number of positive cases the first week after school reopening, with fewer cases reported the following week.

Everyone should practice healthy habits, which prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses. Here are some other steps individuals can take to reduce the impact of COVID-19 in our community:

1. Consider COVID-19 risk when making health decisions.
   Understand COVID-19 risk so you can take extra precautions in high-risk situations, if you have risk factors for severe COVID-19 infection, or are around someone at increased risk. Adults older than 50 years, pregnant people and individuals with certain medical conditions, including diabetes and asthma, are at highest risk from severe disease due to COVID.

2. Wear a mask to prevent spread of infection, especially in high-risk situations.
   Our county health department strongly recommends wearing a well-fitting face covering in crowded indoor spaces. Consider wearing a mask in other situations if you have risk factors, or will be around a family member with risk factors for severe respiratory infection. If you have COVID-19 or have been exposed as a close contact, please mask according to CDC’s isolation and exposure guidelines. Staff and students may be asked to mask temporarily in local outbreak or other high-risk situations.

3. Stay up to date on vaccinations, especially if you have risk factors for severe COVID-19 infection. 
   COVID-19 vaccines are an important way to help prevent severe infection and are approved for those 6 months old and older. Because the effect of vaccines can wane over time, an updated booster provides additional valuable protection against serious illness for individuals at higher risk.  

4. Get tested for COVID-19 if you have symptoms or a possible exposure.
   It may be difficult to tell if symptoms are from COVID-19 or another flu-like illness. Testing is an important way to identify individuals with active COVID-19 infection, who can then seek care if needed and also avoid spreading the virus to others. Consider testing before spending time with a high-risk family member.  

5. If you test positive for COVID-19:

   • Seek advice from your health care provider promptly if your symptoms are severe or if you are at high risk for a severe respiratory infection. Treatments are available that can help prevent severe disease, and are most helpful when given early.
   • Follow the CDC’s recommended isolation guidelines to reduce spread to others.
   • Staff and students testing positive should report their results using MCPS’ online tool. Reporting results helps MCPS track outbreaks and take measures to reduce further transmission, when an outbreak occurs in our school spaces.  

MCPS continues to work closely with the Department of Health and Human Services to monitor data trends and plan health and safety measures. Internally and with community guidance, we are working on reducing the impact of COVID-19 on our school operations. We thank everyone for their continued support in working together to keep our community healthy.

Sincerely,

Patricia Kapunan, M.D., M.P.H.
MCPS Medical Officer

Maryland hospitals and emergency rooms are stretched dangerously thin. The Maryland Hospital Association says most hospitals are more than 90% full and many are already at 100% capacity. @7NewsDC @mhaonline

Maryland hospitals and emergency rooms are stretched dangerously thin. The Maryland Hospital Association says most hospitals are more than 90% full and many are already at 100% capacity. @7NewsDC @mhaonline pic.twitter.com/qsXtwEU4j6

— John Gonzalez (@John7News) January 10, 2023

New COVID subvariant spreads rapidly in Northeast, sparking concerns it evades vaccines

 New COVID subvariant spreads rapidly in Northeast, sparking concerns it evades vaccines | PBS NewsHour

Suicidology update: School closures & Child suicide

Suicidology update: School closures & Child suicide

These economists *really* analyse the data in technical ways to demonstrate the key point i made way back:

Child suicide dropped tremendously when "school shutdowns highest," & increased when schools opened

/1 https://t.co/FCPntLPWXK pic.twitter.com/NicpgfvNwn

— Tyler Black, MD (@tylerblack32) December 26, 2022

Got a sick kid at home? Most likely you won’t find commonly used pain and fever reducers at your local drug stores including children’s @tylenol . We checked a @CVSHealth store in Rockville #Maryland and they are out. Same thing over on @amazon . @fox5dc

 Ayesha Khan on Twitter: "Got a sick kid at home? Most likely you won’t find commonly used pain and fever reducers at your local drug stores including children’s @tylenol. We checked a @CVSHealth store in Rockville #Maryland and they are out. Same thing over on @amazon. @fox5dc https://t.co/v4AMqhHgch" / Twitter

Students with disabilities win dispute over masks in Va. public schools

Parents of students with disabilities in Virginia public schools have won a major legal dispute, winning the right to require mask-wearing by teachers and students to help protect their children against COVID-19.

One of Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s first acts was to stop mandatory mask wearing in public schools, signing executive order number two in January that left the decision of masking in the hands of parents...

Students with disabilities win dispute over masks in Va. public schools - WTOP News

@mocoboe @mcps spent $6.2 MILLION for CO2 data for 10,000 classrooms. Where is the data?

CDC now talks about CO2 monitoring as an indicator of good ventilation. https://t.co/Ph6OcYf3Cd "One potential target benchmark for good ventilation is CO2 readings below 800 [ppm]." Caveats: non-human sources of CO2 (gas stove), filtration removes particles not CO2. HT @citlanx

— Linsey Marr (@linseymarr) June 9, 2021

Board of Education Award Co... by Parents' Coalition of Montg...

CDC's Outpatient Respiratory Illness Map shows hospital visits in D.C., Maryland and Virginia are "very high."

 Local hospitals overwhelmed as flu season worsens (fox5dc.com)

Montgomery Co. monitoring wastewater for COVID-19

In Maryland’s Montgomery County, wastewater is now being monitored to detect COVID-19, with the aim of getting ahead of any winter surges.

“Wastewater surveillance will be a game changer for our efforts to better predict outbreaks and prevent them from happening,” said County Executive Marc Elrich, in a news release...

Montgomery Co. monitoring wastewater for COVID-19 - WTOP News

Masks Cut Covid Spread in Schools, Study Finds

In a so-called natural experiment, two school districts in Boston maintained masking after mandates had been lifted in others, enabling a unique comparison.

Masks have been a cultural flash point since the start of the pandemic, and mask mandates in schools have been especially incendiary. Critics have argued that there is no strong evidence to prove that masks slow the spread of Covid, and that in any case children weren’t wearing the right kinds of masks or weren’t wearing them properly.

Now a research paper details a so-called natural experiment that occurred when all but two school districts in the greater Boston area lifted mask requirements in the spring. Researchers took that opportunity to make a direct comparison of the spread of Covid in masking and non-masking schools.

The bottom line: Masking mandates were linked with significantly reduced numbers of Covid cases in schools.

Infection rates were lower among masked students — even in Boston’s public schools, where many buildings are old and lack good ventilation systems, classrooms are crowded and students are more often from at-risk communities — than among unmasked students attending newer schools in communities like Cambridge and Newton...

Masks Cut Covid Spread in Schools, Study Finds - The New York Times (nytimes.com)