Dr. Akinyemi Ajayi told Nadeen Yanes of News 6, “Children below 5-6 age, do not transmit the virus as easily, for a number of reasons,” . “One, they do not have the lung capacity, two if they are breathing, they do not generate large plumes and they are also shorter, much closer to the ground.” That changes when a child is 9 or 10, their transmission is nearly the same as an adult he said.
This quote struck me as particularly medieval. The very notion that any virus carried by children would remain closer to the ground seems insane since the virus is airborne, to be carried wherever it wants to go. My first thought is that teachers should be supplied stilts in addition to the other PPE supplied. I also am amazed he stated, “if they are breathing.”
While many droplets will fall to the ground within a six foot radius, some can remain airborne for up to three hours and travel up to 27 feet. Lydia Bourouiba, an associate professor at MIT, has researched the dynamics of exhalations (coughs and sneezes, for instance) for years at The Fluid Dynamics of Disease Transmission Laboratory and found exhalations cause gaseous clouds that can travel up to 27 feet.
On Monday August 17, 2020 the Orange County School Board will have an emergency meeting to discuss recommendations made by the district’s new Medical Advisory Committee regarding the reopening of schools. The meeting called just days before in-person instruction begins in Orange County on Aug. 21, 2020. “Some of us don’t feel like that is necessarily the best thing to do,” Dr. Ajayi said. “Also realize that we are at a point now that we are just a week from school.”
Here are the recommendations regarding reopening:
- Allow for school re-openings but with staggered start dates
- Reopen only elementary schools scheduled on Aug. 21
- Reopen middle, high schools at a later date, possibly one week later depending on what is feasible for the district
Schools will require masks to be worn at all times with little to no exceptions, require more contact tracing and rapid testing in schools and more training for teachers and staff on how to properly wear PPE. Teacher Nick Anderson pointed out, “Every work site has teachers that can tell you about the frustration about trying to keep the soap dispensers filled on a daily basis, going days without even having paper towels refilled.”
Misinformation was shared over 50 times on a teachers Facebook Group about COVID-19 cleaning procedures. This information was falsely attributed to Johns Hopkins University. This information was proven false back in April, 2020. It is scary that teachers are entrusted to keep kids safe and they sharing false information moving forward.
School sports in Florida remain a political football. The state’s High School Athletic Association decided on Friday that the game can go on. It voted to allow member schools to start their practices on August 24, 2020 the season will begin September 4, 2020. CBSN reported that, nearly 800 schools are a part of the association. The fall season consists of bowling, cross country, football, golf, swimming and diving, and girls volleyball. As part of the approval for the season, coaches will have to make a “COVID waiver form” available to the schools. As of today, August 7, 2020 Florida has the second-highest number of COVID-19 cases in the U.S., according to Johns Hopkins University.