Colleges in the 2021-2022 Academic Year & Coronavirus (Part 2)

Thank you for your kindness.State Surgeon General Dr. Joseph A. Ladapo Issues New mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine Guidance

It should be a personal choice. Period the end. It shouldnā€™t be mandated for anyone at this point.

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Again thatā€™s what you believe and thatā€™s ok. But ultimately one has to comply with the rules set forth by the school they attend.

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Ladapo has attracted quite a bit of controversy regarding his stance on various COVID-19 issues: Ladapo unmasked: Why his former boss didn't think he deserved to be Fla. surgeon general | WPEC

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Floridaā€™s Surgeon General? :laughing: Ya, Iā€™m not following any medical guidance from the State of FL.

Did Fordham open a satellite campus in FL? (thatā€™s a joke)

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According to Fordham, the expectation that students keep up-to-date with any CDC-recommended boosters had been communicated repeatedly since the Spring - including the express mention that it might necessitate obtaining additional boosters during the 2022/23 academic year.

Naturally, they couldnā€™t have referred to the specific bivalent booster until after the agencies decided who would be eligible and when - but the universityā€™s high/uncompromising expectations in that regard were clear to me in what I read.

Rather than repost:

I can understand of course, if some parents ā€œhoped against hopeā€ that Fordham might not stick to their stated policies.

That scenario is covered by the CDC recommendations (as you noted), which Fordham simply mandates that students follow.

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If itā€™s the only choice youā€™re making, and just for yourself.

However, if another choice is to enroll with an institution where thousands mingle day-in day-out in close contact and confined spaces, one will need to reconcile their personal choices. One personal choice is to enroll in a college that takes a less active role in managing this.

Also, this discussion should allow for the fact that other students/parents might be choosing colleges based on how closely/strictly they do follow CDC recommendations! To me it was highly reassuring to know that at least everyone had to maintain the same vaccination status as all of us.

Speaking for myself, after choosing a college based on their strict record/policies, I would be upset if suddenly they abandoned their stance, increasing the risks for my student (and family).

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Kyrie Irving of the Brooklyn Nets ā€œstuck to his guns,ā€ didnā€™t even get the original vaccine. And thatā€™s fine for him, his choice, but he certainly let his teammates down last season, since he could only play games away from home (NYC) and also couldnā€™t play in Canada.

Andrew Wiggins of the GS Warriors decided to get the vaccine, played the entire season, and won the NBA Championship.

Actions have consequences.

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What happened when most Boston area school districts dropped mask mandates vs. some that didnā€™t:

Removing of mask mandates was associated with an additional 44.9 Covid cases per 1,000 students and staff members, corresponding to an estimated 11,901 cases during the 15-week period, the scientists concluded.
ā€¦the additional cases led to at least 17,500 missed school days for students and 6,500 missed school days for staff members

So - if people are concerned about their kids having in-person learning, 11,000 missed that chance for something as simple as donning a mask.

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Someone should study the outcomes of students at MA private Catholic schools that stayed in-person, with masks, versus the public students that went remote.

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My kidsā€™ Catholic school system in NC also went back to in-person (with masks) in fall of 2020 (my younger D was class of 2021). They offered a virtual option for the 2020/2021 school year but then eliminated the virtual option completely for 2021/2022.

They were very transparent with the daily totals of positive Covid for both students and faculty/staff. I donā€™t remember the numbers ever being shocking or overwhelming - mostly less than 10 students and a couple of faculty in a school of over 1200 students (I donā€™t know what the numbers were in our Catholic elementary/middle schools, but I never heard any parents expressing concern over it.) I think about 95% of students chose to return to in-person learning in fall of 2020.

Our school operated closely with our county & state health department and looked to them for guidance on the positive numbers and deciding to pause in-person learning. I think our high school paused twice in the 2020/2021 school year, for 3-4 days at a time, in order to manage positive Covid cases, and they added a couple of virtual days onto longer holiday breaks in effort to control any cases that may not have developed yet.

They did a fantastic job getting kids back into the classroom and were commended by local & state leaders for their efforts.

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I donā€™t think thereā€™s any question that masks work. Itā€™s the same people that donā€™t trust democracy that donā€™t trust masks - ie election deniers.

I do think what many are saying and there may be evidence to support this is - masks stunted social and academic growth.

Where I live test scores, etc are down but is that because of masks or all the absences which include school closures ?