As a former scientist and recently former health care worker I am very concerned.
No.
Scared.
Directives — not required by the state — have been enforced at the local level due to stipulations pertaining to new federal grant funds our school administrators have applied for. A sum of $7 million.
Multiple close contact quarantines for our district are all in part due to “results” of the PCR pooled testing program initiated by RSU 16.
PCR testing can detect live and dead viral particles, detecting presence of any viral particles up to 90 days post-exposure. Thus, why school protocol exempts students/staff from retesting for 90 days.
If we tested for influenza we would see the same patterns, if not more so.
In one month, our children have had more illness events while masked than any prior years (pre-COVID): four different occurrences thus far, with school-mandated doctor visits and COVID swabbings.
My high sensory child with a stuffy nose and having to be masked — it became anxiety-inducing for him. We had to obtain a doctor’s note just so he could wear a face shield.
Pediatricians are being inundated.
There is continued loss of education due to forced quarantines where only homework is given.
School districts should be consulting more with local pediatricians rather than making decisions based on grant funding.
School boards should be working for our children’s best interests.
Our children are more than subsidized, Title 1 or federal grant funding.
We will not sacrifice our children’s well-being for the sake of unwarranted policy changes.
Whitney King-Buker, Minot
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