For the protection of their patients this statement was released anonymously. Identity verified by admin.
Board of education of Orange County, Good afternoon, and thank you for hearing my concerns. I am a physician and a mother of two children who attend public elementary school in Huntington Beach, Orange County. I am writing to voice my agreement with the goals of this “expert panel” to conduct an open discussion, provide guidance, evaluate how to implement best practice recommendations, and particularly, use data and science to come up with a plan to reopen the public schools in our county. I am, however, concerned about the biased first principles set forth by this group; they are written in a way that indicates the board has made up their mind that they want to reopen the schools, without following the guidelines or science, and are written in antagonistic language, plagued with absolutes. I’ll go over the “first principles” one by one: 1. “Delaying the opening of public school until a cure or a vaccination for Covid 19 is developed is unacceptable”. First of all, if this is a discussion we are entering, there should be no place for the word “unacceptable”, unless we are talking about breaking the law or doing something unethical. I do not plan on sending my children physically back to school as we knew it ,until there is a cure or vaccination, or at the very least, a solid plan. This does not mean anybody has to miss school. The last three months of school were done via telework and the teachers of Seacliff Elementary did an outstanding job. 2. “Social distancing of children, who generally represent the lowest risk cohort for Covid is unacceptable”. Again, they use the word “unacceptable” in what is supposed to be a discussion. This sentence contains half-truths. While children may be at the lowest risk of DYING from Covid-19, they do become infected and transmit the virus. They can bring the virus from their own homes to the school, infect other children and the teachers, who will, in turn spread thr infection. 3. This point states that for children wearing masks is “not based on science” and “could be potentially harmful” and, you guessed it, the angry person who redacted this document used the word “unacceptable” again. There is no science to back this claim; masks help prevent the spread of infection if everyone uses them properly. Please follow the science; face coverings work best when paired with handwashing and social distancing. 4. This last statement implies a family can get up and change school districts at the drop of a hat, or afford private school. I can afford to send both my children to private school and I could sell my house and go to a city with more reasonable people, but most families in Orange County cannot, so you have an obligation to work towards doing what is best for all the children and adults that live in Orange County. I’d like to address my physician colleagues on this panel. We took an oath to do no harm, so please do the right thing. Physical distancing, hand washing, wearing a mask, it is not rocket science, and it is not a huge sacrifice in light of a pandemic. Annoyed MD For a simple explanation in lay language, and a series of scientific articles on the subject of face coverings, please click on
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