wuhan - coronavirus

[lewelma]

Right, so I really need to keep masking!! 

[KSera]

On 5/25/2022 at 7:54 PM, whitestavern said:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/05/25/long-covid-vaccines-slight-protection/

I didn’t see this covered much outside of med Twitter this week (glad to see it in WaPo), but I personally found this super disappointing. I don’t know why the general population seems to be so unworried about long term effects, as long as they recover from acute illness. 

[mlktwins]

5 hours ago, prairiewindmomma said:

We have neighbors on their fourth confirmed round of COVID—the OG 2020 version, delta, omicron, and now BA2…..the last three rounds having happened all in the last six months…November, late January and now. Given something like 60-70% of my county had omicron in January-February, and we’re at 80% vax rates—BA2 is just genetically dissimilar to omicron enough to evade antibodies. 

Have they not been on the cautious side with masking, etc.?  Do they have autoimmune issues?  Or...just really bad luck?

[Melissa Louise]

57 minutes ago, lewelma said:

Right, so I really need to keep masking!! 

Yes!

Anecdotal, and I don't want to curse myself, but so far, the four staff at school who regularly mask in P2 masks are the only staff not to have had Covid yet. 

 

 

 

[prairiewindmomma]

31 minutes ago, mlktwins said:

Have they not been on the cautious side with masking, etc.?  Do they have autoimmune issues?  Or...just really bad luck?

I would put them as probably average in caution for my area. Mom works as a ICU nurse on the COVID floor so totally understands the risk.

They live in a multigenerational home and the kids are involved in activities and they don’t mask at home. One person getting it = most of them getting it. I would attribute the 2020 infection to wearing cloth masks (before paper was really available to all). Delta and Omicron = kids in school and taking off masks at lunch or to drink water. I am not sure about this round—parents and teen have it but the younger kids do not. 
 

Our school district classrooms recirculate the air 6 times an hour and masking was required in classes until March. 
 

Honestly, most not exceeding cautious people I know have had multiple rounds of COVID. It’s one of the reasons I am still so locked down in my life and why my family is still all in N95 or KF94s. 
 

Our sewer survey COVID counts indicate widespread current infection for my metro area, fwiw. It’s not as bad as omicron but it’s right up there with delta and previous waves.

[mlktwins]

11 minutes ago, prairiewindmomma said:

I would put them as probably average in caution for my area. Mom works as a ICU nurse on the COVID floor so totally understands the risk.

They live in a multigenerational home and the kids are involved in activities and they don’t mask at home. One person getting it = most of them getting it. I would attribute the 2020 infection to wearing cloth masks (before paper was really available to all). Delta and Omicron = kids in school and taking off masks at lunch or to drink water. I am not sure about this round—parents and teen have it but the younger kids do not. 
 

Our school district classrooms recirculate the air 6 times an hour and masking was required in classes until March. 
 

Honestly, most not exceeding cautious people I know have had multiple rounds of COVID. It’s one of the reasons I am still so locked down in my life and why my family is still all in N95 or KF94s. 
 

Our sewer survey COVID counts indicate widespread current infection for my metro area, fwiw. It’s not as bad as omicron but it’s right up there with delta and previous waves.

We are pretty locked down here too.  Masks inside for all except for my boys' year round swimming.  We will be at risk from June through end of July because of summer swim team.  But...I can't lock my boys down that tight.  They've missed enough already and this is their favorite thing to do.  We've been spared so far in my house, but I know it is a matter of time.

[Melissa Louise]

I just found out that I can now get another booster - yay! Eligibility expanded to include those with chronic disease. 

[lewelma]

I continue to tutor outside with N95 masks for both me and my student, and they are not allowed to come if sick at all.  If the weather is bad, then inside with masks and after they leave I vent out the air for an hour. It is really windy here in Wellington, so I seriously vent out all the air. Brrr, winter is coming.

Edited May 28, 2022 by lewelma

[bookbard]

You can now get flu and rsv results on the PCR test as well as covid, so that's good. We went to the shops today and there was cough cough cough everywhere. 

The Greens party here has put out a call for indoor masking, and requiring businesses to have air purifiers. I'm hoping now they have 4 seats in the lower house and 12 in the upper house, that they'll have a bit more say in things like this. 

Greens call for 'mask up' campaign as government sleepwalks towards health crisis | Australian Greens Victoria

[Ausmumof3]

28 minutes ago, bookbard said:

You can now get flu and rsv results on the PCR test as well as covid, so that's good. We went to the shops today and there was cough cough cough everywhere. 

The Greens party here has put out a call for indoor masking, and requiring businesses to have air purifiers. I'm hoping now they have 4 seats in the lower house and 12 in the upper house, that they'll have a bit more say in things like this. 

Greens call for 'mask up' campaign as government sleepwalks towards health crisis | Australian Greens Victoria

Flu shots just got made free for anyone over five here.

Entire younger families cohort at church today were out sick. They’ve mostly had covid already so I’m assuming it’s something else.

[Mrs Tiggywinkle]

8 hours ago, Ausmumof3 said:

Flu shots just got made free for anyone over five here.

Entire younger families cohort at church today were out sick. They’ve mostly had covid already so I’m assuming it’s something else.

We’re seeing multiple people on their third and fourth rounds of Covid.  I have a coworker who had it in February and just tested positive with symptoms again. 

[Mom_to3]

I have the very dreadful feeling that we are completely giving up on covid. I am losing hope that there will be any funding for updated shots and treatments here in the US  (and IMO, we should have had the updated shots by now - by the time they are updated, they will be long outdated. I do not see how it can take as long to update shots as it took to *develop* the original shots - I think it's governments not wanting to commit the funding). With the school shooting, money pox, the war and the normalization of the existing covid death and disability toll. I fear that we are going to be looking at almost continuous waves, while we run out of vaccines and treatments (or Paxlovid will stop working completely), and when a more deadly variant emerges, we are going to be scrambling to buy access, but be stuck behind the countries with more foresight. Of course, we will regret this in the long run, when we will face the economic cost from the disability that will ensue (as of course our government doesn't appear to care about the human cost).

[KSera]

2 minutes ago, Mom_to3 said:

I have the very dreadful feeling that we are completely giving up on covid. I am losing hope that there will be any funding for updated shots and treatments here in the US  (and IMO, we should have had the updated shots by now - by the time they are updated, they will be long outdated. I do not see how it can take as long to update shots as it took to *develop* the original shots - I think it's governments not wanting to commit the funding). With the school shooting, money pox, the war and the normalization of the existing covid death and disability toll. I fear that we are going to be looking at almost continuous waves, while we run out of vaccines and treatments (or Paxlovid will stop working completely), and when a more deadly variant emerges, we are going to be scrambling to buy access, but be stuck behind the countries with more foresight. Of course, we will regret this in the long run, when we will face the economic cost from the disability that will ensue (as of course our government doesn't appear to care about the human cost).

I feel this too. I just finished watching our church service online, and despite being in the middle of a HUGE surge here, among our previously cautious, masking required of everyone all the way until March, congregation, I only saw one mask (surgical at that) on anyone. It was a low turnout though, so either lots of people are out sick or staying home to watch. Or maybe it’s because of Memorial Day. Probably all three. 
 

But I feel the same, that there is no urgency anyone and most people no longer see it as a risk. I think a lot of that may be lack of scientific understanding of what continued mass transmission of a rapidly mutating virus with long term effects might mean. 

[bookbard]

I'm sick, got a PCR which tested covid/flu/rsv, all negative thank goodness. Hopefully just a cold. Will do a home test in a few days just in case. They're now offering free flu shots from tomorrow, in NSW and VIC. My husband won't get it though, and he's stopped masking too. Wish the govt would bring back the indoor mask mandate. I can only protect myself and the kids so far, if my husband won't mask - and lots of people must be in the same situation. 

Bizarre that one covid death was recorded in NSW yesterday (ie for Sunday) and 19 today (for Monday). Surely must be the way they're reporting it. 

Edited May 31, 2022 by bookbard

[chocolate-chip chooky]

On 5/28/2022 at 6:49 AM, Melissa Louise said:

I just found out that I can now get another booster - yay! Eligibility expanded to include those with chronic disease. 

My young-adult daughter who is high risk is getting her second booster on Thursday - woohoo!!

I've been so on top of her shots that I was worried it could end up backfiring on us, because it's now 6 months since her first booster. Who knows what protection she has right now? Roll on Thursday!

I hope you get yours soon!

[Mom_to3]

Subtle messaging by the CDC on twitter. COVID-19 is now a common illness like the flu.

 

[Mom_to3]

Except we have data that covid is nothing like the flu, even for the kids (but...but...Oster is one of the Times' 100 most influential people; how could she have been so wrong?). The graphs of flu vs covid deaths in kids are very disturbing. Keep in mind that there were still a lot of precautions taken during the early waves.

https://insidemedicine.bulletin.com/delta-and-omicron-killed-far-more-children-than-flu-ever-does.

[Drama Llama]

How long would you isolate in this case?

BIL tested positive on Saturday, on his way back from vacation with his wife.

She had the same symptoms starting Sunday but tested negative on rapids.  Symptoms resolved in a couple days, but then she tested positive on a rapid on Friday, at which point she was feeling 100%.  

Did her 10 days start after the test or when she started feeling sick?

[Elona]

5 minutes ago, Baseballandhockey said:

Did her 10 days start after the test or when she started feeling sick?

Her first day of symptoms counts as day zero, then count up from there.

[Drama Llama]

10 minutes ago, Elona said:

Her first day of symptoms counts as day zero, then count up from there.

Even though she was symptom free when she took the test?  

We have a family event next weekend, hopefully outdoors with multiple elderly people.  If we count from symptoms she’ll be on Day 14 and fine.  If we count from her test she’ll be on Day 9.  

I have no idea how I got put in charge of all covid decisions. 

[Ausmumof3]

Can you do RAT test for a couple of days from the end of whichever is earliest? If she had a single negative I wouldn’t be confident but three days of negative RATS should be a good indictor

[Elona]

9 hours ago, Baseballandhockey said:

Even though she was symptom free when she took the test?  

Yes. But I would recommend that she test the day of the party if you want to play it super safe.

[Ausmumof3]

 

[Ausmumof3]

Cases seems to be fairly steadily declining here but the trends in hospitalisation don’t seem very consistent with case numbers so it’s hard to tell if it’s true decline or less testing.  If it is true decline I assume hospitalisations should drop in the next couple of weeks.

[bookbard]

20 minutes ago, Ausmumof3 said:

Cases seems to be fairly steadily declining here but the trends in hospitalisation don’t seem very consistent with case numbers so it’s hard to tell if it’s true decline or less testing.  If it is true decline I assume hospitalisations should drop in the next couple of weeks.

It seems like cases are declining in NSW as well, and agree that it's hard to tell exactly what's going on. If I look at the NSW graph, it was high early April (that was when our local area went crazy) and then went down, then was really steady, then started to go down. NSW now has fewer cases than VIC and WA (I'm assuming because people have got a bit of immunity). So odd to have numbers going down as we head into Winter, but I guess things can change  lot over the next 3 months. There's been a lot of calls for the govt to mandate indoor masking, but sadly no political will to listen.

[Melissa Louise]

Anecdotally, we continue to have abnormal numbers of students off, but 90% aren't testing. 

[Ting Tang]

I live in a smaller area. Though I homeschool, I read board agendas and minutes. I’ve never seen so many “intent not to renewal” motions. These are the professionals who kept masks when our state had legal battles with unclear outcomes about school board control vs. state mandate.      Nobody knew what to do from a legal standpoint.     They’re really sticking it to them.    Oh, one school posted about a Covid outbreak yesterday in certain grades…. Yep. 

[ieta_cassiopeia]

On 5/29/2022 at 6:28 PM, Mom_to3 said:

I am losing hope that there will be any funding for updated shots and treatments here in the US  (and IMO, we should have had the updated shots by now - by the time they are updated, they will be long outdated. I do not see how it can take as long to update shots as it took to *develop* the original shots - I think it's governments not wanting to commit the funding).

If it's anything like the UK, the struggle to get vaccine recruits for testing is an issue - among other things, one has to have avoided COVID for at least 90 days prior to enrolment and stay COVID-free for the entire time until the first dose (which can be up to 2 months after enrolment at the moment because it's going so slowly right now). A lot of people are getting turned away due to recent infections because it's possible to get re-infected within the ~5 month window that has to be kept clear,

The result is that every UK COVID trial I know about is running at least 1 month behind schedule, and the larger-scale Phases II and III ones are 2-3 months behind where they wanted to be.

Edited June 1, 2022 by ieta_cassiopeia

[Ausmumof3]

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/28/7/22-0560_article
 

2 cases of Misc in fully vaccinated teens with breakthrough covid 

[Laura Corin]

12 hours ago, ieta_cassiopeia said:

If it's anything like the UK, the struggle to get vaccine recruits for testing is an issue - among other things, one has to have avoided COVID for at least 90 days prior to enrolment and stay COVID-free for the entire time until the first dose (which can be up to 2 months after enrolment at the moment because it's going so slowly right now). A lot of people are getting turned away due to recent infections because it's possible to get re-infected within the ~5 month window that has to be kept clear,

The result is that every UK COVID trial I know about is running at least 1 month behind schedule, and the larger-scale Phases II and III ones are 2-3 months behind where they wanted to be.

I've been on the central list to be contacted to participate for as long as I can remember.  I've never had Covid.  I've no idea why I've never been contacted, but it may be that there aren't trials being run out of Edinburgh or Dundee, my nearest cities.

[Lisa]

I got my 2nd covid booster, Pfizer, with no side effects other than a mildly sore arm. 

Numbers are still low at the hospital I work at in SW  WI. 

[Katy]

Food allergies cut risk of Covid infection 50%: 

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/some-allergies-associated-with-lower-risk-of-sars-cov-2-infection-180980187/?utm_source=smithsoniandaily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20220602-daily-responsive&spMailingID=46921751&spUserID=MTEyMzMzMzQ0MzgyNwS2&spJobID=2260228724&spReportId=MjI2MDIyODcyNAS2

[prairiewindmomma]

3 hours ago, Katy said:

Food allergies cut risk of Covid infection 50%: 

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/some-allergies-associated-with-lower-risk-of-sars-cov-2-infection-180980187/?utm_source=smithsoniandaily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20220602-daily-responsive&spMailingID=46921751&spUserID=MTEyMzMzMzQ0MzgyNwS2&spJobID=2260228724&spReportId=MjI2MDIyODcyNAS2

The only bright spot in all of this for me. 😂

[Ausmumof3]

Kidney injury in patients who have been hospitalised for covid could be significantly higher than previously believed according to a UQ study

https://www.uq.edu.au/news/article/2022/06/covid-kidney-injury-twice-common-diagnosed
 

A University of Queensland-led study has found millions of COVID-19 patients may have undiagnosed acute kidney injury (AKI).

AKI is a condition where the kidneys suddenly fail to filter waste from the blood, which can lead to serious illness or even death. 

Existing data indicates approximately 20 per cent of patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19 develop AKI, rising to roughly 40 per cent for those in intensive care.

But UQ PhD candidate and kidney specialist Dr Marina Wainstein said the true numbers could be double those figures. 

“Doctors look at the amount of urine a patient passes and the level of a compound called creatinine in the blood, which rises when the kidneys aren’t working well,” she said.

“However, if that creatinine rise occurs before a patient presents to hospital, we can miss the AKI diagnosis and fail to manage the patient appropriately in those early, critical days of hospitalisation.”

Dr Wainstein said when researchers also measured the fall in creatinine levels, which often follows the initial rise, the rate of AKI diagnosis in COVID-19 patients doubled. 

“That was a pretty shocking finding,” she said.

Dr Wainstein said ‘missing’ AKI in COVID-19 patients is dangerous.

“Even though the AKI is already starting to improve in hospital, our research shows that these patients have worse in-hospital outcomes and are more likely to die compared to patients with no AKI,” she said.

Dr Wainstein said treatment for AKI can be as simple as checking a patient’s hydration level and stopping medications that can be toxic to the kidneys.

[Ausmumof3]

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-06-03/herd-immunity-dropped-as-solution-to-covid-pandemic/101123292
 

Why herd immunity is basically mathematically not possible now 

[Arcadia]

22 minutes ago, Ausmumof3 said:

 

But UQ PhD candidate and kidney specialist Dr Marina Wainstein said the true numbers could be double those figures. 

“Doctors look at the amount of urine a patient passes and the level of a compound called creatinine in the blood, which rises when the kidneys aren’t working well,” she said.

This make me curious enough to check my spreadsheet of blood test results for my creatinine results. They are all within the standard range but they fluctuate.

[bookbard]

This was kind of a sad article about what's happening with schools at the moment due to constant staff absences. Partly Covid/Flu, partly burn-out post Covid, and partly due to issues in the Dept over the last 20 years:

Teachers speak out about 'atrocious' staff shortages crippling many NSW public schools - ABC News

I wish someone would think outside the square on these issues - have face to face schooling for some kids, or part-time schooling, and some virtual schooling, to take the pressure off schools and teachers. I'm pretty sure there was a recent study showing part-time face to face in the US decreased Covid significantly. 

[bookbard]

Australia has the worst Covid numbers in the world . . . shameful.

 

[Laura Corin]

45 minutes ago, bookbard said:

Australia has the worst Covid numbers in the world . . . shameful.

 

I'm sorry that is happening.  However I wouldn't trust the worldwide figures. Many countries that have been dealing with infections for over two years have essentially given up testing. 

[TravelingChris]

30 minutes ago, Laura Corin said:

I'm sorry that is happening.  However I wouldn't trust the worldwide figures. Many countries that have been dealing with infections for over two years have essentially given up testing. 

And China, NK and some others were never honest about their cases, deaths, etc.

[TravelingChris]

What I don't understand is why they haven't figured out genetics of who is especially more vulnerable or expecially less viulnerable?  It has been more than 2 years already.

At least the food allergy halves risk came out.  So far, it has helped dh, ds, and me.  Super allergic but also super vulnerable to lots of infections dd2 did not get that protection.

[Laura Corin]

9 hours ago, TravelingChris said:

What I don't understand is why they haven't figured out genetics of who is especially more vulnerable or expecially less viulnerable?  It has been more than 2 years already.

At least the food allergy halves risk came out.  So far, it has helped dh, ds, and me.  Super allergic but also super vulnerable to lots of infections dd2 did not get that protection.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.imperial.ac.uk/news/233775/genetic-difference-affects-likelihood-severe-covid-19/amp/

[ktgrok]

On 5/29/2022 at 1:37 PM, KSera said:

I feel this too. I just finished watching our church service online, and despite being in the middle of a HUGE surge here, among our previously cautious, masking required of everyone all the way until March, congregation, I only saw one mask (surgical at that) on anyone. It was a low turnout though, so either lots of people are out sick or staying home to watch. Or maybe it’s because of Memorial Day. Probably all three. 
 

But I feel the same, that there is no urgency anyone and most people no longer see it as a risk. I think a lot of that may be lack of scientific understanding of what continued mass transmission of a rapidly mutating virus with long term effects might mean. 

Yes, we've been out of church due to a cold slowly moving through the house - a full month plus by the time everyone had it and was better - each person took a week plus before the next one caught it. But livestream shows no masks, even though our county is up over 17% positivity now. Until a few months ago masks were mandatory. I don't know what on earth to do, this is our ONLY out of the house social outlet. UGH. My mom is having a lot of lung issues, facing a likely pulmonary fibrosis diagnosis (fatal in a few years) and her O2 sats are not good. If she gets a respiratory infection she is in deep trouble. But we want to see her, as we may not have long to do so. But I can't keep my kids from other humans for the next 2-4 years so that they can see her. It sucks. 

Thinking we may go every other week, and see my mom 10 days after attending, if symptom free, and maybe test a few of us. Can't afford to test everyone every 2 weeks. 

21 hours ago, bookbard said:

This was kind of a sad article about what's happening with schools at the moment due to constant staff absences. Partly Covid/Flu, partly burn-out post Covid, and partly due to issues in the Dept over the last 20 years:

Teachers speak out about 'atrocious' staff shortages crippling many NSW public schools - ABC News

I wish someone would think outside the square on these issues - have face to face schooling for some kids, or part-time schooling, and some virtual schooling, to take the pressure off schools and teachers. I'm pretty sure there was a recent study showing part-time face to face in the US decreased Covid significantly. 

On the local facebook group for county teachers it looks like we will have massive staffing problems in the coming year. So many quitting. And I guess the company that they use for temps is terrible to work with, so the few willing to sub are not even getting through the process or finding it worth while. 

[bookbard]

17 hours ago, Laura Corin said:

I'm sorry that is happening.  However I wouldn't trust the worldwide figures. Many countries that have been dealing with infections for over two years have essentially given up testing. 

Thank you! I hadn't thought about that. 

[KSera]

Everyone remember all the grave concern about how we couldn’t close schools for Covid because what about kids who need free lunches? It looks like concerns about preventing kids from going hungry has evaporated now that schools are all in person. (Who’s surprised?)

 

[ieta_cassiopeia]

On 6/2/2022 at 12:33 PM, Laura Corin said:

I've been on the central list to be contacted to participate for as long as I can remember.  I've never had Covid.  I've no idea why I've never been contacted, but it may be that there aren't trials being run out of Edinburgh or Dundee, my nearest cities.

I haven't seen any from Dundee, or Edinburgh, but the Moderna Omnicron Variant Vaccine's currently recruiting for Aberdeen (although this only appears to be open to young people) and two different studies are currently recruiting for Glasgow. (one of which is only open to pregnant women).

Perhaps if trials were open at more centres, it would be possible to get more people.

(I'm annoyed that there's finally one I can geographically do... ...but because I got COVID in March, I can't sign up for it until the end of this month, by which point they may have everyone they need because it's already been open for a couple of months).

Edited June 5, 2022 by ieta_cassiopeia

[Arcadia]

@TravelingChris
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/05/220531143056.htm

“In a new study publishing May 31st in the open-access journal PLOS Biology, Ayesa Syenina of the Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore and colleagues report that a new analysis of blood samples from people vaccinated for COVID-19 has identified distinct molecular characteristics linked to an increased likelihood of post-vaccination fatigue. Additionally, experiments in mice suggest that switching the vaccine injection strategy could potentially ease such adverse effects.
…

To improve understanding, Syenina and colleagues analyzed blood samples from 175 healthcare workers who received BNT162b2, the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. Specifically, they used the blood samples to analyze a snapshot of each participant's gene expression, or which genes are turned on or off.

This analysis revealed that people who experienced moderately severe fatigue after vaccination were more likely to have higher baseline expression of genes related to the activity of T cells and natural killer cells -- two key cell types in the human immune system.

The researchers also tested two different vaccination injection strategies in mice. Some mice received BNT162b2 through intramuscular injection, the current method used for human patients, in which the vaccine is injected into the muscles. Other mice received a subcutaneous injection, in which the vaccine is injected into tissue just under the skin.

After vaccination, compared to mice that received intramuscular vaccination, mice that received subcutaneous vaccination showed immune-system responses that are in line with a lower likelihood of adverse effects such as fatigue. However, subcutaneous injection did not appear to compromise the protective effects of vaccination.

Further research will be needed to build on these findings and explore their clinical significance. Still, they boost understanding of post-vaccination fatigue and offer a potential strategy to reduce its likelihood.

Coauthor Eng Eong Ooi adds, "This study provides a first insight into the molecular basis of a side effect that many have experienced following mRNA vaccination. We hope that this finding would spur more studies to fully understand the underpinning mechanisms behind vaccine-associated side effects and collectively contribute to developing even more tolerable vaccines."”

ETA: @Not_a_Number in case you are interested 

Edited June 6, 2022 by Arcadia

[vonfirmath]

The Free meals for all is going away (which is fine. It was a convenience for us, no more)

But for the kids who really need it? Due to low income, etc. That will still be available, just like it was before. THAT is the population we were concerned about.

 

Edited June 6, 2022 by vonfirmath

[KSera]

10 minutes ago, vonfirmath said:

But for the kids who really need it? Due to low income, etc. That will still be available, just like it was before. THAT is the population we were concerned about.

 

It sounds like the concern is that there are a lot of students who need it, but whose parents don't fill out paperwork required to get it. Now sure, the parents should/could just fill out the paperwork, but the fact is that there are many who will not for various reasons, and their kids will then be hungry because of it. The waivers made it easier for all kids who needed food to have it.

Quote

Under the old rules, for a student to qualify for a subsidized meal, a student’s family would have to submit an application including some of their financial information. These applications are complicated and can cause embarrassment, according to Jillien Meier, the director of No Kid Hungry, a food access advocacy group.

“Particularly for kids in communities where there were lower to moderate poverty rates, there’s a huge stigma attached to free meals and parents maybe didn’t want their kids identified that way,” she said.

So if they want to end the waivers, they should at least be honest that not wanting any kids to go hungry wasn't the reason they were worried about kids being out of school.

[bookbard]

Recent study found that vaccine mandates had significant effect on uptake: COVID-19 vaccination mandates and vaccine uptake | Nature Human Behaviour and mask mandates reduced sickness and deaths over the population: Association between Mask Mandates and Population-level COVID-19 Outcomes – What We Know So Far (publichealthontario.ca)

 

Wish they'd bring the mask mandates back . . . .