The Issue of Masking Children
--A Letter to GHAPS Superintendent and BOE, sent Jan. 3, 2022
Hello Mr. Grimes, and also Hello to the members of the Board of Education. Given this new guidance from the CDC, but ESPECIALLY given that the Ottawa County Department of Public Health has dropped their masking order, we implore you to drop the masks mandates in our school district. This policy, is hurting our children.
First of all, the study from Arizona on which Health Officer Stefankovsky quoted as the source of her original reasoning has now been proven false; the criteria on which the study was originally based, is now determined to have a plethora of errors. It no longer holds any weight in the science of school masking decisions.
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2021/12/mask-guidelines-cdc-walensky/621035/
Also, Dr. Wen of CNN has said "cloth masks are not appropriate for this pandemic." Unless the District plans to pay for, and provide N95 masks for every child in the district, everyday, the cloth masks do nothing. https://reason.com/2021/12/21/leana-wen-cloth-mask-facial-decorations-covid-cdc-guidance/
In addition, Dr. Scott Gottlieb on "Face the Nation" on Sunday, Jan. 2nd, backed up Dr. Wen's claim this past weekend, also saying that cloth masks don't work against Covid..
In addition, perhaps you've heard, that the CDC has updated their guidance to say that cloth masks are only required in public for five days after isolating from a Covid positive test. Masks can come off of everyone who is NOT covid positive. Here are two sources on this claim. It is correct that the CDC haven't updated their guidance for schools’ since November 5, but it lacks intellectual honesty that they could hold both positions at the same time (masking in public for 5 days after staying home 5 days for everybody else, while kids mask in school all day, everyday.)
https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2021/s1227-isolation-quarantine-guidance.html
Furthermore, the State of Michigan released a report that admits that school districts who masked students did not prevent Covid spread, and may have even have contributed to making it worse in some places. On Page/Slide #51, of 55 [also known as, the fifth one from the bottom), Michigan-dot-gov admits that masking school children makes little to no difference. Schools with masked children spread Covid at a rate similar to unmasked. This report is from December 14, 2021. *Yes, the specific frame referenced does also say it's important to still "mask up," but since it's on the same frame they are admitting there is no difference in Michigan schools, and is also their first public admittance on this controversial policy. It is shocking, not only that they disclaim their admittance, but that they do not provide any scientific evidence as to why it's "still important to 'mask up.'" If one has to disclaim an admittance, why admit it at all?
It's a fair common-sense based question.
Perhaps then State is fearful of being sued for lying to the public regarding the effectiveness of masks, which would explain why they WOULD admit it. However, the fact remains, they provide proof that masks make little-to-no-difference between masked schoolchildren and unmasked schoolchildren. Yet, they do not provide evidence for their disclaimer. Therefore, the idea that certain members of the BOE are dismissing the admittance and refuse to act on its truth, raises questions about financial kickback from the state and what monies perhaps the district has accepted in exchange to force the mask policy, despite the Health Department's departure from ordering it.
This is another fair, common-sense based question.
On this note, it is important for the District to understand, if the BOE and Superintendent continue with this policy in spite of the Health Department's departure from their order, you will need to provide specific science (actual data/reports/specific statistics/peer reviewed studies.) *If Zeeland, Allendale, Jenison and others can leave the decision of masking up to parents, so can you.
Finally, the CDC has recently and publicly admitted that the PCR test is no longer going to be used because it isn't the best at distinguishing between the flu and Covid. The CDC [attached link below paragraph) asks laboratories to switch to an assay that "can facilitate detection and differentiation of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza viruses." This calls into question whether or not the PCR test was an effective way to measure Covid cases. Since the Health Department, and the District therefore, has used the logic of the percentage of cases to justify masking, it seems the PCR test may have inflated the outcome of Covid cases. Given these questions and unreliance, the District is out of reasons to cover our children's faces, impede their breathing, limit their communication ability, and stunt their development.
Given that the Health Department has dropped the order, in addition to all of the rest of these reports, you must immediately change the District's policy. Masks are abusing our children. There has never been more political or scientific support to rescind it than is available right now. I am certain that Board members and administrators don't know more about Covid than the Health Department does, so please honor our children and District, and drop masking as have other Districts in our County.
You really could begin this second semester with so many grateful parents. And if you hear an outcry from pro-mask parents/citizens? I would encourage you to follow the science and encourage them to also follow the science, instead of "opinion." The science says that cloth masks are irrelevant at preventing the spread of Covid. It is that simple. The idea that Covid/Omicron is rampant, in spite of masking our children for nearly 2 years proves they don't work, and, in spite of all of the evidence provided for you here, it is probably the best evidence yet that they don't.
Thank for you for your time. Please honor our children.
Robyn S. Brodie, BA MA
Parent of high school student
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