I’m going to start doing a weekly update on cases, hospitalizations, etc for the country. Delta is changing things quickly (I don’t have to tell any of you that). So, I hope weekly updates will help you navigate where hotspots are and what to do. OVERVIEW:
Anxiously awaiting your school post. My oldest is vaccinated (and my high risk one) and will go in a mask. My middle is not and has to go (of course, in a mask). And we made the decision to pull my six year old and homeschool until she is vaccinated. I am just a wreck over my 10 year old going and feel like I am throwing her into the fire. My husband last night said he feels like getting it is just inevitable at this point, after doing everything possible to stay safe. I feel so defeated.
So I share your employer... and I have been incredibly frustrated that mask guidelines have not been updated to match the CDC's new recommendations. It's leaving me feeling unsafe about returning to the office in a couple weeks (where I know some colleagues are vaccine skeptics) and also really hopeless about community spread. If college students and staff are catching and spreading Delta, that directly impacts the children in our community that can't yet get vaccinated. (I have a 9yo, and my anxiety about school is through the roof right now...) Wondering if you have any advice as to action steps people can take in these situations and/or if you are tenured and feel comfortable being louder than some of us staff (who of course don't have the advantage of tenure) feel we can be right now?
What KN95 does your child wear? I have an 11 year old and she has hated every KN95 or KF94 I have bought her b/c of "smell" or "hurts my nose" - shes a mask wearer but we have been doing triple layer cloth with hepa filter - I just want her as protected as possible since we start school weds here in TX with no mask mandates :(
When you do your post on kids, will you please address preschool? I have a four year old. He is the only one of our three kids not vaccinated. We are pro-mask, pro-vax. He has been wearing a mask for more than a year now, and we are now seeing an effect on his social skills. He is soft spoken and knows that people won’t understand him when he’s wearing a mask, so he has stopped speaking at preschool. He only talks during snack time and lunch time. He only plays by himself now, previously a very social kid! Going into our third covid school year, he would be the only one in a mask at his preschool since they changed protocol and made masks optional. Is it even worth it? He’s four - he chews his mask, he pulls it down to itch his nose, etc. Totally different from our older kids who put their masks on and leave them alone. We are in hot spot Idaho. I’m willing to do anything to keep him safe, but I want to know if the benefits are truly worth it for such young kids.
Hi, newly subscribed. I live in Utah, Salt Lake City area. I have a great pulmonologist and I am fully vaccinated as I have asthma. I manage a small indoor sports center and with the exception of me no one save a few are wearing masks.
Recently I had an asthma episode and my pulmonologist wanted me to get a Covid test. This turned out to be quite a run around. The hospitals are no longer doing them. You need a Doctors request. It took me over 2 hours to finally figure out where to go. Yes, I could have gone to a Walgreens but my Doc wanted me to go to a place associated with his network.
If it was this hard for me to get tested and I drive and I am fluent in English as well as computer literate then how many people are NOT getting tested and how true are Utahs numbers?
I understand the concern for children and share it. But for those of us who are caregivers for the 85+ and still living at home set, I am seeking out information on the best practices here. All of the ones I care for were vaccinated fully by late January. Now we are more than 6 months out and I do not know how well a breakthrough case might be tolerated, even among a healthy person at this age. Israel is giving boosters to those 60 and up. But there is a LONG way between 60 and, in my case, loved ones who are 91, 89, and 85. For now, I am masking and limiting contact with others so that I do not inadvertently carry it to them. And they are being hyper-careful as well. A column on this issue would be appreciated.
Is there a need to be concerned about reproductive health for either women or girls 12 and up getting the vaccine? Also, any concerns that you have about administering the vaccine to those under 12 once it is available? We plan to vaccinate our 7 year old when she is able to be, and I'd love to have the information to share with others who might be more hesitant. Thank you so very much for your work here - our family loves the data you interpret and share here.
I am in SC where schools legally can not require masks and my daughts teacher has 3 desk groups where the kids face each other. I ma sending her with a cloth mask with a PM2.5m filter in it and have requested her to have a plexi glass barier. Realistically how much will that protect her? My daughter is 6 in 2nd grade so she is not eligible for the vaccine.
When you write your post about kids, could you give any idea of where we are with J&J for people under 18? I took that one, and my university student daughter is about to take it. I’d prefer to get that one for my 12/13yo, if possible soon. Also, where are we with approval of the other vaccines for under 13? Thank you so much!
Hello from Canada! Thank you for your efforts and expertise! We are watching the US carefully to see what might be in store for us north of the border. I appreciate SO MUCH your transparency and knowledge and your Christian perspective. It is very refreshing to find a reliable source of good science and theology together. I was wondering if there is a graph that shows the direct correlation between positive cases and vaccinations, or hospitalizations and vaccinations? I wanted to see how they match up and wasn't sure where to look. Thanks!
Can you clarify the risk of air travel at this time with the Delta surge for children under 2 who cannot mask? I've heard previously that airplanes are not high risk. Is this still the case with the Delta variant? Would you cancel travel plans if traveling with children who are too young to vaccinate and mask? We've waited 1+ years to take a trip that we finally booked for end of August (direct flight with vaccinated/masked adults; plans for only outdoor activities once at destination) but are now rethinking these plans. Thoughts?
Hi! Thanks so much for all the great information you help us understand. With regard to kids and school, I'm wondering whether you think the CDC guidelines for schools in terms of exposure/quarantine are adequate to prevent a single case from becoming a cluster/outbreak. I think if there is an exposure the whole cohort should immediately quarantine and test, but the guidelines have a very narrow definition of "close contact" and in practice it sounds like only symptomatic members of a cohort will end up excluded from school. I'm worried that with the greater transmissibility of Delta, the cases will spread faster than this method can contain an outbreak. Should I be concerned?
Can you please comment on whether it is better for kids to use the disposable n95/kn94 masks or the fabric masks with the sewn in nanofabric filters?
Maybe you've already talked about this recently, but what is the forecast for vaccinations for children under 12?
Anxiously awaiting your school post. My oldest is vaccinated (and my high risk one) and will go in a mask. My middle is not and has to go (of course, in a mask). And we made the decision to pull my six year old and homeschool until she is vaccinated. I am just a wreck over my 10 year old going and feel like I am throwing her into the fire. My husband last night said he feels like getting it is just inevitable at this point, after doing everything possible to stay safe. I feel so defeated.
So I share your employer... and I have been incredibly frustrated that mask guidelines have not been updated to match the CDC's new recommendations. It's leaving me feeling unsafe about returning to the office in a couple weeks (where I know some colleagues are vaccine skeptics) and also really hopeless about community spread. If college students and staff are catching and spreading Delta, that directly impacts the children in our community that can't yet get vaccinated. (I have a 9yo, and my anxiety about school is through the roof right now...) Wondering if you have any advice as to action steps people can take in these situations and/or if you are tenured and feel comfortable being louder than some of us staff (who of course don't have the advantage of tenure) feel we can be right now?
What KN95 does your child wear? I have an 11 year old and she has hated every KN95 or KF94 I have bought her b/c of "smell" or "hurts my nose" - shes a mask wearer but we have been doing triple layer cloth with hepa filter - I just want her as protected as possible since we start school weds here in TX with no mask mandates :(
When you do your post on kids, will you please address preschool? I have a four year old. He is the only one of our three kids not vaccinated. We are pro-mask, pro-vax. He has been wearing a mask for more than a year now, and we are now seeing an effect on his social skills. He is soft spoken and knows that people won’t understand him when he’s wearing a mask, so he has stopped speaking at preschool. He only talks during snack time and lunch time. He only plays by himself now, previously a very social kid! Going into our third covid school year, he would be the only one in a mask at his preschool since they changed protocol and made masks optional. Is it even worth it? He’s four - he chews his mask, he pulls it down to itch his nose, etc. Totally different from our older kids who put their masks on and leave them alone. We are in hot spot Idaho. I’m willing to do anything to keep him safe, but I want to know if the benefits are truly worth it for such young kids.
Hi, newly subscribed. I live in Utah, Salt Lake City area. I have a great pulmonologist and I am fully vaccinated as I have asthma. I manage a small indoor sports center and with the exception of me no one save a few are wearing masks.
Recently I had an asthma episode and my pulmonologist wanted me to get a Covid test. This turned out to be quite a run around. The hospitals are no longer doing them. You need a Doctors request. It took me over 2 hours to finally figure out where to go. Yes, I could have gone to a Walgreens but my Doc wanted me to go to a place associated with his network.
If it was this hard for me to get tested and I drive and I am fluent in English as well as computer literate then how many people are NOT getting tested and how true are Utahs numbers?
I understand the concern for children and share it. But for those of us who are caregivers for the 85+ and still living at home set, I am seeking out information on the best practices here. All of the ones I care for were vaccinated fully by late January. Now we are more than 6 months out and I do not know how well a breakthrough case might be tolerated, even among a healthy person at this age. Israel is giving boosters to those 60 and up. But there is a LONG way between 60 and, in my case, loved ones who are 91, 89, and 85. For now, I am masking and limiting contact with others so that I do not inadvertently carry it to them. And they are being hyper-careful as well. A column on this issue would be appreciated.
Is there a need to be concerned about reproductive health for either women or girls 12 and up getting the vaccine? Also, any concerns that you have about administering the vaccine to those under 12 once it is available? We plan to vaccinate our 7 year old when she is able to be, and I'd love to have the information to share with others who might be more hesitant. Thank you so very much for your work here - our family loves the data you interpret and share here.
I am in SC where schools legally can not require masks and my daughts teacher has 3 desk groups where the kids face each other. I ma sending her with a cloth mask with a PM2.5m filter in it and have requested her to have a plexi glass barier. Realistically how much will that protect her? My daughter is 6 in 2nd grade so she is not eligible for the vaccine.
When you write your post about kids, could you give any idea of where we are with J&J for people under 18? I took that one, and my university student daughter is about to take it. I’d prefer to get that one for my 12/13yo, if possible soon. Also, where are we with approval of the other vaccines for under 13? Thank you so much!
Hello from Canada! Thank you for your efforts and expertise! We are watching the US carefully to see what might be in store for us north of the border. I appreciate SO MUCH your transparency and knowledge and your Christian perspective. It is very refreshing to find a reliable source of good science and theology together. I was wondering if there is a graph that shows the direct correlation between positive cases and vaccinations, or hospitalizations and vaccinations? I wanted to see how they match up and wasn't sure where to look. Thanks!
I was vaccinated with J&J and I would like a booster shot (I’m not immunocompromised, just cautious with 2 small kids). Any signs of progress on this?
Can you clarify the risk of air travel at this time with the Delta surge for children under 2 who cannot mask? I've heard previously that airplanes are not high risk. Is this still the case with the Delta variant? Would you cancel travel plans if traveling with children who are too young to vaccinate and mask? We've waited 1+ years to take a trip that we finally booked for end of August (direct flight with vaccinated/masked adults; plans for only outdoor activities once at destination) but are now rethinking these plans. Thoughts?
Did I overlook Florida on the positivity graph?
Hi! Thanks so much for all the great information you help us understand. With regard to kids and school, I'm wondering whether you think the CDC guidelines for schools in terms of exposure/quarantine are adequate to prevent a single case from becoming a cluster/outbreak. I think if there is an exposure the whole cohort should immediately quarantine and test, but the guidelines have a very narrow definition of "close contact" and in practice it sounds like only symptomatic members of a cohort will end up excluded from school. I'm worried that with the greater transmissibility of Delta, the cases will spread faster than this method can contain an outbreak. Should I be concerned?