29 Replies to "CORONAVIRUS: New Seattle Public Schools cases this week down a third from last week"

• Admiral Mom January 25, 2022 (12:48 am)

  Families, please keep in mind these cases are community spread, not school spread. I mean there is no evidence kids are passing COVID to each other at school.

  • Mel January 25, 2022 (5:35 am)

    Yep! But you have people still arguing that we should close schools down.

  • Brian January 25, 2022 (6:06 am)

    There is absolutely no way to verify this claim. 

  • Kimberly January 25, 2022 (6:54 am)

    So true. My son’s entire classroom at Pathfinder was sent home for almost 2 weeks because someone tested positive and my son had close prolonged contact to that person. He didn’t get covid from it and it’s not because of a vaccine since he never got the vaccine. His pediatrician recommended not getting it.

    • Thanks January 25, 2022 (10:34 am)

      Just out of curiosity why did the pediatrician say not to get it??
      I’ve noticed some of the older kids at pathfinder never seem to be wearing their masks correctly. I’ve noticed many noses sticking out. Do they just not care or?? It’s still going around too. This is not up to date as there are new cases this week. 

      • WSB January 25, 2022 (11:44 am)

        The district posts numbers through Friday on the following Monday, so every week this is as “up to date” as it gets under those parameters. It should also be noted that they’ve taken to publishing the update well into the evening – I checked around 7 pm last night and this wasn’t updated yet, but when I next checked around 8 it was.

    • Shufflerunner January 25, 2022 (11:20 am)

      You should strongly consider getting a second opinion from a different pediatrician. 

  • huh? January 25, 2022 (7:25 am)

    What an odd statement to make. You really don’t think it’s spreading in schools?   Because it obviously is–during weekdays kids spend a majority of their waking hours in school… where do you think the spread is occurring if not in school?

  • Cat Girl January 25, 2022 (8:07 am)

    Schools are communities. This comment is nonsensical.

  • JJ January 25, 2022 (8:07 am)

    Our family got sick from school. That was our only exposure. The kid got sick first (after multiple exposures). School is a very crowded indoor environment. Of course an airborne virus would spread in schools. And does. Masks and increased ventilation reduce spread, but cannot eliminate spread in such a high risk setting.

    • Schoggi February 1, 2022 (1:48 pm)

      Parents: consider making a “#CorsiRosenthal box”. Two scientists teamed up to design a cheap way to make air filters for classrooms and homes. Covid is airborne. Breathe it, get it. It’s that simple. Look at Google images to see these boxes, many schools worldwide have them — often made by parents and students together.We can get through this if everyone, including kids, understands covid is exhaled by other people. We’re smart, we can take correct actions. That’s the good news. And yes: vaccines are effective – overwhelmingly proven to be so. 

  • Westwood January 25, 2022 (11:21 am)

    What an absolutely ridiculous claim to make. Our child 100% contracted COVID at school. As someone else stated…schools are communities. 

  • Case January 25, 2022 (12:03 pm)

    Oh no baby what is you doing!!

    If COVID isn’t spreading in schools, why is there now a modified quarantine program being offered in all WA State K-12 public schools?
     https://www.doh.wa.gov/Portals/1/Documents/1600/coronavirus/820-105-K12Schools2021-2022.pdf

  • Huh? January 25, 2022 (5:16 pm)

    How are schools not part of the community? 

• Anne January 25, 2022 (8:20 am)

  The concerning thing about this report is that all but 2 schools  in WS are up in cases over previous week -the 2 that aren’t are just unchanged -not down. This report was on King 5 recently-out of Tacoma/Pierce County. Don’t know if King County  does a similar location based analysis. TACOMA, Wash. — An analysis by the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department reveals most COVID outbreaks in schools are happening outside of classrooms.The overwhelming majority of cases were tied to sports, the department said.In its first report using a new reporting format that considers outbreak locations, 89% of infections were related to athletics. Only 8% were in classrooms. the 90 outbreak cases reported this week, 80 were linked to sports, 7 were in classrooms, 3 were tied to other activities, and none were related to transportation, the department said.“We believe this gives you a more accurate picture of school outbreaks,” the department wrote in a blog post.Student-athletes are required to adhere to a set of safety rules during practice and competition, which vary from sport to sport, but many participants are often in close contact, unmasked.CDC guidance for schools advises districts to cancel high-risk sports and activities, like football, wrestling, and band.Washington has not gone that far, but the Department of Health, which is helping coordinate testing in schools, is encouraging districts to protect learning over extracurricular activities.“We have been working with our schools to remind them that the most critical aspect of where testing should be employed is really to make sure that kids are remaining in the classroom,” said Dr. Umair Shah, Secretary of Health.

  • WSDad January 25, 2022 (10:40 am)

    They never go down. The first number is a running total for the school year. 

  • WC January 25, 2022 (10:48 am)

    I understand you are quoting King 5 News but did you know that it is mandatory for student athletes to test 3 times a week. What if all students were to test 3 times a week? Is it possible that only testing athletes are why majority of these outbreaks point to sports? How many students are covid positive but don’t know and are still attending school? 

• Math Teacher January 25, 2022 (8:21 am)

  Probably the schools with double-digit increases had some in-school spread. Those schools have case-rates well above the background community rates.

• Sara January 25, 2022 (10:27 am)

  I was under the impression that omicron is so contagious, it can’t really be controlled. And, luckily, for most it is even more mild than the other variants. Will there ever be a time again when school and sports are not considered high risk? I drove by a school where the kids were eating outside spaced so far apart, and it just seems really sad and unnecessary. Pandemic procedures like this are starting to feel performative, especially when the kids are all about to head back inside the school building where masks do some good but probably not as much as we thought in the beginning, and probably not as much with Omicron. I’m tired of the performative stuff. People claim that they are following the science, but wearing a mask outside when you are walking down the street alone? Wearing a mask outside, period, unless you are maybe at a hugely crowded event? Wearing a mask when you walk inside a restaurant, but not when you sit down to eat? Where’s the science in that? 

  • Ws resident January 25, 2022 (1:20 pm)

    I completely agree with everything you wrote, Sara! We are always making fun of the “science” at restaurants of masking when you walk to and from your table but as soon as you sit down the virus can’t get you, or you can’t spread the virus!  Ridiculous!I hope after this current wave drops down as does the hospitalizations we can review some of these rules and get to living normal lives with this pandemic especially for the kids who need the social connections, need to play sports and heck even go to high school dances!

  • Not Your Call January 25, 2022 (8:26 pm)

    For all you know the person wearing a mask you don’t think they should be wearing is undergoing chemo or has a family member who is.  Maybe they actually have Covid and have to walk their dog and are trying to make sure they don’t infect others.  Maybe they have a loved one in a nursing home and don’t want to take any chances because they’ve already lost a year with them due to the previous lockdown.  Maybe they  have a huge pimple on their chin and don’t want it to be seen by anyone else.  Any of these reasons someone may be wearing a mask outside are fine because it does not affect you in any way whatsoever.  

    • Sara January 25, 2022 (10:02 pm)

      Yes, please wear a mask if you want! But I’ve seen/heard the sentiment that we should all be wearing masks outside for reasons that really have nothing to do with science, and in the above situations, the mask wearing feels like a performative behavior, as opposed to an effective one.  Anyone could walk around my neighborhood, have the most infectious variant of covid and not spread it to anyone even if they were actively coughing and sneezing and maskless during their whole walk. Yes, high school dances WS!!

    • CJ January 26, 2022 (12:04 am)

      DITTO!  

  • Brian January 25, 2022 (10:36 pm)

    Why do you want to police other peoples’ actions so much? If someone wants to wear a mask outside how does that affect you at all? Try minding your own business and you’ll be happier. 

    • Pessoa January 26, 2022 (9:07 am)

      “Minding your own business.”
      Oh, the monumental irony!  We generally aren’t the one’s who want to force vaccine mandates on others, threaten them with the loss of their livelihood, and even, according to one poll, confine the unvaccinated to facilities.Brian.  

  • anonyme January 27, 2022 (8:02 am)

    Sara, I completely agree with you about restaurants.  I’ve seen a table full of people, all unmasked, blabbing and spraying droplets everywhere long after finishing their meals.  Many restaurants don’t ask for proof of vaccination, and others require them only for in-house diners – but not the numerous food delivery drivers who often enter with masks around their chins.  I really have to commend kids, who have been so conscientious and compliant with mask-wearing.  If only adults would take a cue from them.

• LL January 25, 2022 (1:47 pm)

  Our family has received AT LEAST 6 notices(since returning back to school after winter break) from Madison, that my son was in class with someone that tested positive.  My son has NOT tested positive himself following any of these notifications.  From what my kids tell me, at both the high school and middle school level, everyone is wearing their masks appropriately and at all times.  I feel the schools are truly doing their part and following all guidelines as best they are able.  My kids feel totally safe at school, even more so than out in the general public where many people are NOT following recommended guidelines.  My kids need and want to stay in school!!!!

  • T January 25, 2022 (10:02 pm)

    We have gitten 3 notices from Madison in the last 3 school days.

• Alki mom January 25, 2022 (2:40 pm)

  I agree with LL. I received 3 notices since January that someone in my child’s class (elementary school) tested positive. I got my child tested weekly and they were negative.  The after-school childcare was closed a couple times since last year due to either a staff member or child who tested positive.  However, I was not aware of an outbreak and my child tested negative each time.  Some kids were getting infected from their household members who tested positive or were asymptomatic. I believe the school has done an amazing job mitigating the spread of Covid and I appreciate the timely updates. I received an email today from SPS that they are shipping N95 masks to schools for students and they will have the KN95 masks in pediatric size in early Feb. The email says all staff have access to KN95 masks. It’s indeed a stressful time for all but there are definitely steps you can take to reduce your family’s risk (e.g. avoid non-essential activities and gatherings, wearing enhanced masks, making an effort to get tested regularly, etc.)

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