ASD Letter Likely Leaked to Rile Pro-Covid Anti-Mask Parents
A letter sent to the Anchorage School Board by the American Academy of Pediatrics in opposition to news that Anchorage School Superintendent Deena Bishop decided to switch to a "parent-informed" masking policy when students return to school on January 3, 2022, has somehow landed in the lap of the Alaska GOP's mouthpiece Must Read Alaska.
Sources in the school district say right-wing anti-masker and school board member Dave Donley, who is believed to be close to the Must Read Alaska operation, is likely responsible for leaking the letter in an attempt to stir up an angry contingent of pro-covid anti-science individuals with the goal of inundating the Anchorage School Board with emails in support of Bishop's pro-disease optional mask policy.
“The AAP Clinical guidance states that “mask wearing has proven effective in reducing the transmission of virus from infected individuals. . and that “a significant portion of the student population is not yet vaccinated. Masks provide protection against COVID-19 for unvaccinated students and reduce transmission.” In addition, newer variants have demonstrated that they can continue to be spread by and to other vaccinated individuals, which makes masking a powerful tool in helping to protect the school community," the AAP's letter states.
AAP's letter also states that the number of fully vaccinated 12-18-year-olds in the Anchorage Municipality is currently 53%, and the number of fully vaccinated 5-11-year-olds is at 14.3 %; both of these numbers are far below the national average for comparable ages.
Parents, in addition to many Anchorage School District staff members, have expressed concern over Bishop's decision to enact a mask-optional policy, citing the unknown dangers associated with the new Omicron variant of the coronavirus.
A pro-mask petition appears to have been started by an ASD student in an attempt to persuade Dr. Bishop and the school board to keep the district's mandated mask policy in place.
Although the media has suggested that symptoms of Omicron could be milder than the Delta variant, that may not necessarily be the case. According to early findings from researchers at Imperial College London, a study found no evidence of Omicron having lower severity than Delta which could mean that the new variant is just as severe as Delta.
The Netherlands is experiencing a rapid increase in infections, which means the number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals and ICUs will rise further before the end of the year. Officials believe it is likely that the healthcare system in that country will become overburdened in January and have instituted a government lockdown effective December 19 through mid-next month.
Today, the United Kingdom announced an additional 10,000 cases of Omicron in the country in addition to a further 90,418 daily Covid cases announced in the UK. Puerto Rico is reporting a rapid surge in coronavirus cases, with 1,755 new cases reported today, an increase of more than 1,000% from last week. In the United States, daily COVID cases continue to rise and increase by 47% from last week.
According to reporting by NBC News, schools and classrooms are beginning to close "as schools brace for the rapid rise in omicron cases amid delta’s continued onslaught and the onset of flu season."
Parents who wish to share an opinion about Dr. Bishop's lifting of the mask mandate on school children may want to contact the Anchorage School Board ahead of Monday's board meeting.
Emails in support of mandated masking can be sent to the board at SchoolBoard@asdk12.org and to Superintendent Bishop at Bishop_Deena@asdk12.org.
The full letter sent to the school board by the American Academy of Pediatrics can be read below.
We are writing to you to encourage the Anchorage School District to continue to implement the AAP guidelines for mask use in schools. As you know, vaccines are the most effective tool we have to end the COVID-19 pandemic, but unfortunately, this is not providing the necessary levels of protection in Anchorage at this time. According to the Alaska COVID-19 Vaccination Dashboard, the number of fully vaccinated 12-18—year—olds in the Anchorage Municipality is currently at 53% and the number of fully vaccinated 5-11-year-olds is at 14.3 %; both of these numbers are far below the national average for comparable ages. with these facts in mind, it is imperative that we protect our children by requiring masks in the setting where they spend the majority of their day.
The AAP Clinical guidance states that “mask wearing has proven effective in reducing the transmission of virus from infected individuals. . and that “a significant portion of the student population is not yet vaccinated. Masks provide protection against COVID-19 for unvaccinated students and reduce transmission.” In addition, newer variants have demonstrated that they can continue to be spread by and to other vaccinated individuals, which makes masking a powerful tool in helping to protect the school community.
In Alaska we are not yet seeing an influx of the Omicron variant, but we are still experiencing the continued wave of the Delta variant. A concern shared by many, is that numerous children will be traveling outside of Alaska for winter break or hosting out of state visitors in their homes. School resumes on January 3 and potentially exposed children will be returning to the classroom right after holiday break. As there are no travel testing requirements in place, we could potentially have children with COVID-19 returning to the classroom. It would be prudent to add a layer of safety and ensure that children are masked in school for a least several weeks after winter break.
Given the effectiveness of safety precautions when used consistently, schools can remain open and safe for children. We know that children are at a higher risk of suffering mental health issues and developmental setbacks if they miss out on in- school learning due to COVID-19 illnesses or schools needing to close due to outbreaks. The best way to keep schools open with children in classrooms is to continue using best safety practices which include universal masking school-age children.
The full AAP guidelines on masking and school health can be found here: COVID-I9 Guidance for Safe Schools (aaporg). The full document outlines the current concerns as well as full recommendations. We welcome you to contact our Alaska Chapter with any questions about the current AAP guidance.
Anna Ogena, MD, FAAP
Jody Butto, MD, FAAP
Lily Lou, MD, FAAP
Kevin Kollins, MD, FAAP
Matthew Serna, MD, FAAP
Patti Clay, MD, FAAP
Benjamin Westley, MD, FAAP
