Seconds after they walked into the school building, Sam and Andrew said, administrators directed them into an empty auditorium with about a dozen other students who had also come to school without masks. The boys remained there for the rest of the day, supposedly learning asynchronously — meaning they completed assignments without live instruction — although both said they didn’t learn at all.
That persisted for a week. Eventually the boys were moved from the auditorium into an empty classroom “that didn’t have any lights on,” because staffers never bothered to turn them on, Sam said. But they were determined to prevail. When the two teens kept showing up maskless for a second week, officials allowed them back into their classrooms but erected plexiglass bubbles around their desks, making them feel like social pariahs, the boys said.
...
Both teens said they noticed a change in how some people at school treated them. Other students who support masking have stopped speaking to the boys: “They kind of treat us like we’re an embarrassment,” Sam said.
Even when both boys again started going to school masked, the social ostracizing has persisted, they said.
...
On Thursday, Henrico schools began allowing students to attend class maskless in early obedience to the new Virginia law — and, after their first day of breathing unencumbered, both boys said they were, finally, feeling better.
Not clear if persisted after that, but, perhaps that remained to be seen. (Assumption: yes, it persisted, at least for a time.)
The entire article, in the Washington Post, paints a strangely one-sided picture.
A very particular picture:
“I wanted to speak from a student perspective, because you don’t hear much of that on the news,” Angela, 18, who wants to pursue a career in social work, said in an interview. “You hear ‘Parents are fighting for this.’ ‘Adults are fighting for this.’ I wanted to make sure a student voice was heard.”
In comparison to the Washington Post itself earlier in the article:
The Washington Post asked parents across the state to share how their children are feeling about school masking policies, garnering nearly 200 submissions from families living in at least 25 school districts.
They don’t seem to care about that perspective, and they’re not subtle about it.
One has given up wearing glasses because they kept fogging up, and is learning semi-blind.
How cold is that classroom?
One has severe lung damage and sounds like he has no business being in school regardless of who wears what masks given the level of health concerns.
Is that legal? (Not being in school?)
The other is physically concerned is concerned because...
The other is physically concerned because...?
The ACLU is suingto force schools to force students to wear masks, on the theory that not requiring masks is ‘excluding, denying access or segregating.’ I remember when the ACLU did not actively fight against civil liberties.
That oversimplifies a tad: See footnote 1.
Notice the framing. If you make the anti-Narrative decision, you are ‘unwilling to hear a different opinion.’ So she stops speaking with them. Which, I believe, is the literal definition of being unwilling to hear a different opinion – if you do not agree with her, she will not speak to you.
This is also the WP’s framing though. It chose to say it that way instead of
‘persuading students not wearing masks to do so is risky because it involves a greater degree of exposure’
Finding an individual who does what they want for the reasons they want may be possible, out of hundreds.
Students and parents who insist on mask mandates ignore (and presumably when challenged, deny the existence) of such problems,
Top down systems systematically prove inflexible, and unhelpful. Also see footnote 1.
If Paxlovid is available to whoever wants it the risks from Covid-19 drop dramatically, and any decision on a personal level to be afraid of Covid-19 at all while vaccinated simply does not make any sense.
and any decision
or
then any decision?
Following up on the ‘CDC is insanely cautious’ principle from last week, one should point out it goes that much deeper. They recommend not only well done burgers but well done steak, requests for which rightfully get one actively thrown out of fine restaurants. Treat CDC requirements as being similar to requiring steak be cooked well done.
Hm. Are there options here involving a su vide that are safer (and tastier)?
Paxlovid
Availability seems like (at some point) it might be worth a post. Googling turned up:
The cost for Paxlovid oral tablet (150 mg-100 mg) is around $10 for a supply of 30 tablets, depending on the pharmacy you visit. Prices are for cash paying customers only and are not valid with insurance plans.
The COVID-19 pills are in short supply in some areas, while other areas may have plenty in stock. More courses of molnupiravir have been delivered to states than Paxlovid so far. Eligible patients can receive the treatment free of charge during the public health emergency.
Hm. Who is eligible?
In late December 2021, the FDA granted emergency use authorization (EUA) to Pfizer’s Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir and ritonavir) after clinical trials showed it cut the risk of hospitalization and death for people at high risk of severe COVID-19 by nearly 90%.
Paxlovid is authorized for eligible adults and children age 12 and older who weigh at least 88 pounds. You would take 3 pills (2 nirmatrelvir pills and 1 ritonavir pill) by mouth twice a day for 5 days. You should start taking the pills within the first 5 days of feeling COVID-19 symptoms.
In studies, Paxlovid interacted with many common medications.
Paxlovid is the first-choice recommendation for patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 who are at high risk of hospitalization or death, according to the National Institutes of Health treatment guidelines.
The NIH order of preference is:
Paxlovid
Sotrivimab (a single IV infusion)
Remdesivir (an IV infusion)
Molnupiravir
(the quotes conflicted with the bullet points, I added the bullet points back in)
I wonder what those medications it interacts with are.
Unlike Paxlovid, molnupiravir is only authorized for adults age 18 and older. It’s not known to interact with any medications, but further studies are needed to confirm this.
...
States with larger populations have received more treatment courses from the federal government than those with fewer residents. States also have different ways of distributingthe antiviral pills among hospitals, clinics, local health departments, and pharmacies.
More treatment courses of molnupiravir than Paxlovid have been delivered to states and territories for distribution so far.
...
How much do Paxlovid and molnupiravir cost?
COVID-19 antivirals to be free to patients during public health emergency
January 13, 2022
Paxlovid cost the U.S. government about $530 per course. Molnupiravir cost the U.S. about $700 per course. Both antiviral drugs are “available to the applicable patient population free of charge during the COVID-19 public health emergency,” a spokesperson from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) said in an email. It’s unclear how long coverage will last.
Are there any COVID-19 preventive options for people who can’t get vaccinated?
New option for people who can’t get the COVID-19 vaccine
January 13, 2022
Evusheld is a combination of two monoclonal antibody medications: tixagevimab and cilgavimab. The FDA granted EUA for Evusheld for COVID-19 pre-exposure prophylaxis — to prevent an infection if you’re exposed to the virus in the future — for certain people age 12 and older who weigh at least 88 pounds. It’s an alternative option for people who can’t get a COVID-19 vaccine because of a serious allergy or likely won’t respond well to the vaccine because of a weakened immune system. A healthcare provider would give you 2 injections of Evusheld as a single dose.
The U.S. government ordered another 500,000 doses of Evusheld, White House officials said. In addition to the 700,000 doses already ordered, that’s a total of 1.2 million doses soon to be available through the end of March. Eligible patients can receive Evusheld at no cost. You may need to ask your healthcare provider how to get it, as it may not be available at your local pharmacy.
...
There is one other monoclonal antibody, sotrovimab, authorized for early treatment of high-risk patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 that is effective against the Omicron variant. Sotrovimab is in short supply, according to NBC and other news outlets. Its manufacturers, GlaxoSmithKline and Vir Biotechnology, recently announced that the U.S. government is buying 600,000 more doses. The doses are scheduled for distribution during the first quarter of 2022.
Drug classes of particular concern are those that include drugs that are prone to concentration-dependent toxicities, including (but not limited to) certain antiarrhythmics, oral anticoagulants, immunosuppressants, anticonvulsants, antineoplastics, and neuropsychiatric drugs.
...
Medications That Are Contraindicated or Should Not Be Coadministered With Ritonavir-Boosted Nirmatrelvir (Paxlovid)
This table is a guide and not a comprehensive list of all possible drugs that may interact or should not be coadministered with ritonavir-boosted nirmatrelvir (Paxlovid).
...
There’s 50 drugs in the left side of the table* (don’t use Paxlovid with this) and 5 less on the right side**.
*Prescribe an alternative COVID-19 therapy for patients who are receiving any of the medications listed.
**If the patient is receiving any of these medications, withhold the medication if clinically appropriate.
If withholding is not clinically appropriate, use an alternative concomitant medication or COVID-19 therapy.a
That’s a long enough list I’m not going to try and copy it here. (Also not sure about tables in comments. With bullet points.)
There was also a note in there about how patients with certain conditions* are going to need different doses.
*I spotted a note about kidney function.
Footnote 1.
Other students, especially those with health conditions, were horrified to find themselves seated next to maskless peers, unable to do anything except ask to change seats. All too often, students said, their teachers denied that request, citing instructions from higher-ups not to segregate students by mask status.
Students are free to choose? Or parents?
Huh. From the link:
Not clear if persisted after that, but, perhaps that remained to be seen. (Assumption: yes, it persisted, at least for a time.)
A very particular picture:
In comparison to the Washington Post itself earlier in the article:
They don’t seem to care about that perspective, and they’re not subtle about it.
How cold is that classroom?
Is that legal? (Not being in school?)
The other is physically concerned because...?
That oversimplifies a tad: See footnote 1.
This is also the WP’s framing though. It chose to say it that way instead of
‘persuading students not wearing masks to do so is risky because it involves a greater degree of exposure’
Finding an individual who does what they want for the reasons they want may be possible, out of hundreds.
Top down systems systematically prove inflexible, and unhelpful. Also see footnote 1.
and any decision
or
then any decision?
Hm. Are there options here involving a su vide that are safer (and tastier)?
Availability seems like (at some point) it might be worth a post. Googling turned up:
https://www.drugs.com/price-guide/paxlovid
Interesting.
https://www.goodrx.com/conditions/covid-19/covid-pill-cost-availability
Hm. Who is eligible?
Paxlovid
Sotrivimab (a single IV infusion)
Remdesivir (an IV infusion)
Molnupiravir
(the quotes conflicted with the bullet points, I added the bullet points back in)
I wonder what those medications it interacts with are.
Paxlovid Interactions
https://www.covid19treatmentguidelines.nih.gov/therapies/statement-on-paxlovid-drug-drug-interactions/
There’s 50 drugs in the left side of the table* (don’t use Paxlovid with this) and 5 less on the right side**.
*Prescribe an alternative COVID-19 therapy for patients who are receiving any of the medications listed.
**If the patient is receiving any of these medications, withhold the medication if clinically appropriate.
If withholding is not clinically appropriate, use an alternative concomitant medication or COVID-19 therapy.a
That’s a long enough list I’m not going to try and copy it here. (Also not sure about tables in comments. With bullet points.)
There was also a note in there about how patients with certain conditions* are going to need different doses.
*I spotted a note about kidney function.
Footnote 1.