Back in school two days, already exposed to covid

[spinbaby]

I just got the news that my grandson will need to quarantine two weeks because he’s already—after just two days back in school —been exposed to covid. I live in rural western PA, which is full of anti-maskers, but they’d had mandatory masking last year and I had been under the impression they were doing the same this year. But, nope, the anti-maskers apparently got their way and now we have a child-care crisis, which grandma (me) is called upon to solve.

[634-5789]

1. How old is the kid? And is he old enough to get the shot?

[spinbaby]

3. He's eight, so no

We assume the person with covid he was exposed to was his teacher, but the school won’t say.

[634-5789]

7. It's just criminal. What a ridiculous, dangerous situation these morons put all of us in!

[Jim G.]

2. The Same Thing Happened To My Granddaughter

Last fall when they had them go back to school in York Co.

Her whole family got sick.

[left-of-center2012]

4. I grew up in Western PA

But it was so many years ago that Pennsylvania was a democratic stronghold at the time.

Where in Pennsylvania was this?
I grew up between Indiana and Punxsutawney (near Glen Campbell, Pa) before we moved to New Kensington when I went to high school.m

[PA_jen]

5. I feel your frustration. I live in western PA and I am seeing the stupidity daily and I am mad as

hell!

My area people are acting like covid doesn't exist.

[Ruby Zee]

6. Sorry for your exposure to covid

I live in Portland, Oregon and all of my neighbors and their many young children - not old enough for a vaccine - act like covid doesn't exist. They are constantly outside playing together. If one of them gets sick, the whole block will get sick. It's been a difficult year.

[blueinredohio]

8. The sad part is if Grandma has to baby sit, is exposed and catches it.

[spinbaby]

9. Grandma is fully vaccinated

Otherwise he wouldn’t come near me. I was exposed in July and didn’t catch it, so hopefully have a robust immune system.

[Ms. Toad]

11. Still wear your mask. n/t

[blueinredohio]

14. I'm glad you didn't catch it before but dont press your luck.

Be careful. I picked up my grandkids from school on Friday. One chooses to wear a mask, the other doesn't. I'm fully vaxxed also but still careful.

[Ms. Toad]

10. Got you beat - My employee and I were exposed 3 times before the first day of classes.

We have mandatory masking, but it doesn't matter since (1) some students are too special to have to wear them (the second & 3rd exposures), and (2) for purposes of contact tracing they no longer consider whether either party was masked. (The first exposure was by a co-employee a day before the mask order went into place).

Wear your mask when you are around him. If it's delta and he contracted it, he can give it to you even if you are vaccinated.

[spinbaby]

12. I don't think masking will help much

He’s autistic, so caring for him is very much hands on.

[Ms. Toad]

13. The risk comes from breathing in what he exhales.

Especially when you are giving hands-on care (and he may be unable to tolerate a mask) it is even more important for you to be wearing a mask. A snugly fittting cloth mask is about as effective as the J&J vaccine, so it ia an important added layer of protection for you.

[spinbaby]

15. That's good in theory

But we’re talking several days and overnight stays with an eight-year-old who functions more like a two-year-old. It’s not going to work.

I’m angry at the whole system of making masks and vaccinations optional, but then you’re on your own if your kid gets exposed. My grandson has two parents who work. One can work at home, the other will be a possible covid risk to her workplace. Neither can take two weeks off work. The school won’t say who my grandson was exposed to, only that he was exposed. We think it was his teacher.

[Ms. Toad]

16. I don't have an 8-year old who functions like a 2 year old,

but I do wear masks 24-7 at home, including while sleeping. I just had to do that this past week when I was exposed at work in order to protect my family.

I've taken care of 2-year olds (up to 20 at a time), and have no trouble imagining wearing masks while caring for them.

Don't let your anger at others' irresponsibility make you take risks that put your health and life at risk.

[spinbaby]

17. What we're doing

We decided to leave the grand with only his father all week, so he won’t be here at all. He seems rather subdued, so we’re worried about him being sick even though he’s not running a fever. Can’t ask him how he feels because his communication skills aren’t good enough.

Thanks anti-maskers.

[Ms. Toad]

20. My daughter was the same way when she was little

Different reason for being unable to tell us. (She developed IBD when she was 4, and as protection her mind disconnected from her body - in terms of being able to answer questions abot how she felt. She's 30 now, and it's only in the last decade that she can answer questions like how many BMs did you have today?)

But - our clue that she was sick was that she crashed and slept in the middle of the day (something she didn't do past age 2).

[scarytomcat]

18. my wife made tasks with moisture barrier in the middle between layers I feel safe

got the shots too and avoid people still

[fescuerescue]

19. I suspect that we are exposed to Covid every time we go to the grocery store now

We just don't track it at Wallmart and Kroger.

[spinbaby]

21. Probably

I just try to go when it’s not busy and wear an N95 mask.

[fescuerescue]

22. yea. This aversion to crowds that I'm forming

will be a hard habit to break later.