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COVID-19, Schools, and Children: Debunking the Myths

Protect Our Province BC hosts a panel to discuss BC’s approach to protecting children

Guest Speaker: Prof. Colin Furness, Canadian epidemiologist 

Thursday, January 6, 4:00 – 5:00 pm PST

BC’s politicians and public health leaders seem to have abandoned all ideas of preventing the rapid growth of Omicron, telling both businesses and schools to prepare for “functional closures”, with widespread illness expected to disable the ability to operate due to lack of staff.

What does this mean for our children, to let COVID-19 spread through their population, when only 40% of 5-11 year-olds have received just one dose of vaccine, and all 0-4 years-olds are unvaccinated?

Prof. Colin Furness, infection control epidemiologist from the University of Toronto, will join our education panel.  He will explain many of the concerns that are echoed by the scientific community regarding what is missing from the protections given to children in both school and childcare settings. What are the differences between what the scientific community is saying versus what political and public health leaders are doing? He will also provide an analysis of how Omicron’s rapid unchecked transmission through the under-vaccinated child community could affect BC pediatric hospitalization numbers and Long Covid sufferers. Actions to prevent a surge of pediatric cases via community spread in schools and childcare facilities will be discussed.

The panel will also feature Jennifer Heighton, teacher and co-founder/director of Safe Schools Coalition BC, and Jaclyn Ferreira, parent, disability advocate and co-founder of Safe Schools Coalition BC. They will provide local insights about the province’s response, and the experience of BC parents and teachers, into the discussion.  Dr. Brenda Hardie, Vancouver Family Physician, will facilitate.

Schools and daycares operate in densely occupied spaces, some with poor ventilation, and with clientele that lack impulse control which makes it difficult for them to follow distancing rules. That fact, coupled with the largely unvaccinated groupings and rampant community spread of Omicron, should be a major reason for additional protective measures to keep schools functioning safely.

“We avoid catastrophe and get schools back to normal by…allowing some time to finish vaccinating the susceptible population instead of mass infecting them. These are our children; we owe them this diligence.” Prof. Colin Furness

Speakers:

  • Prof. Colin Furness, MISt PhD MPH, Infection Control Epidemiologist, University of Toronto
  • Dr. Brenda Hardie, Vancouver Family Physician
  • Jaclyn Ferreira, Researcher, Disability and Inclusion advocate
  • Jennifer Heighton, Community advocate, Teacher

Archived Briefings from Protect Our Province BC

To the right of the image, a profile view of a very advanced pregnant abdomen with the pregnant person's left hand resting on the side of the belly. To the left, text that reads:
“COVID-19 vaccination is safe during pregnancy and may protect newborns from infection, especially if vaccines are given in the second or third trimester. This is similar to what we are already doing with other maternal vaccines, including TDaP and seasonal influenza.” – Dr. Eastabrook
Image shows a large COVID viral particle (dark pink colour) being pulled by a tiny human with a tight rope, along a hill. Grey clouds in the background with the hill depicted in black. Logo of PoP BC is in the lower left corner.
“If we had an epidemic of people with broken limbs and we saw people in plasters and crutches, it would be more evident. But there is a lot of disability that is happening, which is a hidden disability often, which is why we need to talk about it more, for people to understand what the consequences are. And that will help to make better decisions.” – Lynette
The standard PoP BC mountain background with the PoP logo and the text:
“If we had an epidemic of people with broken limbs and we saw people in plasters and crutches, it would be more evident. But there is a lot of disability that is happening, which is a hidden disability often, which is why we need to talk about it more, for people to understand what the consequences are. And that will help to make better decisions.” – Lynette

More News from Protect Our Province BC

Covid-19 Rapid Antigen Test FAQ Header Image with test and heading text
General Information Q: How accurate are Rapid Antigen Tests?  A: Positive test results on rapid tests are generally accurate, and if you test positive you should take precautions (wear a high-quality respirator mask, isolate, inform your contacts) to avoid passing on the virus.  A negative test doesn’t necessarily mean your don’t have Covid; it *could*… Continue reading Covid-19 Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) – FAQ
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Elected officials in Ontario and New Brunswick have put forth private members’ bills for legislation that would require improved indoor air quality in all workplaces and public spaces. Protect our Province BC has provided a draft letter that you can customize to send to your MLA demanding that they bring forward or support a similar bill here in BC.
This illustration, created at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), reveals ultrastructural morphology exhibited by coronaviruses. Note the spikes that adorn the outer surface of the virus, which impart the look of a corona surrounding the virion, when viewed electron microscopically. The virion is a grey sphere with dark red spikes around it. There is a dark grey background behind it.
Protect our Province BC along with several other medical professionals, scientists, and academics are extremely concerned about misinformation spread by Dr. Patricia Daly, Chief Medical Officer of Health for Vancouver Coastal Health.