Biden to spotlight CDC officials shunned by Trump

[brooklynite]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by JudyM (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).

Source: Politico

President-elect Joe Biden is putting scientists in charge and back on the stage to restore trust in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The plans include immediately reviving regular media briefings and giving a central role to long-sidelined career officials including Nancy Messonnier, the public health official who first warned of the “severe” impact of the Covid-19 back in February.

The goal, said Biden’s advisers, is to send a tightly coordinated message that, nearly a year into the coronavirus crisis, the federal government is prioritizing science over politics in driving its pandemic response.

As the virus rages across the country, schools are shutting down again — or remain shuttered — even though they haven't turned out to be the super-spreader sites experts feared. At the same time, many bars and restaurants remain open for business. POLITICO's Nirvi Shah explains how the situation is reigniting a heated debate over pandemic priorities. Plus, the CDC recommends travelers get tested before and after international flights.

Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2020/11/23/biden-cdc-officials-spotlight-trump-438843

[WinstonSmith4740]

1. I've got one problem with what they're saying.

As the virus rages across the country, schools are shutting down again — or remain shuttered — even though they haven't turned out to be the super-spreader sites experts feared.

As a teacher, I can assure the writers that the reason schools didn't turn into super-spreader sites is BECAUSE we shut down and stayed that way. Classrooms are like petri dishes...parents send their kids in sick all the time. Kids come to school with whatever imaginable infectious germs are going around at the time. That might be different if we had good, affordable day care but that's a whole different discussion. Some of the smaller, rural schools have been able to stay open, but here in the city? Not a chance. My class size averages 42...just how do I separate them in a classroom built for 25? I may be keeping a closer eye on this than the average person, but I don't think any major city's schools have re-opened for more than 3 weeks before they had to shut down again. It's impossible to get kids to maintain "social distance".

Bottom line here is, I love my kids. I wish I was in a classroom with them. The fact that we're almost to the end of the first semester, and I haven't had to spend lunch in my classroom with one of them venting to me is just wrong. I have a "virtual" office, but it's not the same...I can't hold that girl's hand and give her tissues while she cries about Prince Charming cheating on her. I can't hug that young man and tell him how proud I am of him for reasoning his way out of a fight instead of throwing his fists. I can't high five either of them for making the basketball team. I'd protect all of them with my life against any danger. But this? Something that was totally avoidable? Until we begin to get this thing under control, and the numbers go down and stay there, there's no way I'm going back into a classroom.

[JudyM]

2. Locking

Brooklynite, please note that forum hosts consistently lock posts about planned actions, events, etc because they are anticipatory, not yet important news. LBN is for the most important news of the day that has actually happened. Your LBN posts about important headline news are great, but planned actions, events, etc should always be posted in General Discussion instead of LBN.