What do I think of the Sick Kids recommendations on how to re-open Ontario schools amidst COVID-19?

I’ve got an opinion on it.

COVID-19 SCHOOL RE-OPENINGS. A THREAD.
... by an ONTARIO TEACHER
HOSPITAL BIOSTATISTICIAN
FORMER PHAC EMPLOYEE

(1/7)

(2/7) 1. SOCIAL DISTANCING: Because younger kids can’t properly social distance, Sick Kids assumes high school students can’t either. Like Dr. Fisman, I fail to see how the approach advocated for by Sick Kids differs from Sweden - now the second most infected country.

(3/7) 2. MASKING: Sick Kids claims masks are more harmful than COVID-19. Yeah, they actually said this. MORE harmful. Without a single study to back up the claim. I’ve linked to a systematic review of 172 studies that reaps the benefits of masking. @jkwan_md @SharkawyMD

(4/7) 3. KIDS GET COVID TOO: Sick Kids also claims, without evidence, that kids are less susceptible to infections. So why then, in Ontario, do 0-19 year olds have the HIGHEST fraction test positivity? Analysis courtesy of @DFisman .

(5/7) 4. KIDS ARE IMPORTANT IN THE TRANSMISSION OF THIS VIRUS: Sick Kids claims kids are less likely to transmit the virus to others. Their evidence? An old Sweden study that showed no COVID-19 school outbreaks. Since then, outbreaks have occurred in Sweden and teachers have died

(6/7) 5. “LOW-LYING FRUIT”: As an educator, Dr Fisman hit the nail on the head; Sick Kids didn’t even swing the hammer. Bubbles, cohorts, outdoor activities, hybrid models, modified school weeks, etc. So many options. All possible. Huge missed opportunity in this position paper.

Ultimately, if a clinical trial, or study, was submitted to the Sick Kid’s Research Ethics Board that said, “Well there’s a chance that it may kill some of the participants, but we can try it and see...” would it ever pass the REB @ronald_cohn ? Never.