How it goes....

Person A: We need to open schools!
Me: Are you worried about multisystem inflammatory syndrome?
A: What's that?
M: A disease that's been linked to Covid.
A. Kids don't get that.
M: Actually, kids might be the only ones who do get it from Covid. Not clear yet.../1
...if adults can also get it, but the primary reporting is of kids.
A. I'm sure it's not serious.
Me: Actually, just yesterday, NEJM reported that in a major study, 80% of kids with MIS end up in the intensive care unit.
A: Is it fatal?
Me: Yup. 2% of the kids with it die../2
...A: Just 2%? Thats not bad.
Me: There are 56 million kids in school. 2% of that is 1.1 million kids.
A: That's ridiculous. 56 millions kids won't get it.
Me: You're right. I'm just saying using a percentage is misleading until you know what the total is..../3
...A. Well probably not a lot of kids will get it.
Me: No one knows. Scientists don't. I dont. You don't. "Probably won't be bad" is not the way you make life and death decisions for kids. We are responsible to protect them. Saying "Meh, I think that's ok" is irresponsible.../4
...A. We can't stay shut down forever!
Me: (Angry) Forever! Are you kidding me?! We haven't been shut down for the MINIMUM time it would take to deal with this nationwide. People keep saying "we cant do it forever" when we have barely dont anything..../5
...we're making a life-or-death choice and we DAMN sure need to do it based on science, not hunches and misinformation.
A: We can't turn our lives over to the experts...

I end the conversation. Again, a virus doesnt care WHAT you want..../6
...We are responsible for kids. We need to protect them. And if anyone is too lazy to learn what's going on here and taking the action needed, they have NO Place giving their opinion on what should or should not be done.

Here is my option: Listen to experts. Do what they say.
You can follow @kurteichenwald.
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