I am joining ActionCareEquity.org in demanding that the California Department of Public Health root their SARS-2 isolation policies in science and require isolation for all individuals while actively testing positive for SARS-2 in congregate settings such as schools and workplaces. The recent policy change of requiring those with symptomatic cases to only isolate for 24 hours and removing isolation for asymptomatic cases is extremely reckless and dangerous for children, teachers and workers, as this does not effectively prevent transmission and outbreaks during this ongoing airborne pandemic.

This policy also fails to acknowledge that 40% of COVID positive cases are asymptomatic, further permitting actively contagious spread in workplaces and schools.

We are currently in the second largest wave of the pandemic where COVID transmission is extremely high. Common sense dictates that it’s never a good idea to go to school or work while sick and actively contagious, as doing so further spreads illness. In the case of SARS-2, we know that this additionally causes death and disability with Long COVID.

We continue to be in an ongoing airborne pandemic and it is an inhumane and dangerous policy to normalize mass reinfection of SARS-2 as it is a multi-systemic, vascular, organ-damaging and immune-dysregulating disease.

The current school financial model incentivizes students getting exposed to SARS-2 for the purposes of maintaining high attendance numbers, which are used to fund schools. This funding model needs to be reformed to protect students instead of encouraging repeated exposures to COVID.

We have now entered year 5 of this ongoing pandemic and there is increasing evidence showing the grave risks of catching COVID: damages to the immune system, the heart, lungs, brain, liver, and kidneys, possibly for years or even a lifetime with disabling Long COVID.

1 in every 5 kids are getting Long COVID, which is unsustainable and damaging children's bodies for the rest of their lives as there is currently NO treatment or cure.

This is also a critical equity issue, as BIPOC communities are disproportionately affected by the spread of SARS-2 with drastically higher mortality rates throughout the pandemic largely due to inequities in the standard of care of our healthcare system. With California’s population being so richly diverse, we should be leading the country on matters of health equity and centering the most vulnerable in our policies!

We demand that CA Public Health and every county including San Francisco, Alameda, Los Angeles, and San Diego, among all others, set isolation guidelines in science and equity. We must establish an isolation guideline for all who actively test COVID positive to prevent outbreaks in essential congregate settings such as schools and workplaces. Additionally, it is urgent to upgrade ventilation and air filtration in schools to provide a long-term safe and healthy environment for all.

https://www.kron4.com/news/bay-area/oakland-schools-allow-covid-positive-students-to-attend-class/

https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/san-diego-unified-responds-to-californias-updated-guidance-for-sick-students/3341664/

https://ktla.com/news/california/california-health-officials-announce-shorter-covid-isolation-guidelines/