Hundreds of people sign petition to shorten quarantine period for Minneapolis public school students

Although she can work remotely, she and her husband have full-time jobs. Hood described the challenges of coordinating care for his children and distance learning.

Both children have tested negative for COVID twice since the start of the quarantine period. Neither has symptoms, according to Hood.

“How much can I ask, can we ask our mother-in-law?” Hood said, “What about other suppliers? What is safe to do? I felt like I had no voice and didn’t know if I was the only one.

Hood this week started a petition urging the MPS district to reconsider the full two-week quarantine for unvaccinated students. She suggests two other alternatives provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

According to the CDC, the quarantine may end after 10 days without testing if no symptoms were reported during daily monitoring. Quarantines can end after seven days if a diagnostic test, with the sample collected within 48 hours, is negative and no symptoms are reported.

More than 350 people signed the petition.

“Let’s take action that is still science based but not so extreme,†Hood said.

She shared the response she received from Superintendent Ed Graff. In the email, he writes that the district balances “the health and safety of students and staff with the need to provide students with an educational experience.”

He goes on to say, “MPS follows the 14-day quarantine guidelines, as this is the safest option as per CDC and MDH recommendations on COVID-19 prevention in schools for the school year. 2021-22. As the guidelines change, we will update our protocols accordingly. “

Graff declined the 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS interview request.

A spokesperson wrote in a statement, “We are still reviewing and adjusting our protocols based on advice from health experts, including our COVID-19 regional support team and the Minneapolis Department of Health. We understand the concerns of these parents and will communicate any changes should they occur. “

The CDC and MDH both recommend a 14-day quarantine period. Agencies also recognize that a shorter period may be an option.

“The CDC’s recommendations are for an individual quarantine for 14 days,” said KSTP medical expert Dr Archelle Georgiou. “This has been their recommendation since the start of the pandemic. It’s still their recommendation today, however, many people felt it was too long, that they weren’t able to stick to it, and a few months ago the CDC came up with two alternatives. different.

Georgiou pointed out that CDC data shows that these two options are less effective in preventing the spread.

According to the CDC, the 10-day quarantine option carries a 1-10% risk of transmission. The risk of transmission from the seven-day quarantine period is estimated to be between 5% and 12%.

“These are just options and both of these options pose a fairly significant risk of person-to-person transmission,†Georgiou said.

Hood is feeling with the vaccines and the progress in the pandemic, other factors should also be considered by the district. She is a licensed social worker and points out internet access issues, nutritional issues for students who depend on school meals, and the possibility of domestic violence in the home.

“If we define it as COVID, I agree, [a 14-day quarantine] is the safest, â€she said. “We know more than a year ago, science has evolved. We’re seeing an increase in substance use among parents who are really struggling, we’re seeing an increase in mental health crises, anxiety and depression, poor performance at work, more fatigue, all of that – I just think there is a way to approach what has a little more of a holistic answer.