The Thing Speaks For Itself

by Shannon David, RN, NCSN  |  02/14/2021  |  Nurse's Letter

Res ipsa loquitur - a Latin phrase, most familiar to those practicing law or medicine, translates to “the thing speaks for itself”. It is commonly understood to apply to cases and circumstances where facts and evidence are so clear they need no further explanation. This past Friday, the Centers for Disease Control published an article titled Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in K-12 Schools. Following data analysis from numerous schools, with various models of instruction, nationally and internationally, it was found that “When a combination of effective mitigation strategies is implemented and strictly adhered to in the K-12 in-person learning environment, the risk of transmission in the school setting appears to be lower than or equivalent to the transmission risk in other community settings.”(CDC February 12, 2021)

The data gathered at OLMC would support this. From the beginning of the school year, we have been blessed to have the majority of our students participating in in-person learning. Since October we have consistently had 96% of students in-person and 4% virtual. While at school, students actively participate in the mitigation strategies outlined in our “Smart, Healthy & Holy” plan. Over the past six months, 0.8% of our students who are in-person have tested positive for COVID; 22% of students who are virtual have tested positive for COVID. For those students who have needed to quarantine because they were identified as close contacts, in 76% of cases it has been because of a contact outside of school and 24% have been due to a school contact. To date, there have been NO cases of transmission of infection at school. Currently, we have 0 cases of COVID and 0 students on quarantine. As pointed out in the above article, “reducing transmission in schools is a shared responsibility.” We know that we would not be where we are today were it not for the many sacrifices and commitment of the entire community. This past week, the 8th grade class, wearing their “Class of ‘21” shirts and graduation caps, got together to have their picture taken. Not one of them had to be coached to smile! The happiness on their faces and the joy they exuded, well--res ipsa loquitur!

Sts. Cyril & Methodius (February 14), pray for us!

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