Letter to the editor: Penn Hills mask ruling decried

Penn Hills School District passed a mandate that includes masking all kids and visitors for the foreseeable future (“Penn Hills School District requiring masks for all students, staff at start of school year.”) Current science demands different policy, and this takes away my choice as a parent.

The CDC states there are 423 deaths of children ages 0-18 with covid in the U.S. Total. More than double the amount of children the same age died of pneumonia in the same period. Children have a better chance of getting struck by lightning, and more than triple the chance of dying from suicide. Covid is not fatal to children.

The original rationale for masking kids was they were super-spreaders, which they are not. This is important because it shows that children are dead ends when it comes to transmission — even unvaccinated. Children aren’t responsible for driving community transmission. The science has evolved. Are we?

Data clearly show universal masking in schools, while highly visible, appears to do nothing to protect the vulnerable. It smacks of covid safety theater. It’s optics, not science. It’s the easy answer for the adults to “feel safe” to the detriment of our kids, and I condemn this.

Brian Herr

Penn Hills