Real Time with Bill Maher host Bill Maher has joined the chorus of people demanding accountability for harms brought on by school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic. Maher said he understands people did not know what was happening at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and some mistakes were inevitable. “But four years on, I’m tired of hearing we didn’t know,” said Maher in a Tuesday video. “No, we didn’t, but some people guessed better than others.”.For the people who were wrong about school closures, he said they do not want to acknowledge it. Some people said closing schools was pointless and would cause collateral damage to children, and they were right. A review of COVID-19 in schools and daycares by McMaster University researchers published in February found they were not a significant source of transmission of it when infection prevention and control measures were used.READ MORE: University study finds pandemic school closures weren't a great ideaThe findings cast doubt on the necessity of school closures. Study author Sarah Neil-Sztramko said schools did not drive the COVID-19 pandemic.“We found that after that initial shutdown where everything was locked down, schools did not appear to have much impact on community level transmission when infection prevention control measures were in place,” said Neil-Sztramko.
Real Time with Bill Maher host Bill Maher has joined the chorus of people demanding accountability for harms brought on by school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic. Maher said he understands people did not know what was happening at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and some mistakes were inevitable. “But four years on, I’m tired of hearing we didn’t know,” said Maher in a Tuesday video. “No, we didn’t, but some people guessed better than others.”.For the people who were wrong about school closures, he said they do not want to acknowledge it. Some people said closing schools was pointless and would cause collateral damage to children, and they were right. A review of COVID-19 in schools and daycares by McMaster University researchers published in February found they were not a significant source of transmission of it when infection prevention and control measures were used.READ MORE: University study finds pandemic school closures weren't a great ideaThe findings cast doubt on the necessity of school closures. Study author Sarah Neil-Sztramko said schools did not drive the COVID-19 pandemic.“We found that after that initial shutdown where everything was locked down, schools did not appear to have much impact on community level transmission when infection prevention control measures were in place,” said Neil-Sztramko.
