Horowitz: Norwegian study shows very little transmission in school without masks, as suicide crisis intensifies

Shutting down schools or forcing kids to wear masks – either one is likely the greatest crime ever committed against children under the most false pretenses imaginable. New research continues to show that schools are not drivers of spread, not to mention the fact that the virus is not dangerous to children. Meanwhile, children continue to commit suicide in record numbers. This is the evil cost of adult virtue-signaling.

A brand-new study of transmission in Norwegian primary schools from August through November published by the Norwegian Public Institute of Health showed minimal child-to-child and child-to-adult transmission. "This prospective study shows that transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from children under 14 years of age was minimal in primary schools in Oslo and Viken, the two Norwegian counties with the highest COVID-19 incidence and in which 35% of the Norwegian population resides," concluded the researchers.

Despite systematic testing of all the 234 child contacts twice during quarantine of those children infected, just two primary cases and no secondary cases were identified. Also, among the 58 adult contacts of the infected children, just one primary case and no secondary cases were detected. All the children involved in the study were ages 5-13.

Here's the kicker: While the reopening of the schools included measures such as "strengthened hygiene measures, physical distancing and a clear message to stay home if symptomatic, even with mild symptoms," there was one major element missing. "Use of face masks is not recommended in schools in Norway," according to this study.

The study further contradicted the notion that somehow teachers are more at risk than people from other professions, a false premise that has led to some states prioritizing the vaccination of young teachers over elderly non-teachers. "This supports findings in Sweden, the Netherlands and Norway that teachers are not at higher risk of COVID-19 compared with other professions," wrote the Norwegian researchers.

It is truly shocking how consistent the data have been for months that children are not a threat of spreading the virus, yet the politicians have continued to keep children out of school. Well, at least until now – that Trump is out of office. Suddenly, most Democrat politicians, who now have an incentive not to saddle the Biden regime with a bad economy, are pushing for children to return to school. However, conservatives need to be vigilant about the left co-opting what it means to open schools. Opening schools while needlessly masking children for seven hours a day and constantly living in a state of fear might not be much better than keeping schools closed.

Now that Trump is out of office, it's kosher for outlets like CNN and the NYT to begin reporting on the child suicide crisis. CNN reported last week that in Texas, 37 students were admitted to a Fort Worth hospital following suicide attempts in September alone and that 19 students in Las Vegas actually committed suicide. The Anchorage Daily News is reporting that one Alaska clinic saw a 173% increase in admission of children with severe injuries due to suspected child abuse last year. Suicides are now the leading cause of death in England. You no longer need to go to conservative websites to discover the truth about the mental health crisis triggered by lockdowns.

The gratuitous panic and fear embodied by masking and other draconian measures are destroying the mental health of an entire generation. Even in Florida, where people are freer than in most parts of the country, a recent report shows that suicide was more deadly to the under-55 population in Tallahassee than the virus itself.

The masking, aside from the long-term harms to child development and communications, is the single biggest reminder for kids to live in fear. Opening schools with masking is not proper schooling; it's a concentration camp. Teachers would have been sent to jail a year ago for suggesting such an idea. We should not jump on the first opportunity just to open schools at all costs and forget about the conditions to which they are subjecting the children.

The same data that show there is no meaningful viral threat from schoolchildren demonstrate that they need not be masked. Not only is the virus not a threat to children, nor are they a threat of spreading it in school, but this year's flu cases are down 99.5%. As such, there has never been a safer time for children to be in school, even relative to every other year in recent history. Republican governors shouldn't let Democrats insidiously co-opt the talking point of reopening schools now that Trump is gone. It's time to force them to reopen schools without the child abuse. The mask religion should not be exempt from following the science.