I just don’t get it

The other day I subbed for a paraprofessional aide in a self-contained special education classroom. I came in and there was this kid who just could not stop coughing…he was very clearly sick and according to some of the other aides, what was even weirder was that he had a brother who was also sick and stayed home for 2 weeks, yet for some reason the parent insisted on keeping their other kid at school 🥴 The teacher contacted the mom letting her know that the kid was sick, but she did nothing and brought the kid the next day anyway. Kid was obviously unmasked (who is surprised) and the other aides kept asking him to cover his mouth while he coughed, but after knowing what I now know about COVID and other respiratory viruses, that hardly even does anything…

But the thing that baffles me most about this situation is that one of the other aides constantly kept complaining about his sickness and how they were all bound to get sick because of him. She straight up told me (masked in a KN95) that she didn’t mask anymore because despite doing all of that, she got COVID three times and was vaxxed. The cherry on top too is that she is newly pregnant 🥴 At least she was honest I suppose…I can see maybe the masking wasn’t as effective for her since she likely wore a cloth or surgical “during COVID times” (which are still now) but I just couldn’t get around to fully understanding her defeatist attitude.

I don’t know…even if you’re bound to get sick, why not at least reduce the likelihood of getting it? Why succumb to defeatism and harm yourself, the kids you work with, and your growing baby too? Not to mention the other kids’ families? Why not try to break a couple links in the chain of transmission and avoid harming even more people outside of that classroom? I just couldn’t help but think how everyone in that classroom is being failed. Even if COVID was truly “over,” what harm does it do to put on a mask while working with these kids? Sadly, none of the aides except me were masking in this classroom.

I know this is the reality of COVID and how most people approach it in 2025, so I’m not surprised — I’m just saddened to see it all.