Trump’s continued mismanagement of the coronavirus crisis has allowed the pandemic to spiral out of control. He pushed for premature reopenings, and now cases are surging across the country. He failed to ramp up testing and to secure enough supplies, and now hospitals are overwhelmed and Americans are waiting weeks for test results.
But even as the consequences of Trump’s actions grow, the President continues to flout the experts and deny reality. The administration is now pushing for schools to reopen — even as a growing body of evidence suggests that children are at risk for the virus, and that doing so will greatly exacerbate the outbreak.
New Stories Show Children Can Become Infected, Get Sick, and Spread the Virus to Others…
New York Times: Older Children Spread the Coronavirus Just As Much As Adults, Large Study Finds
- South Korea Study: “Those Between The Ages Of 10 And 19 Can Spread The Virus At Least As Well As Adults Do.” “In the heated debate over reopening schools, one burning question has been whether and how efficiently children can spread the virus to others. A large new study from South Korea offers an answer: Children younger than 10 transmit to others much less often than adults do, but the risk is not zero. And those between the ages of 10 and 19 can spread the virus at least as well as adults do. The findings suggest that as schools reopen, communities will see clusters of infection take root that include children of all ages, several experts cautioned.” [New York Times, 7/18/20]
Los Angeles Times: 15 L.A. County Children Sickened By Rare Coronavirus-Related Inflammatory Syndrome
- Los Angeles County Officials Announced That 15 Children Had Been Identified To Have A Serious And Potentially Deadly Inflammatory Syndrome Believed To Be Associated With Coronavirus. “A rare but serious and potentially deadly inflammatory syndrome believed to be associated with the coronavirus has now been identified in 15 children in Los Angeles County, officials said. Of the children, 73% were Latino, representing a disproportionate burden for the ethnic group. Latino residents are the largest ethnic group in L.A. County, making up about half of the county’s residents. Nationally, about 70% of the cases of the inflammatory syndrome have been either Latino or Black patients. Multi-system inflammatory syndrome in children, or MIS-C, can cause different parts of the body to become inflamed, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, such as the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes or gastrointestinal organs. Symptoms include fever, pain in the abdomen, vomiting, diarrhea, neck pain, rash, bloodshot eyes and exhaustion.” [Los Angeles Times, 7/19/20]
NBC: 85 Children Under Age 2 Tested Positive For Coronavirus In 1 Texas County, As U.S. Sets New Record
- In Nueces County, Texas, More Than 80 Children Under 2 Years Old Have Tested Positive For Coronavirus. “More than 80 children under 2 years old, most of them younger than 1 year old, have tested positive for the coronavirus in one Texas county, a local public health official announced, as the United States set a single-day record in the tally of new cases. The public health director in Nueces County on the Texas Gulf Coast said 85 children under 2 years old, including 52 younger than a year old, have tested positive for the virus.” [NBC News, 7/18/20]
Adding to a Growing Body of Evidence That School Reopenings Will Have Disastrous Consequences
The Daily Beast: Israeli Data Show School Openings Were A Disaster That Wiped Out Lockdown Gains
- Nearly Half Of Israel’s New Infections During The Virus’ Resurgence In June Came From Schools. “The source of the infection explosion can be seen clearly in the numbers from June. As Kliner told the Knesset, 1,400 Israelis were diagnosed with the disease last month. Of those, 185 caught it at events such as weddings, 128 in hospitals, 113 in workplaces, 108 in restaurants, bars, or nightclubs, and 116 in synagogues, according to Kliner, while 657—which is to say 47 percent of the total—were infected by the coronavirus in schools.” [The Daily Beast, 7/14/20]
Wall Street Journal: Israelis Fear Schools Reopened Too Soon As Covid-19 Cases Climb
- The Number Of New Coronavirus Cases In Israel Increased From Fewer Than 50 A Day To 1,500 A Day Since Reopening Schools. “Some Israeli public-health officials are blaming the country’s decision to reopen schools in May for helping fuel a large new wave of coronavirus infections that has prompted authorities to shut down sections of the economy once again. In recent weeks, the number of new cases of Covid-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, has risen to around 1,500 per day nationwide from a low of fewer than 50 a day about two months ago.” [Wall Street Journal, 7/14/20]
Bloomberg: Covid-19 Infections On The Rise In Kids And Teens With School Approaching
- Children Represent A Ballooning Percentage Of COVID-19 Cases In The US. “As the school year draws near, children and teens represent a ballooning percentage of Covid-19 cases in the U.S. as the youngest Americans increasingly venture outside their homes and are able to get tested. While the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has long maintained on its website that those younger than 18 make up only 2% of cases, state data paints a much less rosy picture. California and Mississippi, for instance, are recording rates nearing 10% of overall cases. Florida has found that about a third of all children tested there are infected.” [Bloomberg, 7/16/20]
USA Today: Can Kids Spread The Coronavirus? ‘Conclusively, Without A Doubt – Yes,’ Experts Say
- Texas Children’s Hospital Chief Of Critical Care Dr. Lara Shekerdemian Warned That Children “Without A Doubt” Can Spread Coronavirus. “Whether your child is entering preschool or high school, here’s what you should know about the coronavirus and how it can impact your family. Can children carry the coronavirus and spread it? ‘I think the answer is conclusively, without a doubt – yes,’ said Dr. Lara Shekerdemian, chief of critical care at Texas Children’s Hospital.” [USA Today, 7/17/20]
- One-Third Of Children Tested In Florida Returned Positive Results, Triple The Overall Statewide Positivity Rate. “The trend is consistent with data from Florida. About one-third of children tested in the state for COVID-19 returned positive results, which is higher than the overall statewide positivity rate of 11%, according to state data.” [USA Today, 7/17/20]