President Trump: “It’s Not Just Old, Older. Young People Too — Plenty of Young People.”
Now, Half a Million Children in the US Have Been Infected Since Pandemic Began
16% Spike in Child Infections in Two Weeks as Schools Reopen
37,000 College Students in All Fifty States Infected Since Returning to Campus
Donald Trump knew the dangers posed by the novel coronavirus to Americans, and nonetheless failed to take decisive action that would have slowed the spread and saved lives. Instead, he opted to downplay the threat — asserting that young people had nothing to fear as he pushed schools to reopen and put their lives at risk.
Now, young people in all fifty states are experiencing the predictable consequences of Donald Trump’s dangerous push to reopen schools: tens of thousands of college students have been infected since returning to campuses, the childhood infection rate is surging, and the United States has reported half a million infections among children since the pandemic began.
Donald Trump’s negligence has jeopardized the health and safety of young people across the country. Despite knowing the risks, he continues to downplay the virus and fumble the response, leaving students exposed as the virus spreads.
President Trump Publicly Downplayed the Risks of the Virus to Kids, Despite Telling Bob Woodward in March That the Virus Impacted “Plenty of Young People.”
President Trump Admitted To Bob Woodward That Coronavirus Impacted “Plenty Of Young People.”
“The president also told Mr. Woodward on March 19 of the virus: ‘Part of it is the mystery. Part it is the viciousness. You know when it attacks it attacks the lungs. And I don’t know — when people get hit, when they get hit, and now it’s turning out it’s not just old people, Bob.’ He went on: ‘Just today and yesterday, some startling facts came out. It’s not just old, older. Young people too — plenty of young people.’” [New York Times, 9/9/20]
But President Trump Publicly Played Down The Risk Of The Virus To Young People.
“‘If you look at children, children are almost — I would almost say definitely — but almost immune from this disease. So few — they’ve gotten stronger. Hard to believe. I don’t know how you feel about it, but they have much stronger immune systems than we do, somehow, for this. And they don’t have a problem. They just don’t have a problem,’ Trump said. Trump said he would get media criticism for using the term ‘totally immune,’ adding, ‘but the fact is that they are virtually immune from this problem.’” [CNN, 8/5/20]
As Has Secretary Of Education Betsy DeVos, Who Claimed “Kids Are Actually Stoppers Of The Disease.”
“More and more studies show that kids are actually stoppers of the disease and they don’t get it and transmit it themselves, so we should be in a posture of — the default should be getting back to school kids in person, in the classroom.” [CNN, 7/16/20]
A Health And Human Services Official Even Pressured Dr. Anthony Fauci To Downplay The Risk Of The Virus To Children.
“A Trump administration appointee at the Department of Health and Human Services is trying to prevent Anthony Fauci, the government’s top infectious disease expert, from speaking about the risks that coronavirus poses to children. Emails obtained by POLITICO show Paul Alexander — a senior adviser to Michael Caputo, HHS’s assistant secretary for public affairs — instructing press officers and others at the National Institutes of Health about what Fauci should say during media interviews… Alexander’s lengthy messages, some sent as recently as this week, are couched as scientific arguments. But they often contradict mainstream science while promoting political positions taken by the Trump administration on hot-button issues ranging from the use of convalescent plasma to school reopening.” [Politico, 9/9/20]
Now, a Staggering Amount of Children Have Been Infected in the United States and the Infection Rate Is Only Trending Upward
More Than 500,000 Children In The United States Have Been Infected By COVID-19 Since The Beginning Of The Pandemic.
“More than 500,000 children in the United States have been diagnosed with COVID-19, the American Academy of Pediatrics reported Tuesday, and the rate of new cases among kids continues to rise.” [NBC News, 9/8/20]
Between August 20 And September 3, As K-12 Schools Reopened In The United States, There Were 70,630 New Infections Among Children Nationwide, An Increase Of 16 Percent.
“From Aug. 20 to Sept. 3, there were 70,630 cases reported among children — an increase of 16 percent — bringing the national total to 513,415. The largest increases were reported in six states: Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota.” [NBC News, 9/8/20]
As Many As 103 Children Have Passed Away From COVID-19 Since The Beginning Of The Pandemic.
“As many as 103 children have died, according to the report. ‘These numbers are a chilling reminder of why we need to take this virus seriously,’ Dr. Sara Goza, president of the academy, said in a statement.” [NBC News, 9/8/20]
Florida Has Seen A 34 Percent Increase In Child Infections Since Reopening Schools In August.
“The Florida Department of Health reported that 10,513 children under age 18 have tested positive since schools started reopening for in-person teaching, an increase of 34 percent. The state is not saying how many of those children were in school or doing remote learning.” [Washington Post, 9/8/20]
And Tens of Thousands of College Students Have Been Infected in All 50 States and More Evidence Shows That Young People Can Suffer Severe Consequences
More Than 37,000 COVID-19 Cases Have Been Reported At Colleges And Universities In All 50 States Since The Beginning Of The Fall Semester.
“As college students begin their fall semester, all 50 states have now reported positive cases of Covid-19 at colleges and universities. This represents more than 37,000 cases of Covid-19 among students and staff at colleges and universities across the country. These numbers represent cases that CNN has reported so far. There are likely many others, and this total will continue to be updated.” [CNN, 9/9/20]
Among Young Adult Coronavirus Patients Discharged From A Hospital Between April 1 And June 30, 21 Percent Required Intensive Care While Hospitalized, 10 Percent Required A Ventilator, And 2.7 Percent Died.
“Young adults, especially those with pre-existing conditions, can still have very serious cases of the coronavirus, a new study published yesterday in JAMA confirms. Why it matters: As thousands of college students around the country catch the virus, some of them are bound to require hospitalization and, tragically, perhaps even die in the coming weeks. By the numbers: Among adult coronavirus patients discharged from the hospital between April 1 and June 30, 5% were non-pregnant young adults between the ages of 18 and 34. 57.6% of these patients were men, and 57% were Black or Latino. More than a third had obesity, a quarter had morbid obesity, 18% had diabetes and 16% had hypertension. 21% required intensive care while hospitalized, 10% required a ventilator, and 2.7% died.” [Axios, 9/10/20]
Teachers Already Dying of COVID Weeks Into Schools Reopening, Including a 34 Year Old Woman in Missouri
At Least Three Teachers Have Died From Coronavirus Since The Start Of The New School Year, While In Mississippi Alone 604 Teachers And Staff Have Been Infected.
“Teachers in at least three states have died after bouts with the coronavirus since the dawn of the new school year, and a teachers’ union leader worries that the return to in-person classes will have a deadly impact across the U.S. if proper precautions aren’t taken. AshLee DeMarinis was just 34 when she died Sunday after three weeks in the hospital. She taught social skills and special education at John Evans Middle School in Potosi, Missouri, about 70 miles (115 kilometers) southwest of St. Louis. A third-grade teacher died Monday in South Carolina, and two other educators died recently in Mississippi. It’s unclear how many teachers in the U.S. have become ill with COVID-19 since the new school year began, but Mississippi alone has reported 604 cases among school teachers and staff.” [ABC News, 9/10/20]