Nearly 100,000 Children In U.S. Tested Positive For COVID-19 In Last 2 Weeks Of July
Source: Huffington Post
More than 97,000 children in the U.S. tested positive for the coronavirus in the last two weeks of July, underscoring the difficulty for schools considering if or how they can reopen in the fall, according to a new report.
The findings, compiled by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Childrens Hospital Association, included data from 49 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico and Guam. But the report didnt include complete data from Texas which has seen a surge in cases or parts of New York, meaning the number of infections could be higher.
Officials have long warned that the true coronavirus toll may be much higher than reported due to insufficient testing and the lack of symptoms in many people who are infected.
snip
The data adds to growing concern for parents and students as the start of the school year approaches. Many schools and colleges have said they will operate remotely or with an in-person and online hybrid. But other districts have faced pressure from to reopen as soon as possible, including from President Donald Trump.
Read more: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/97000-children-coronavirus-july_n_5f30df37c5b6e96a22b496f7
Good God in Butter. "They" still want to open schools back up.
turbinetree
(24,695 posts)Docreed2003
(16,858 posts)Since their position piece from earlier in the summer helps spur on the "open the school" nutters.
WePurrsevere
(24,259 posts)Anyone who has ever dealt with kids on a close up and regular basis will tell you they're friggin 'Thyphoid Marys'.
Geesh... IME most of the time schools can't even stop kids from spreading a regular cold/flu bug and head lice to each other and then taking it home to their household and we're supposed to trust that they'll contain COVID if the kids go back to a brick and mortar building?
My daughter was given an option of remote learning for her 4. It will be a huge challenge but she's unwilling to take the risk at this time.
BumRushDaShow
(128,892 posts)In some states and counties, school has already started and within a week, you had positives.
There were articles about at east 3 different schools/school districts in GA that started school and immediately had students test positive -
https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/09/us/north-paulding-high-school-covid-19-cases/index.html
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/over-250-quarantined-in-georgia-district-after-first-week-of-school/ar-BB17JoQk?li=BBnb7Kz
https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/05/us/second-grader-coronavirus-first-day-of-school/index.html
Here in the Philly area, there have been positives and quarantined children who were involved in summer sports leagues - and the governor recently came out with guidance last week recommending against any school sports until at least early 2021 since many schools here in the state have kids start early to get ready for their fall seasons. That "recommendation" (not a mandate or Executive Order) caused the junior and senior high school sports governing body - the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association - to have a fit (obviously because the onus was put back on them to decide, scuttling what probably would have been their plans to protest outside the state capitol, with news reporters dutifully amplifying their nonsense, any "mandate" had one happened). But they finally agreed to "pause" for 2 weeks.
WePurrsevere
(24,259 posts)of course there's also the 'summer school' in some areas too. The OP however specifically says that they tested positive, "in the last two weeks of July" and I believe that the articles you linked to (and I had heard about) are about schools that recently reopened in August too aren't they?
July has normally been time for Summer vacation or Summer School if extra is needed. I haven't heard of regular any school 'Fall' sessions starting in July yet but with COVID things are wonky so I suppose some states/school districts may have changed that around.
Oh and for the record, I'm against schools re-opening at this time for in person classes. My daughter was offered the option of remote learning and after researching and much discussion that's what she's going with for her 4. At this point she'd rather not risk her children's lives with a school system that can't even keep the flu or head lice under control.
BumRushDaShow
(128,892 posts)and I know the end-of-July uptick was most likely due to the many July 4th gatherings (we had that happen here, with the age of infections significantly increasing in younger people <30, who made up nearly 1/4 of the positive cases).
I think the OP article thrust and warnings were done to counter the pervasive misconception that children are somehow immune or less likely to get infected and spread it. The articles I linked to are showing just what happens when proper mitigation is not done - even when it involves children, notably for those school districts that insist on going full speed ahead with "in-person" school openings!
The unfortunate other side of that coin is how to deal with younger children whose parents cannot work from home. And even for older kids, for those who would go "virtual", what do you do with the tens of thousands without any internet access (they estimated 25% of Philly school kids have no or barely usable internet access)?
(as a somewhat solution here, since Comcast is HQ'd here and has the 2 tallest towers in the city built with the money they have raked in over a number decades, they have kicked in, along with the city, some CARES money, and philanthropies, to provide internet access to something like 35,000 households)
Bayard
(22,062 posts)Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin
(107,922 posts)No worries about their parents or grandparents.
IronLionZion
(45,433 posts)and lots of other adults they come into contact with like babysitters or day care workers. And some of these kids will be vulnerable with underlying conditions.
We are witnessing a large scale thinning of the American population.
Lucinda
(31,170 posts)at140
(6,110 posts)while ours keeps going and going and going....
Whats more, in Sweden, deaths have declined nearly to zero. And since the countrys economy has remained open this whole time, theres little risk of resurgence when whatever minimal restrictions are still in place are finally lifted.