Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
COVID-19 Cases Rising Among Us Children as Schools Reopen
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 4 years ago on
September 29, 2020

Share

After preying heavily on the elderly in the spring, the coronavirus is increasingly infecting American children and teens in a trend authorities say appears driven by school reopenings and the resumption of sports, playdates and other activities.

Children of all ages now make up 10% of all U.S cases, up from 2% in April, the American Academy of Pediatrics reported Tuesday. And the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday that the incidence of COVID-19 in school-age children began rising in early September as many youngsters returned to their classrooms.

About two times more teens were infected than younger children, the CDC report said. Most infected children have mild cases; hospitalizations and death rates are much lower than in adults.

Dr. Sally Goza, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said the rising numbers are a big concern and underscore the importance of masks, hand-washing, social distancing and other precautions.

“While children generally don’t get as sick with the coronavirus as adults, they are not immune and there is much to learn about how easily they can transmit it to others,’’ she said in a statement.

The CDC report did not indicate where or how the children became infected.

Public health experts say the uptick probably reflects an increasing spread of the virus in the larger community. And they say many school-age children who are getting sick may not be getting infected in classrooms, where face coverings and other preventive measures are often in place.

Studies Suggest in-Person Learning Can Be Safe When Transmission Rates in the Larger Community Are Low

Just as cases in college students have been linked to partying and bars, children may be contracting the virus at playdates, sleepovers, sports and other activities where precautions aren’t being taken, said Dr. Leana Wen, a public health specialist at George Washington University.

“Understandably, there is quarantine fatigue,’’ Wen said. Many people have a sense that if schools are reopening, then other activities can resume too, “but actually the opposite is true.”

Global school studies suggest in-person learning can be safe when transmission rates in the larger community are low, the CDC report said.

Mississippi is among states where several outbreaks among students and teachers have been reported since in-person classes resumed in August.

Kathy Willard said she had mixed feelings when her grandson’s fourth grade class in Oxford was sent home for two weeks after several teachers and one student tested positive for the virus. The family doesn’t have internet access at home, making remote learning a challenge.

“It was a hardship. There’s always a worry about him falling behind or not getting access to what he needs for school,” Willard said. “But at the same time, I’m glad the school is doing what they can to protect our kids.”

Students in her district are required to wear masks and receive temperature checks, and students and teachers who come into contact with the virus are quarantined.

Students arrive for in-person classes outside a school, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020, in New York. The coronavirus is infecting a rising number of American children and teens in a trend authorities say appears driven by school reopenings and the resumption of sports, playdates and other activities. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

The CDC Reported 51 Deaths in School-Age Kids, Most in Them Ages 12 to 17

Dr. Yvonne Maldonado, head of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ infectious-diseases committee, said the big question is what will happen as schools that have started out with online learning go back to in-person classes.

“It really will depend on how well can you mask and distance in a school setting,” she said.

New York City, the nation’s largest school district, with over 1 million students, resumed classroom learning Tuesday for elementary school children. Higher grades will resume on Thursday.

The CDC report said more than 277,000 children ages 5 to 17 were confirmed infected between March and Sept. 19, with an increase in September after a peak and a decline over the summer.

The agency acknowledged that may be an underestimate, in part because testing is most often done on people with symptoms, and children with the coronavirus often have none.

The CDC reported 51 deaths in school-age kids, most in them ages 12 to 17. Less than 2% of infected children were hospitalized, and youngsters who are Black, Hispanic or have underlying conditions fared worse than white children.

The findings add to other data showing the pandemic is increasingly affecting younger age groups after initially hitting older Americans hard.

As of Monday, the CDC Counted Over 435,000 Cases in Children From Age Zero Through 17 and 93 Deaths

In a separate report Tuesday, the CDC said weekly COVID-19 cases among people ages 18 to 22 increased 55% nationally. The increases were greatest in the Northeast and Midwest and were not solely attributable to increased testing, the CDC said. About one-third of U.S. cases are in adults 50 and older, while one-quarter are in 18-to-29-year-olds.

The AAP research is based on reports from public health departments in 49 states, New York City, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and Guam. New York state doesn’t provide data by age. Most states count children’s cases up to age 19, though a few use different age ranges.

As of Sept. 24, the AAP counted nearly 625,000 youth cases, up to age 20, a 14% increase over the previous two weeks. Deaths totaled 109, well under 1% of all COVID-19 fatalities in the U.S.

As of Monday, the CDC counted over 435,000 cases in children from age zero through 17 and 93 deaths. The groups’ totals differ because they include different ages and time periods.

Overall, 7 million Americans have been confirmed infected and 205,000 have died.

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

Stock Market Today: Stocks Gain as Wall Street Closes Out Strong November

DON'T MISS

Collins Returns, but Bulldogs Lose Two in Tournament Action

DON'T MISS

My Brother Is Doing the Trump Dance

DON'T MISS

‘Misinformation Is an Attack on You’: Research Shows Alarming Increase in Social Media Manipulation

DON'T MISS

As Congress Feuds Over Farm Bill, Growers Are ‘Stuck in Limbo’

DON'T MISS

Border Patrol Trains More Chaplains as Job and Polarizing Immigration Debate Rattle Agents

DON'T MISS

Want to Shop Small Business for Holiday Gifts? Stop by NW Fresno Vendor Fair Saturday

DON'T MISS

Fresno State Defense Is Prepped to Take on UCLA. Will the Offense Be Ready?

DON'T MISS

Busing People Out of Homelessness: How California’s Relocation Programs Really Work

DON'T MISS

Something New Is Sprouting at Clovis Botanical Garden

UP NEXT

Fresno Man Who Died in Highway 41 Crash Identified

UP NEXT

Do You Own a Pyrex Measuring Cup? You May Be Owed a Refund

UP NEXT

Trump Plans to Test Controversial ‘Impoundment’ Theory to Defund Programs He Opposes

UP NEXT

Sanger Police Seek Public’s Help Locating At-Risk Man

UP NEXT

Fresno Driver Injured, Passenger Killed in Highway 41 Crash

UP NEXT

Small Business Owners Breathe Easier Over Labor Costs After Decision to Strike Down Overtime Rule

UP NEXT

Mexico Suggests It Would Impose Its Own Tariffs to Retaliate Against Any Trump Tariffs

UP NEXT

Thanksgiving Travel: TSA Braces for ‘Busiest Ever’ Holiday

UP NEXT

CHP Launches Thanksgiving Maximum Enforcement to Promote Safe Driving

UP NEXT

NATO Head and Trump Meet in Florida for Talks on Global Security

‘Misinformation Is an Attack on You’: Research Shows Alarming Increase in Social Media Manipulation

11 hours ago

As Congress Feuds Over Farm Bill, Growers Are ‘Stuck in Limbo’

11 hours ago

Border Patrol Trains More Chaplains as Job and Polarizing Immigration Debate Rattle Agents

13 hours ago

Want to Shop Small Business for Holiday Gifts? Stop by NW Fresno Vendor Fair Saturday

14 hours ago

Fresno State Defense Is Prepped to Take on UCLA. Will the Offense Be Ready?

14 hours ago

Busing People Out of Homelessness: How California’s Relocation Programs Really Work

15 hours ago

Something New Is Sprouting at Clovis Botanical Garden

15 hours ago

From Jelly Roll to TWICE, Top Acts Hit ‘Amazon Music Live’ to Spotlight Upcoming Projects

1 day ago

Conor McGregor Loses Endorsements After Civil Jury Rules He Must Pay $250K to Assault Victim

2 days ago

Flag Football Scours Nation With Talent Camps to Uncover Next Wave of Stars

2 days ago

Stock Market Today: Stocks Gain as Wall Street Closes Out Strong November

NEW YORK — Stocks are higher as Wall Street puts the finishing touches on one of its best months of the year. The S&P rose 0.7% while th...

9 hours ago

Cinderella Castle at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World
9 hours ago

Stock Market Today: Stocks Gain as Wall Street Closes Out Strong November

Fresno State guard Zaon Collins
9 hours ago

Collins Returns, but Bulldogs Lose Two in Tournament Action

President Trump doing his rally dance
10 hours ago

My Brother Is Doing the Trump Dance

11 hours ago

‘Misinformation Is an Attack on You’: Research Shows Alarming Increase in Social Media Manipulation

Customers shop for groceries at Whole Foods in Harlem on May 31, 2024. Congress is feuding over a new farm bill, making lawmakers likely to punt the matter for another year and leave American farmers and families on food assistance without an update to the legislation that controls how much federal support they receive. (Brittainy Newman/The New York Times)
11 hours ago

As Congress Feuds Over Farm Bill, Growers Are ‘Stuck in Limbo’

13 hours ago

Border Patrol Trains More Chaplains as Job and Polarizing Immigration Debate Rattle Agents

14 hours ago

Want to Shop Small Business for Holiday Gifts? Stop by NW Fresno Vendor Fair Saturday

14 hours ago

Fresno State Defense Is Prepped to Take on UCLA. Will the Offense Be Ready?

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend