Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Alarming Spike In Kids Getting COVID Signals Trouble For Schools Reopening
CNN: US Coronavirus: More Than 97,000 Children Tested Positive For Covid-19 In The Last Two Weeks Of July, Report Says
More than 97,000 children in the US tested positive for coronavirus in the last two weeks of July, a new report says. The report, published by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children's Hospital Association, said in those two weeks, there was a 40% increase in child cases across the states and cities that were studied. The age range for children differed by state, with some defining children as only those up to age 14 and one state -- Alabama -- pushing the limit to 24. (Maxouris, 8/10)
The Washington Post: Study: Coronavirus Cases In Children Rise Sharply In The Second Half Of July, With More Than 97,000 Infections
The jump in pediatric cases comes as children are entering close quarters for the first time in months as some schools open their doors to students again. For months, teachers, parents and politicians have argued over whether the risks that the novel coronavirus pose to children outweigh the benefits of in-person learning. (Janes, 8/9)
In other developments related to children —
The Wall Street Journal: Latest Research Points To Children Carrying, Transmitting Coronavirus
Children might be more vulnerable to Covid-19 than once believed, with new research suggesting that they are able to contract and spread the virus, especially if they don’t take precautions such as wearing a mask. Several studies and reports published in recent weeks found coronavirus infections among children of all ages at places ranging from schools to camps to homes. Other research suggested that kids, especially older ones, can be a driving force behind transmission. And some researchers found children carry high levels of Covid-19’s genetic material in their upper respiratory tract, which doesn’t mean they are transmitting the virus but that they potentially could. (McCabe, 8/9)
CNN: Children Are Still Suffering Fatigue And Chest Pains Months After Suspected Covid
Fourteen-year-old Indiana Evans is a promising dancer from Hertfordshire, southern England, who was doing 16 hours of practice a week on top of school before the coronavirus pandemic hit. Indiana fell ill with a cough in early March, said her mother, Jane Evans. Although she didn't have any other coronavirus symptoms, her parents kept her home for two weeks in line with government guidance. She was never ill enough to be hospitalized, her mother told CNN. Nonetheless, the teenager -- who planned to audition for prestigious dance schools -- can now barely manage a trip to the supermarket. (Smith-Spark, 8/10)
The Hill: Hispanic And Black Children Facing Higher Rates Of COVID-19 Hospitalization: CDC
A new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reveals that Hispanic and Black children have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic at a disproportionate rate, underscoring how minority communities across the country have been among the hardest hit by COVID-19. The report released Friday uses pediatric data collected from 14 states, including California, Georgia, New York and Ohio, between March 1 and July 25. The agency notes that children are still at a lower risk for serious complications from COVID-19 such as hospitalization but concluded that Black and Hispanic children are more likely to have such symptoms than their white peers. (Johnson, 8/8)
The Seattle Times: Eleven Kids In Washington Have Been Diagnosed With Rare Coronavirus Syndrome
Since the start of the novel coronavirus pandemic, a total of 11 children in Washington state have been hospitalized with a rare but serious syndrome that appears to be triggered by infection with the virus, state health officials said Friday. The state’s first four cases were reported in May, and seven other children have been stricken since then, said Dr. Marisa D’Angeli, an epidemiologist at the Washington Department of Health. The pattern of cases roughly tracks the resurgence of infections across the state this summer. (Johnson, 8/8)
