Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
COVID Cases Rising Among Schoolchildren
AP: COVID-19 Cases Rising Among US Children As Schools Reopen
After preying heavily on the elderly in the spring, the coronavirus is increasingly infecting American children and teens in a trend authorities say appears fueled 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. (Tanner, 9/29)
The New York Times: ‘Super Healthy’ College Student Dies Of Rare Covid-19 Complications
Chad Dorrill was in “tremendous shape.” Tall and slender. Played basketball. Ran long distances. But the 19-year-old college student died on Monday night, apparently of neurological complications related to Covid-19. Mr. Dorrill, a sophomore at Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C., had been living off campus and taking classes online when he became ill with flulike symptoms, the school’s chancellor, Sheri Everts, wrote on Tuesday in a statement to students confirming his death. “His mother encouraged him to come home, quarantine and be tested,” Dr. Everts said. (Hubler, 9/29)
In updates on school reopenings —
Politico: NYC Infection Rate Spikes As Students Head Back To School
The city has threatened to shut down non-essential businesses and ban gatherings over ten people in those neighborhoods, but officials said Tuesday they are not yet acting on that threat. They said they will go through with it if the spread of Covid-19 does not slow. “We have to take more action at this point, and more serious action. And we will be escalating with each day depending on what we see happening on the ground,” de Blasio said. (Durkin, 9/29)
AP: Mississippi Middle School In Quarantine After Virus Outbreak
An entire middle school in Mississippi is in quarantine after more than a dozen students tested positive for coronavirus. Long Beach Middle School ordered Tuesday that all students be quarantined for two weeks beginning Wednesday, according to the school’s website. Students will return to the classroom on Oct. 14. (9/29)
Des Moines Register: Iowa Eases Quarantine Guidance For Schools, Businesses, Breaking With CDC
State officials will no longer recommend that people go into a 14-day quarantine after having close contact with a person infected with the coronavirus if both people were wearing masks during the encounter, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds announced Tuesday. The eased guidelines, which apply to places such as businesses and schools, break with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's quarantine recommendations. The federal agency says anyone who has close contact with someone who has tested positive should stay home for 14 days, regardless of whether those involved wore facial coverings. (Coltrain, 9/29)
The Baltimore Sun: Pikesville Rabbinical College Reports More Than 50 Students Tested Positive For Coronavirus And ‘Many More Have Been Exposed'
More than 50 students have tested positive for coronavirus at Ner Israel Rabbinical College in Pikesville, and the school expects “this number to climb,” according to a campus-wide email. “As of tonight over 50 of our Talmidim [the Hebrew word for “disciple”] have tested positive for Covid-19, and many more have been exposed,” read the email, which was sent Saturday. (Deville, 9/29)
